History of Still Point Theatre Collective
Actress and singer Lisa Wagner-Carollo always had a sincere desire to serve society, and as a young woman she began to formulate a vision of combining theatre, ministry, and social justice in a nonprofit. Her vision was realized when Still Point Theatre Collective was born in August of 1993, with St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church as its umbrella organization.
Haunted by God: The Life of Dorothy Day was originally produced by Call to Action in 1990, but became Still Point’s first touring play when it took over the show’s production in 1993. Since the mid 1990’s, the Collective has produced an interesting variety of work examining the human condition and shining a spotlight on important social issues. During the 1990’s, Still Point embraced the model of being an artist-run collective, and began to engage an ever-expanding circle of talented professional artists who contributed to the collective in unique and various ways.
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Still Point embraced outreach work into its vision from its inception. The Collective’s first and longest lasting outreach program is the Imagination Workshop, originally established at Esperanza Community Services, which features drama workshops for adults with developmental disabilities. Today Still Point facilitates Imagination Workshop classes at various Chicago-based agencies, and runs a program at Ravenswood Presbyterian Church which is open to the public.
Still Point delved into a new area of outreach with the Persephone Project’s pilot program at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in 1998. Today our work serving incarcerated women includes programs at Cook County Jail and Lake County Jail. As an extension of this work, in 2007 the Collective created Sisters Rising, a touring ensemble comprised of formerly incarcerated women. In 2016 Still Point partnered with Grace House to create an original performance called The Power of Grace with an ensemble of formerly incarcerated women. Supporting both currently and formerly incarcerated women continues to be a priority.
In April of 2010, Still Point became approved as a federally registered 501c3 nonprofit. Funding is received from various sources including individual tax-deductible donations, foundations, religious groups, and earned income through performance and workshop fees, and ticket sales.
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Throughout Still Point’s history, members of the Collective have been invited to attend potlucks, coffee hours, inclusive rituals, and other events designed to build community. We seek to nurture one another as fellow artists and travelers on life’s journey. Our motto remains: We all matter, and art matters for all of us.
