Serena Klosa
Elise Steffe
Gina Kapinos
Daniela Ugalde
Alan Bresloff is a retired marketing executive and current host of Around the Town on WCPT820 a.m and www.aroundthetownchicago.com. He is a theater and dining reviewer in the greater Chicago area. Prior to being a reviewer, Alan performed many roles in both community theater and professional theater. Alan has been a fan of Special Gifts Theatre for many years and joined the board in 2023. He is passionate about the organization’s work to provide a great deal for the performer, the family and the general public, making it a positive experience for all involved.
Vice Chair
Community Leader
Allie is an avid volunteer in the Palatine community. She volunteers at Palatine High School to help raise funds for the music and theatre programs and is a former Scouts BSA Troop 209 volunteer where she helped bring the first girls’ program to the area. Allie prides herself in raising awareness for activities that are open to students with special needs, and if programs don’t exist she helps initiate positive change for programs to be inclusive to all. Allie and her family are from Massachusetts, and in 2013 she moved to Illinois with her husband John and 3 children. Her daughter Meghan joined SGT’s Palatine program in November, 2020, and this is where Allie’s passion for SGT began. Meghan’s life has truly been transformed by SGT bringing her a newfound confidence through participating in theatre programming that includes a multi-disciplinary team of therapists providing important social and life skills and a safe space where she can be accepted as herself. These skills continue well past the 2 hour class period of SGT into her college experience at Harper College. Allie joined the SGT Board in the fall of 2021 and is now the Chair of the Program & Services committee and Vice Chair of the Board.
Chair
Retired Attorney
Matt recently retired as an attorney and is presently in the process of writing his first book. Previously, he was the General Counsel of Claro Healthcare (a Chicago-based healthcare consulting company), a leader in the Legal Department of Aon Hewitt (formerly Hewitt Associates), and an associate at two prominent Chicago law firms. Matt earned his J.D. at the Northwestern University School of Law and his college degree from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. He lives in Northbrook with his wife and has two daughters (both of whom were peer mentors at SGT’s Palatine Musical Theatre location for many years). Matt joined the SGT Board in 2017 and presently serves as its Chair.
CPA
Randy is a retired partner of a national CPA firm. He currently is tutoring accounting and other business courses at Harper College. In addition, Randy is a board member or committee member for several non-profit organizations. He has a BS in Accountancy from University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana and a Master of Accounting from Roosevelt University. Randy lives with his wife, Edye, in Mundelein. They have two married children and four grandchildren. He has been a member of SGT’s Board since 2010 and has previously served as its Treasurer and Board Chair.
Elise Larsen has been part of the SGT staff since 2011 and Executive Director since 2017. She holds a master’s degree in Dance/ Movement Therapy and Counseling from Columbia College Chicago and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois. She is proud to lead the dynamic and innovative team at Special Gifts Theatre with strategic direction and impact-driven results. Elise is passionate about increasing inclusion and accessibility in the performing arts for individuals with disabilities in Chicagoland.
Contact Elise L. to learn more about our mission and vision and how you can be part of our organization's impact.
Debbie Taus-Barth has been part of the SGT staff since 2008 and is the Program Operations Director where she is responsible for strengthening current programs and strategically leading the development of programs and services that meet the needs and wants for our participants and their families. Debbie believes in the power of the arts to inspire creativity and promote collaboration within the community. She has a passion for discovering the potential in others, highlighting their strengths while supporting them to be their best self on and off the stage. During her tenure at SGT, she has served as production manager, peer mentor coordinator, site supervisor, and teacher, in addition to founding the Creating Outside the Lines, SGT’s adult program. Debbie earned a liberal arts associate's degree from Wright College in Chicago and has enjoyed working with individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities for over 40 years.
Contact Debbie for more information about our programs, registration process, performances, volunteering, and employment opportunities.
Elise Steffe has been part of the SGT staff since 2020, and leads the fundraising and marketing efforts. She has a bachelor’s degree in arts management and has built her career in nonprofit management and philanthropy, primarily in the arts and culture sector. She believes access to the arts is critical, and has focused on building a well balanced development program for SGT. Her goal is to align philanthropic investment with the strategic needs of expanding the mission and reach of SGT.
Contact Elise S. to learn more on how you can support SGT as a donor, business partner or a volunteer.
Gina Kapinos joined the SGT staff in 2017 as their Finance Manager. She brings many years of accounting experience from both the private and nonprofit sector's.
Contact Gina for assistance in anything finance related.
Dawn Goerger has been part of the SGT staff since 2017. She holds a bachelor's degree from Columbia College of Missouri. In her tenure with SGT she has held staff positions at the Palatine-Rolling Meadows program as a teacher and the Libertyville program as Peer Mentor Coordinator. Dawn is certified in Disability Inclusive Mentoring and Mental Health/First Aide Training. In her current position as Program Support Coordinator, she is responsible for supporting the peer mentor program including disability inclusion leadership training for all locations.
Contact Dawn to learn more about the peer mentor program.
Maureen Brandwein returned to the SGT staff in 2023 and is our current Program Coordinator. She previously was an Educational Manager for the Musical Theatre Program from 2013-2016. She holds a bachelor’s degree in special education from Ohio University and a master’s degree in teaching from Ball State University and English as a second language endorsement. She has over a decade of teaching experience and has a passion for working with children with disabilities. As Program Coordinator she supports programs, performances, and community outreach initiatives.
Meg Wanland has been part of the SGT staff since 2008. She has been employed by Northbrook School District 27 for over two decades as part of the 4th grade resource support team. Having both theater and special education experience, SGT put her two passions together. She currently manages Musical Theatre Programs in Wilmette and Winnetka.
Contact Meg to learn more about musical theatre programs.
Cheryl Griffin has been part of the SGT staff since 2014 and has been the Creating Outside the Lines Program Manager since 2022. She holds a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Bradley University and a master’s degree in educational technology from National Louis University. She is grateful to be part of an organization that provides accessible theatre opportunities to our adult community.
Contact Cheryl to learn more about being a part of our adult programming.
Program/Educational Manager
Brianna Lasaponara has been part of SGT staff since 2018 where she started in the teacher role. She now serves as the Program Educational Manager for the Chicago Musical Theatre Program (MTC). Within this role, Brianna leads the MTC students and staff to facilitate an educational and therapeutic musical theatre program and experience that is inclusive to all. Brianna has earned her bachelor's degree in special education from Illinois State University and holds a master’s degree in educational leadership from Northeastern Illinois University and a master’s degree in education from Dominican University. She is currently the Early Childhood and Services Coodinator School District 89.
Contact Brianna to learn more about the Musical Theatre Chicago program.
Valerie DeLuca
Valerie DeLuca has been part of the SGT staff since 2018 and the Program Educational Manager for the Libertyville Musical Theatre Program since 2023. She holds a master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology from Fort Hays State University. She has been a Speech-Language Pathologist at Butterfield Elementary in Libertyville since 2017. She is proud to lead the Musical Theatre Libertyville (MTL) staff and ensure students receive the highest quality of educational and therapeutic theatrical experience. She coordinates and manages the program and staff working towards a final show.
Contact Valerie to learn more about the Musical Theatre Libertyville program.
Daniela Ugalde
Program/Educational Manager
Daniela Ugalde joined the SGT team in 2024 as a Peer Mentor Advisor. She now serves as the Program and Educational Manager for the Palatine-Rolling Meadows Musical Theatre Program. In this role, she provides guidance and support to ensure the staff, students, and peer mentors are prepared to put on a memorable final performance. Daniela holds a doctorate in occupational therapy from RUSH University, and she currently works as an occupational therapist for the Barrington 220 School District. She is passionate about fostering a collaborative environment where education and therapeutic experiences come together to inspire growth and creativity.
