John Szostek (Artistic Director, Founder) began his professional career performing and writing for Geoffrey Buckley's Commedia dell' arte Gelosi Troupe at Stratford-upon-Avon in England. Later he received an Emmy Award for his work on Beyond the Magic Door. In 1989 he directed the Lifeline Theatre ensemble in The Servant of Two Masters and returned there in 1990 to write and direct Chaos, which was nominated for four Joseph Jefferson Citations and which won for “Best Original Music.” He co-founded The Last Chance Circuz, and co-produced with Ken Raabe the Cablevision sci-fi comedy show Secret Circus. In 1997 he directed Servant of Two Masters for Valparaiso University and received two Meritorious Achievement Awards for directing and mask design from the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. He has directed We Won't Pay We Won't Pay, Scapin, The Artful Widow and Mistero Buffo for Piccolo Theatre. John teaches commedia dell' Arte, movement, mask theatre and European clown and he makes masks for the stage. He has just completed the restoration of a turn of the century train station in Evanston (Evanston Arts Depot) which is the home of the Piccolo Theatre.

John's Top Ten Comedy Teams

1. Laurel & Hardy, 2. Marx Bros., 3. The Goons, 4. Monty Python
5. Abbott & Costello, 6. Peter Cook & Dudley Moore, 7. Burns & Allen
8. Harris & Fay, 9. Footit & Chocolat, 10. The Lump Bros.