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Piven Theatre Workshop
The Piven Theatre Workshop is located in Evanston, Illinois and was founded by Joyce and Byrne Piven. For over 30 years, it has existed both as a professional theatre company and a training center for children and adults. Famous alumni to come out of the program include Jeremy Piven, John Cusack, Aimee Garcia, Joan Cusack, Ann Cusack, Aidan Quinn, Laurel Holloman, Lili Taylor, Ann Lippert, Julian Bailey, playwright Sarah Ruhl Sarah Ruhl (born January 24, 1974) is an American playwright, professor, and essayist. Among her most popular plays are ''Eurydice'' (2003), ''The Clean House'' (2004), and ''In the Next Room (or the Vibrator Play)'' (2009). She has been the reci ... and Kate Walsh. References External linksThe Official Piven Theatre website Cook County, Illinois Theatre companies in Evanston, Illinois {{US-theat-stub ...
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Evanston, Illinois
Evanston ( ) is a city, suburb of Chicago. Located in Cook County, Illinois, United States, it is situated on the North Shore along Lake Michigan. Evanston is north of Downtown Chicago, bordered by Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, Wilmette to the north, and Lake Michigan to the east. Evanston had a population of 78,110 . Founded by Methodist business leaders in 1857, the city was incorporated in 1863. Evanston is home to Northwestern University, founded in 1851 before the city's incorporation, one of the world's leading research universities. Today known for its socially liberal politics and ethnically diverse population, Evanston was historically a dry city, until 1972. The city uses a council–manager system of government and is a Democratic stronghold. The city is heavily shaped by the influence of Chicago, externally, and Northwestern, internally. The city and the university share a historically complex long-standing relationship. History Prior to the 1830s, ...
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Aidan Quinn
Aidan Quinn (born March 8, 1959) is an American actor who made his film debut in '' Reckless'' (1984). He has starred in over 80 feature films, including ''Desperately Seeking Susan'' (1985), '' The Mission'' (1986), ''Stakeout'' (1987), ''Avalon'' (1990), ''Benny & Joon'' (1993), ''Legends of the Fall'' (1994), '' Mary Shelley's Frankenstein'' (1994), ''Michael Collins'' (1996), ''Practical Magic'' (1998), ''Song for a Raggy Boy'' (2003), and ''Unknown'' (2011). Quinn has received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his work in ''An Early Frost'' (1985) and ''Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee'' (2007). He played Captain Thomas "Tommy" Gregson in the CBS television series ''Elementary'' (2012–2019). Early life Quinn was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Irish Catholic parents. He was raised in Chicago and Rockford, Illinois, as well as in Dublin and Birr, County Offaly, Ireland. His mother, Teresa, was a homemaker, but also worked as a bookkeeper and in the travel business, an ...
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Kate Walsh (actor)
Kathleen Erin Walsh (born October 13, 1967) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Dr. Addison Montgomery on the ABC television dramas ''Grey's Anatomy'' and ''Private Practice''. She is also known for her roles as Rebecca Wright on ''Bad Judge'', Olivia Baker on ''13 Reasons Why'', Nicki Fifer on ''The Drew Carey Show'', The Handler on ''The Umbrella Academy'', and Madeline Wheeler on ''Emily in Paris''. Early life Walsh was born in San Jose, California, the daughter of Angela and Joseph Patrick Walsh Sr. She grew up in a Catholic household in Tucson, Arizona. Her mother is of Italian descent, and her father was Irish, from Navan in County Meath. Walsh graduated from Catalina Magnet High School and studied acting at the University of Arizona before dropping out. Walsh moved to New York City and joined a comedy troupe, Burn Manhattan, supporting herself by waitressing. Career Walsh worked at fast-food outlets before modeling and teaching English in Japan in ...
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Sarah Ruhl
Sarah Ruhl (born January 24, 1974) is an American playwright, professor, and essayist. Among her most popular plays are ''Eurydice'' (2003), '' The Clean House'' (2004), and ''In the Next Room (or the Vibrator Play)'' (2009). She has been the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship and the PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater Award for a distinguished American playwright in mid-career. Two of her plays have been finalists for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and she received a nomination for Tony Award for Best Play. In 2020, she adapted her play ''Eurydice'' into the libretto for Matthew Aucoin's opera of the same name. In 2015, she published a collection of essays, ''100 Essays I Don't Have Time to Write''. Her most recent play, ''Becky Nurse of Salem'' (2019) premiered at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. She currently serves on the faculty of the Yale School of Drama. In 2018, ''Letters from Max: A Book of Friendship'', co-authored by Max Ritvo, was published by Milkweed Edi ...
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Julian Bailey (actor)
Julian Bailey (born May 25, 1977) is a Canadian actor who has had roles in feature films and television series, including ''Better Off Ted'', '' NCIS'', ''Just Shoot Me!'', '' Judging Amy'' and '' Charmed''. Biography Bailey first appeared to American television audiences in 2002 in the recurring role of Scott Wilson, assistant to Lea Thompson, in the Lifetime network drama, '' For The People''. He later portrayed the comedic recurring role of Vincent, the flirtatious bartender from the 'Indigo Club' on the soap opera ''The Young and the Restless''. Bailey had a supporting role in the 2009 direct-to-video release '' Sarah's Choice'', which starred Rebecca St. James. He appeared the crime-drama film ''Acts of Violence'', starring Ron Perlman and Leelee Sobieski in 2010 and the feature film comedy, '' Meeting Spencer'' starring Jeffrey Tambor in 2011. In 2018, he played the role of Owen in the horror film ''He's Out There''. He was the voice of Pepito in the popular ''Madelin ...
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Ann Lippert
Ann Helene Lippert (born July 14, 1963, Evanston, Illinois) is a comedian and actress. She directed the audience interactive comedy ''Joni and Gina's Wedding'', which she co-created and co-wrote with Marianne Basford and Hilarity Ensues Productions in 2002. Her acting career began with classes at the Piven Theatre Workshop in Evanston, Illinois, where she studied for 8 years with her biggest influence, director/teacher Shira Piven. Lippert is the daughter of an Irish Catholic mother and Chicago-born German father who is a semi-professional bowler. In her comedy, she parodies her family, her dad's bowling obsession, and relationships. As an actress she has had many parts in television and film. In 2014 she will again be co-directing ''Joni and Gina's Wedding'' at the Viva Las Vegas Events Center in Las Vegas, NV. External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lippert, Ann 1963 births Living people American women comedians American television actresses American film actresses Comedians fro ...
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Lili Taylor
Lili Anne Taylor (born February 20, 1967) is an American actress. She came to prominence with supporting parts in the films '' Mystic Pizza'' (1988) and '' Say Anything...'' (1989), before establishing herself as one of the key figures of 1990s independent cinema with starring roles in ''Bright Angel'' (1990), ''Dogfight'' (1991), ''Household Saints'', ''Short Cuts'' (both 1993), ''The Addiction'', '' Cold Fever'' (both 1995), ''I Shot Andy Warhol'', '' Girls Town'' (both 1996), '' Pecker'' (1998), and '' A Slipping-Down Life'' (1999). She is the recipient of four Independent Spirit nominations, winning once in the category of Best Supporting Female. Her accolades also include a Golden Globe, an NBR Award, a Volpi Cup, a Sant Jordi, a Golden Space Needle, a Chlotrudis Award, an SDFCS Award, a Sundance Special Jury Prize, and a Fangoria Chainsaw Award. Alongside her work on smaller-scale projects, Taylor has encountered mainstream success with parts in films such as ''Born o ...
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Laurel Holloman
Laurel Lisa Holloman is an American painter and actress. She is best known for playing Tina Kennard in ''The L Word''. Early life Holloman is the youngest child in her family. She has two older brothers. She graduated from Saint Mary's School, an Episcopal boarding school for girls in Raleigh, in 1986. She attended the University of North Carolina where she graduated with a degree in Performance Communication. She appeared in numerous theater productions in Chapel Hill and Raleigh, as well as in Chicago and London. She studied painting and sculpting at UCLA and at The San Francisco Art Institute. Career Acting After graduating from UNC, Holloman moved to Chicago to work with the Piven Theatre Workshop. She studied with John Lynn in Los Angeles, and was cast in David Orr's independent feature ''Blossom Time''. She moved to New York City in early 1994 and appeared in stage productions such as Tennessee Williams' ''The Glass Menagerie'', Carson McCullers' ''The Heart Is a Lone ...
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Ann Cusack
Ann Cusack (born May 22, 1961) is an American actress. She had minor roles in ''Multiplicity'' (1996), ''A League of Their Own'' (1992), and ''The Informant!'' (2009). Additionally, she has made guest appearances in a number of television series, including ''Grey's Anatomy'', ''Scandal'', ''One Tree Hill'', '' Charmed'', '' Ghost Whisperer'', ''The Unit'', '' Boston Legal'', ''Bones'', ''Frasier'', '' Ally McBeal'', ''Criminal Minds'', ''Private Practice'', '' Fargo'', ''Better Call Saul'', '' The Boys'' and ''The Good Doctor''. Early life Cusack was born in New York City and was raised in Evanston, Illinois. She is the sister of actors Joan, John, Bill, and Susie. Her mother, Ann Paula "Nancy" (née Carolan) (1929-2022), is a former mathematics teacher and political activist. Her father, Dick Cusack, was an actor, producer, and writer. With her sister Joan and brother John, she trained at the Piven Theatre Workshop in Evanston and the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massac ...
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Joyce Piven
Joyce Hiller Piven (born February 21, 1930) is an American director, teacher, and actress. She and her late husband, Byrne Piven, were actors in the Compass Players. Later they founded the Piven Theatre Workshop in Evanston, Illinois and became teachers to a generation of stars such as John Cusack, Joan Cusack, Aidan Quinn, Adam McKay, as well as their son Jeremy Piven and daughter Shira Piven. She used to teach and direct at the Workshop and served as the Artistic Director Emeritus. Biography Piven was born Joyce Goldstein. In 1954, she met Byrne Piven at the University of Chicago. They wed a short time later. They had their first child, Shira Piven, in 1961, and later had their second child, Jeremy Piven, in 1965. After the death of her husband, Byrne Piven, in 2002, she continued to reside and teach in Evanston, and eventually moved to Los Angeles in 2017 to be with her children and grandchildren. Career In the 1950s, the Pivens were two of the founding members of the Play ...
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Joan Cusack
Joan Mary Cusack (; born October 11, 1962) is an American actress. She received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her roles in the comedy-drama ''Working Girl'' (1988) and the romantic comedy '' In & Out'' (1997). Her other starring roles include those in ''Addams Family Values'' (1993), '' Runaway Bride'' (1999), '' School of Rock'' (2003), and '' Confessions of a Shopaholic'' (2009). She has also provided the voice of Jessie in the ''Toy Story'' franchise (1999–present) and Abby Mallard in ''Chicken Little'' (2005). Cusack was a cast member on the comedy sketch show ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1985 to 1986. She starred on the Showtime hit drama/comedy series '' Shameless'' (2011–2021) as Sheila Jackson, a role for which she received five consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations, winning for the first time in 2015. She is the sister of actress Ann Cusack and actor John Cusack. Early life Cusack was born on October 11, 1962, in New Yo ...
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Aimee Garcia
Aimee Sandimés Garcia López de Ordóñez (born November 28, 1978) is an American actress and writer. She is known for her television roles as Veronica Palmero on the ABC sitcom ''George Lopez'', Yvonne Sanchez on the CBS period drama ''Vegas'', Jamie Batista on the Showtime drama '' Dexter'' and Ella Lopez on the Fox/Netflix drama ''Lucifer''. Early life Aimee Garcia was born in Chicago, Illinois. Her mother, Eloisa, is from Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico, and graduated from Northwestern University's dental school; her father, Hector, is from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and was in the U.S. Armed Forces. Garcia started acting in commercials as a child, and participated in theater at seven years old. She grew up in Oak Park, Illinois, where she attended Fenwick High School. While in school, she took acting classes at Piven Theatre Workshop. She appeared in local plays and musicals during her time at Northwestern University, where she triple majored in economics, journalism, and French ...
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