Who is this gal?
Sophie is an actor, singer, dancer, and teaching artist. Though she happily spends many seasons of her life in Saint Louis, MO, and Milwaukee, WI, she is proud to call Chicago her hometown. She received her BFA in Musical Theater from Webster University's Sargent Conservatory of Theatre Arts in 2018 where she graduated magna cum laude with departmental honors. Sophie is a certified fellow for Artists Striving to End Poverty, and works as a youth theater director, private acting coach, and teaching artist for children across the Chicago suburbs. When she isn't storytelling, she is most likely in the kitchen taking care of her sourdough starter, Stella, or perfecting her brown butter chocolate chip cookie recipe.
The Elephant in the Room
Sophie spent a significant amount of time in the beginning of her professional career working for an organizaiton called Christian Youth Theater. At the height of her involvement, she was a teaching artist, director, artistic associate producer, and the director of their Summer Overnight Camp. In the summer of 2021, the company's board of directors sent an email to their staff that requested all applicants for the upcoming season sign a "Statement of Faith" that clarified the company's Traditional Biblical perspective, pushing out LGBTQ+ staff from leadership positions. Sophie took this as her cue to step away from the company, and along with many of her colleagues, created the "CYT for All" movement that advocates for a safe place for queer Christians within the organization and beyond.
Here is the original facebook post detailing her decision, and she is happy to talk more about her personal faith journey an interview setting if you have any questions.