Meet the Staff

Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi

Artistic Director, Co-Founder, Master Teacher (She/Her)

Sylvia is Artistic Director of The Actors Gymnasium. She also serves as master teacher and director of The Professional Circus Training Program and is a faculty member at Northwestern University’s Department of Theatre. Sylvia is a second generation circus performer who grew up touring with various circuses, including Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey. In 2019, she and her family, The Hernandez Troupe, were inducted into the Circus Ring of Fame for their monumental contributions to the world of circus. Sylvia is an ensemble member of the Tony Award-winning Lookingglass Theatre Company since 1999, where she has worked on over 20 productions. She has received 4 Joseph Jefferson Awards for her work with Lookingglass (Lookingglass Alice, Hard Times, Baron in the Trees) and Marriott Theatre (All Night Strut), and a total of 5 Joseph Jefferson nominations. In 2018, she won a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award and a Robby Award, both for designing the acrobatic/aerial choreography of the South Coast Repertory staging of Moby Dick. Other theater credits include The Lyric Opera, Writer’s Theatre, Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Chicago Children’s Theater and The Goodman. Sylvia is the recipient of The 3Arts Award for Design (2014), and also received an Award of Honor for Outstanding Contributions by The Illinois Theater Association.

Murphy Monroe

Executive Director 

Murphy (he/him) is delighted to be in his sixth year as the Executive Director of The Actors Gymnasium.

Formerly General Manager and Vice President of Enrollment for Helix Education, an ed-tech startup that developed cutting-edge enrollment software and managed the enrollment and brand positioning for several major colleges and universities prior to its sale.

Before that, for over a decade, Murphy was the Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management and Executive Director of Admissions for Columbia College Chicago, a large private nonprofit arts college in downtown Chicago.

With a master's degree in nonprofit management, Murphy has served on the boards of several nonprofits, including Young Chicago Authors, The National Scholarship Fund, Art Schools Network, the Stephen Hoenig Foundation, and City as a Classroom High School.

Proud to be Autistic, Murphy is a member of the Evanston Commission on Aging and Disabilities and a founding member of the Autistic Support Network. Murphy’s special interests outside Circus are doughnuts, float tanks, and the Grateful Dead. Murphy lives in Evanston with his wife, Sarah Eva Monroe, and their two children, Foster and Milo. 

Madie Doppelt

Associate Artistic Director (She/Her)
ProTraining Alum Class of 2022

Madie Doppelt is a theater and circus artist based in Chicago. She’s a recent graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University, as well as an alum of Actors Gym’s beloved Teen Ensemble.

Kasey Foster

Special Events Manager (She/Her)

Kasey Foster is an actor, producer, singer, puppeteer, choreographer, director, creator, and mom. She is an ensemble member at Lookingglass Theatre Co., an AEA member, and the Events Manager for Actors Gymnasium. Foster performs with bands Babe-alon 5, Nasty Buoy, Old Timey, Charlie Otto, and This Must be the Band. For more info, check out her website at kaseyfoster.com.

Danielle Gennaoui

Pro Training Program Manager (She/Her)

Since she was a little tater tot in St. Louis, MO, Danielle loved to direct plays in her parents’ basement, climb every tree in sight, and spin around in circles until she fell over. Fortunately, not much has changed (though the falling over is fewer and further between).

Danielle began training at the Actors Gymnasium in 2008 and immediately fell in love with Circus. Danielle specializes in theatre, aerial arts, and partner acrobatics. Danielle graduated with Bachelor of Arts in Theatre directing and performance from the Jordan College of Fine Arts at Butler University and is a graduate of Aloft Circus Arts Full-Time Training Program (Major: Lyra).

In addition to working with Actors Gym, Danielle has been especially fortunate to perform, coach, and create with: Aloft Circus Arts, Circus Harmony, Chicago Center for Dynamic Circus, CircEsteem, MSA & Circus Arts, Lookingglass Theatre Company, Gravity Aerial Arts, Thodos Dance Chicago, Apple Tree Theatre, Sussurus Performance Group, and The Alexandrinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia. DanielleGennaoui.com

Alice Wu

Marketing Manager (She/Her)

Alice Wu is an actor based in Chicago. Prior to working at Actors Gymnasium, Alice has done everything from managing a coffee shop (she makes a mean latte!) to account managing for major corporations and she is excited to finally combine her love of the arts with her love of spreadsheets. 

Alice graduated with her Bachelors of Fine Arts in Performance from North Dakota State University and is an alum of the Actor’s Theatre of Louisville Professional Training Program as an Acting Apprentice. Alice has been fortunate to work with many theatres in Chicago including Remy Bumppo, The Plagiarists, Red Theatre, Babes with Blades Theatre Co., and more. Alice is represented by Stewart Talent Agency. 

Alice is an avid DnD and TTRPG player, lover of board games, and is usually hanging out with her pets Jellybean (dog) and Dash (cat). 

Erin Gautille

Production Manager (She/Her)
ProTraining Alum Class of 2022 & 2023

Erin Gautille is a graduate of the Professional Training Program class of 2022. Erin has also been working as a Props and Scenic designer since 2017 and has been living in Chicago since 2018. 3 years ago Erin decided that circus needed to become a larger part of her life instead of just her hobby. Now she is ecstatic to be performing with New Moon Chicago and Yes Maam Circus as well as here with Actors Gym. As a life long storyteller, circus gives her the opportunity to share aspects of herself and the world in a whole new language. Being the Production Manager here allows her to combine her skill sets of theatre and circus to create inspiring work alongside incredible people.

Richie Schiraldi

House Carpenter/Facilities Manager (He/Him)

Richie Schiraldi is an actor, movement Director, physical theater maker, and woodworker. He has taught and perform circus, theater, and movement work in Chicago since 2014, and has an MFA in acting and contemporary performance from Columbia College. Richie has toured internationally with Aura Curiatlas, as well as with Whisper Theatre – a company he cofounded. He also has an extensive background in stage management and scenic carpentry, and builds custom furniture and accessories. In his “spare” time, he enjoys boardgames, bicycle rides, and park hangouts.