Teaching Artists

Jazmín Corona - Lead Teaching Artist (she/her) is a Mexican American and bilingual actor, writer, dancer, and photographer. She has worked as a teaching artist with Steppenwolf for Young Adults since 2016. She has also had the pleasure of teaching with Northlight Theatre, The Viola Project, and Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE), to name a few. She has brought numerous works of art to schools all over Chicago. As an actor, she has worked with Seattle Rep, Forward Theatre, American Blues Theater, Writers Theater, Theater Wit, Steppenwolf, Goodman, First Folio, Free Street, Raven Theatre, and Babes With Blades, among many others. Her TV credits include FX’s The Bear and NBC's Chicago Fire. She is proudly represented by DDO Chicago.

Monet Felton - Lead/Co Flex Teaching Artist (they/them) is a director, producer, writer, teaching artist, and company member at Jackalope Theatre. Monet earned their BFA in Acting at The University of Illinois at Chicago, where they currently teach as an adjunct professor for their non majors theatre class. They are currently studying on a scholarship to be certified in Alexander Technique. They have had the opportunity to teach at theatres such as Adventure Stage Chicago, Congo Square, Raven Theatre, Timeline Theatre, Walkabout Theatre, and Steppenwolf for Young Adults. Monet is a proud member of the Steppenwolf teaching artist cohort.

Jalyn Greene - Lead/Co Flex Teaching Artist & Teen Development & Programs Producer (they/she) is an actor, poet, teaching artist. They are driven to explore the intersectional black experience through poetic and generational narratives. Detroit born and Chicago based, they received their BFA from Michigan State University. Acting credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Babes with Blades), No Child (Mississippi Bend Players), Queen of Sock Pairing (Red Tape Theatre), Crumbs from the Table of Joy (Raven Theatre) and Breathe, Boom as (Eclipse Theatre). Jalyn thrives on the belief that arts education is key in creating compassionate, bold, and effective leaders. Partnered with Chicago theatres and youth arts organizations such as Lifeline Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre, and Pegasus Theatre, they’ve provided arts programming to hundreds of students across Chicagoland, with an emphasis on communities with large minority and immigrant populations. Jalyn is also a member of the 2021 inaugural IGNITE cohort, under the mentorship of Nambi E. Kelley.

Claribel Gross - Lead/Co Flex Teaching Artist (she/her) is a theater maker, director and teaching artist. She has training and experience in Devised Theater, Theater for Social Change, Solo performance, Theater of the Oppressed, Theater for Young Audiences and experimental writing and performance. As a performer, teaching artist and arts administrator Claribel has worked in communities in the United States, Latin America and Europe. Claribel is a founding member of The Midwives Artistic Collective, whose mission is to nurture the public creative spirit. She holds an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College and a BA from the University of Minnesota. As a teaching artist Claribel also works with Mudlark Theater, Lookingglass Theatre and is an adjunct faculty member currently at Aurora University.

Lauren Katz - Lead Teaching Artist & Education & Engagement Programs Producer (she/her) is a Chicago-based director, educator, and arts-administrator. Favorite directing credits include: Midsummer Night’s Dream and Women of 4G (Babes with Blades Theatre Company), The Prom (Highland Park Players), Mary's Wedding (Oil Lamp Theatre), Tick Tick Boom and A Grand Night for Singing (Dunes Summer Theatre), Grease and Legally Blonde the Musical (Beverly Theatre Guild), Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins (Strawdog Theatre), and This is a Chair (Haven Theatre). Other collaborations include: About Face Theatre, Firebrand Theatre Company, Goodman Theatre, Theater Wit, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Victory Gardens Theatre, Redtwist Theatre, Writers Theatre, and Windy City Playhouse. Lauren served as the 2016/2017 Artistic Apprentice at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and as a 2018/2019 Directors Inclusion Fellow at Victory Gardens Theatre.

Ayssette Muñoz - Co Teaching Artist (she/her/ella) is a Mexican-American actor, educator, and director originally from the Rio Grande Valley. In 2015, the Chicago Tribune featured Ayssette as one of the “Top 10 Hot New Faces of Chicago Theatre''. And in 2019, she was nominated for "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Play" from the Alliance of Latinx Theatre Artists of Chicago. Theatre credits include: Steppenwolf, Teatro Vista Productions, Goodman Theatre, Lookingglass, Chicago Shakespeare, Rivendell, A Red Orchid Theatre, Collaboraction, Definition Theatre, Urban Theater, and Teatro Luna. On-camera credits include ‘The Bear’, ‘Chicago Med’, 'Chicago PD', 'North of the 10' and 'En Algun Lugar'. She is a proud Teatro Vista Productions artistic collective member and serves as their co-director of youth and outreach. She recently assistant directed ‘An Educated Guess’ at Definition Theatre and associate directed Teatro Vista's "Somewhere Over The Border"-- jeff award winner of Best Director, Best Ensemble, and Best Production of a Musical (mid-size). She is represented by Big Mouth Talent. www.ayssettemunoz.com

Dana Murphy - Lead Teaching Artist & Associate Director of Education (they/she) is a creative collaborator, heart-forward leader, and agile facilitator of joyous and transformative learning spaces with 20 years of experience in the arts education field, currently prioritizing collective care and cultivating abolitionist, antiracist lenses in their practice. She is the Associate Director of Education and a Lead Teaching Artist at Steppenwolf Theatre Company and has taught all over Chicago with Raven Theatre, Creative Root at DePaul, Lookingglass Theatre, Adventure Stage, Chicago Children’s Theatre, Free Street Theatre, UIC and U of C. She is a proud member and organizer with Arts Ed Chi - a collective of arts education administrators working to build a culture of community care, career sustainability, and collective advocacy for arts educators in Chicago. They are also a long time ensemble member of wender collective (formerly Walkabout Theatre) which has created devised and site specific experimental physical theatre performances throughout the city. Dana is passionate about fostering radical imagination, embodied learning, and compassionate connection in their education work. She trusts young people deeply and moves in reciprocal relationships with both students and educators to create strong trauma-informed containers for creative exploration.

Jeremy Ohringer - Lead Teaching Artist (he/him) is a director, assistant professor, and teaching artist who has worked with Steppenwolf since 2014. He also teaches, directs, and is an intimacy consultant at North Central College and DePaul University. His favorite directing projects include RIDE THE CYCLONE and CONSTELLATIONS (North Central College), STUPID F**KING BIRD (DePaul University), RAYMONDO (The Cartographers), ANGELS IN AMERICA: PERESTROIKA (Boston University), WHO WALKED ALL NIGHT… (Rhino Fest), SALVE REGINA (Center on Halsted), SAD SONGS FOR BAD PEOPLE (Rough House Theater), WHO ROWED ACROSS OCEANS (Edinburgh Fringe Festival) and an original adaptation of SPRING AWAKENING (Fearless Theatre). Jeremy is Chair of the board of The Midwives, a national collective of artists supporting each other’s individual projects. He holds an MFA in directing from Boston University.

Abigail Piñon - Co Teaching Artis (she/her/ella) is a Chicago Actor, Artist, and Arts Educator who enjoys working in English, Spanish, and Spanglish! Abi has applied her skills in the field both locally and in cities across the map (NYC, LA, San Francisco, Austin, Toronto, etc). An ALTA Award-winner for “Outstanding Improviser,” Abi adores spontaneity and creativity! She is a current cast member of “Escándalo,” a vibrant show featuring Latine comedians, musicians, poets, and more. She earned her BA in Theatre and Performance (with a Minor in Disability and Human Development) from the University of Illinois, Chicago. Abi also serves as Program Manager of TWPG (a nonprofit org utilizing artistic approaches to create positive social change) and is a Teaching Artist here at Steppenwolf Theatre! Abi loves music, nature, and enjoying life with her familia. <3

Sonya Madrigal - Co Teaching Artist (she/hers)is a proud first generation Mexican American actor, director, mover and teaching artist from Chicago.She received her BFA in acting from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Past directing credits include: Marisol, Back the the night (UIC), A lullaby for Irving (Cut to the Chase, Artistic Home), assisted directed The Raveling (Walkabout Theater). Most recently she was seen in the premiere of BERNARDA! with Teatro Vista co-produced by Steppenwolf. Recent acting credits include: Villette (Lookingglass),Pequeños Territorios (Goodman/Destinos) Day of Absence (Congo Square); Hope Part II; A Mexican Trilogy (Teatro Vista); Oedipus Rex and The Adventures of Augie March (Court Theater).Regional credits include Henry V (Riverside Theater); Letters From Cuba and Our Lady of 121st. Sonya has also choreographed and was a movement consultant on the Goodman's productions of Zulema and American Mariachi .She is proudly a part of the teaching artist community in Chicago and currently a teaching artist for Steppenwolf and Lookingglass. She has taught a variety of age groups with: Lifeline Theater, Raven Theater, August Wilson Monologue competition, UIC project stage, and Depaul University Creative Root. Sonya is proudly represented by Stewart Talent