Jasmin Cardenas is an accomplished Colombian-American storyteller, theater maker, actress, educator, and social activist who leverages the power of play and “teatro” to foster connection and spark societal change. Drawing inspiration from El Teatro Campesino and her training in the Theater of the Oppressed under Augusto Boal, Jasmin centers her work on amplifying the narratives of working people. As the co-founder of WorkersTEATRO in Chicago, she is dedicated to creating inclusive spaces where community members can share their stories, a commitment that underscores her multifaceted career as a performer and advocate.

Recognized internationally for her impactful work, Jasmin’s impressive portfolio includes receiving the 2020-2022 LAB Fellowship at Georgetown University and being selected by UNESCO and the International Theatre Institute as a 2022 U.S. Emergent Theater Artist. She has toured solo works like DISPOSABLE internationally, supported by the USArtists International MidAtlantic Arts Grant, and has been a staple in the Chicagoland theater scene, performing with companies such as the Goodman and Steppenwolf. Beyond the stage, Jasmin is a filmmaker, a bilingual educator, and a SAG-AFTRA actress with television credits including Chicago Fire and The CHI, continually using her platform to explore the complexities of growing up between cultures.

Francesca Patrón (she/her/ella) is a director from San Diego. She received her B.F.A. in Stage and Screen Acting from Azusa Pacific University and her M.F.A. in Directing from Northwestern University. She is one of the original founding members of Third Culture Studios, Los Angeles and an artistic associate of Maened Physical Theater, an immersive theater ensemble that produces physical, site-specific work. Regional directing credits include As it is in Heaven, The Clean House, Code Blue, The Turn of the Screw, and Annice, A Slave (Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts,) Words We Dimly Hear (Third Culture); and Three Tall Women (VT Theatre Lab). Regionally, she has worked at The Goodman, American Players Theatre, Writers Theatre, Timeline Theater, Actor’s Co-Op, Hollywood and Third Culture Ensemble. Her research and directing process is called a Theater of Healing, which explores the ways theater can serve communal healing and reconciliation.

Sierra Rosetta (she/her) is an Ojibwe Chicago-based playwright, dramaturg, and PhD Candidate in Theatre at Northwestern University. She is the Literary Associate at Native Voices Theater, based in LA, where she oversees new plays and dramaturgy, and is always a champion for new work by minority voices. Other dramaturgical credits include: “I” IS FOR INVISIBLE by DeLanna Studi at New Harmony Project/Playfest Indy, INDIAN PRINCESSES by Eliana Theologides Rodriguez at La Jolla Playhouse, INHERIT THE WIND at Goodman Theatre, and AS IT IS IN HEAVEN at Northwestern University.