John Stoops (Executive Director), Due South Foundation’s Founder, spent nearly 20 years with Leo Burnett and Ogilvy & Mather where he developed and executed marketing strategies for several world-class brands including P&G, Unilever, Kraft Foods and Comcast. John is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He holds a Certificate of International Business Specialization from the University of London. John also received a Masters of Business Administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.  John began his theatre training at Chicago’s famed Second City. Soon after, he founded the sketch comedy troupe Circuit Court Jester which the Chicago Reader described as “sharply written and original.” After performing, directing and producing numerous shows in Chicago, John joined the cast of Boom! (boomchicago.nl), a Dutch-based comedy ensemble. With Boom!, John performed over 200 shows across 5 countries and shared the stage with notable performers including Seth Meyers, Jordan Peele and Ike Barinholtz . John returned to the U.S. and continued to produce innovative theatre performances under the moniker Local 386. In 2013, John founded the Three Oaks Theater Festival; a beloved seasonal event in Harbor Country Michigan. Today, John is the Executive Producer of The Revival theater.

Lillian Frances (Artistic Director) is the Owner and Executive Producer of Laugh Out Loud theater.  Lillian began acting, improvising, and directing at Northwestern University where she received a Bachelor of Science in Theater. She has performed with improv ensembles at iO and other venues in Chicago, and assistant directed and performed at Boom Chicago in Amsterdam. Directing credits also include a Second City National Touring Company, the all women's improv groups Jane and Sirens, the critically acclaimed sketch groups GayCo and Stir Friday Night, and various ensembles at iO and The Playground. She worked for several years as a lead facilitator for Second City Business Communications where she designed and facilitated training programs for Fortune 500 companies and worked as a Core Faculty Member for the Second City Training Center. She currently teaches at Columbia College.

Jennifer Estlin (Executive Producer) is the Executive Producer of The Annoyance Theatre and has been involved in theatre and production since 1986 as both an actress and producer. She serves as Co-Chair of the Chicago Independent Venue League, a 501C-6 organization dedicated to advocacy and training for Chicago's independent artist community. Jennifer graduated from Northwestern University's School of Speech in 1987 and subsequently traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland with the production of Alice!, which later became the LookingGlass Theatre Ensemble's premiere piece.  After returning to Chicago, Jennifer worked in various theaters, including Northlight, Mary-Arrchie, and The Body Politic. She also toured for two years with Second City's National Touring company and was a company member in Second City resident companies in Chicago and Las Vegas.  Following her move to New York, Jennifer furthered her acting career by appearing in regional theaters across the United States, as well as Off-Broadway productions, film, and television.