August Boyne - August is a multi-faceted musician and educator. Since graduating from UIC with a degree in music performance, he's grown a deep passion for unorthodox storytelling. In 2018 he directed and composed his first original stage production at the St. Louis Fringe Festival, a sci-fi ballet entitled "Perennial Growth". Chicago Puppet Lab will be August's second time producing original work for the stage and first time seriously exploring puppetry, both of which he's over the moon about.

Jacky Kelsey - Jacky is a soft sculptor informed by a background in drawing and puppetry. They maintain a strong belief that art is an essential outlet for play, and that play is a necessity for all. Based in Chicago, they have experience as a seamstress, upholsterer, costume maker, and puppeteer. These niche skills inform their sculptural work, which deals with themes of body, comfort, neurodivergency, and queer identity.

Claude Fethiere - Claude is an educator and a lifelong lover of film and storytelling. He recently completed his first short film, Mr. Bulloch: Chicago's Donut King, a documentary about Mr. Buritt Bulloch and his business, Old Fashioned Donuts Incorporated, which has continued to thrive for 50 years; overcoming, decades of economic challenges in Chicago's Roseland neighborhood. As a co-hort in Chicago International Puppet Festival -Chicago Puppet Lab program Claude is beginning his puppetry journey by adapting the book "Joe Joe's First Flight". The book of a young hero pursuing his dream to fly is not only close to Claude's heart because of its theme, but because it was also written by his lovely wife Natasha Tarpley, the celebrated author of I Love My Hair, and The Me I Choose to Be. Claude is continuing to develop other projects to expand the range of stories about the Black Diaspora.

Sion Silva - Sion is an emerging multi-media fine artist whose work primarily focuses on a personalized mythology based on the history and philosophies of religion and Cronenburgian aesthetics. To further elaborate; most of their work involves a series of short stories all taking place within the same universe, depicting a primordial earth and the origins of life. Outside of this they work as a free lance fabricator delving in sculpture, puppet making and concept design. Their recent work has involved fabrication for Chicago Puppet Chicago Festival, Rough Houses: ‘HOUSE OF THE EXQUISITE CORPSE 2022' and performances at ‘Nasty, Brutish, & Short'.

Collective SUM (Kevin Michael Wesson and Jaerin Son) - Jaerin Son is a puppet artist, play director, and set designer originally from Korea. Her work includes plays, performance with movements, and dances. Her work often involves surreal images to depict a vivid reality of the real world rather than a rendition of illusion. Back in Korea, Son directed her own performance works such as This is Not Shakespeare, Taste of Memories, and Dreadful Time. She designed stages for the World Cyber Games Festival in China, Odyssey (directed by Youngho Gwon) in Korea, Vancouver (Ma-Yi Theater) in Chicago. She is currently working as a puppet and scenic designer and Popup book puppetry instructor at the Chicago Puppet Studio, and in 2022, was nominated as one of the 2022 fellowship artists from Links Hall

Kevin Michael Wesson - Kevin  is a 28-year-old puppeteer/playwright based in Chicago. Originally from Tampa, FL, he received a B.A. in theatre arts from the University of South Florida. He's had his work read, performed, and transmitted from NYC to Alaska, but his recent puppetry credits include: Where We Go Together or The Flashlight Play (Tour), House of the Exquisite Corpse (Chicago), CAMPOUT: A Night Out In The Woods (NYC), Dr. Seuss Experience (Chicago), as well as the publication of his puppet play, Follow Her, in the infamous direct action publication Earth First! Journal. His works have received mention in American Theatre Magazine, No Proscenium, & nomination for the National Puppet Slam. Currently, he is an artistic associate of the Chicago-based puppet theatre company, Rough House Theater, a founding ensemble member of the performance art company, Stop Motion Plant, and an ensemble member of the physical theatre company, Theater Unspeakable.