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Ilesa Duncan is the artistic director and ensemble member at Lifeline Theatre, where she directed Middle Passage and Neverwhere (Jeff Nominated). A producer, director, writer, educator, and theater-maker, Ilesa is an avid collaborator on new work. Other directing credits include Jeff nominated productions of Eclipsed, Shakin’ The Mess Outta Misery, Rutherford’s Travels and tick, tick Boom at Pegasus Theatre; The Nativity (Congo Square); and the Jeff Award-winning Jar the Floor at ETA Creative Arts. Ilesa has also worked with The Goodman, Writers Theatre, Victory Gardens, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, Stage Left, and Chicago Dramatists, as well as Contemporary American Theatre Company (Ohio), The Alliance Theatre (Atlanta), Arena Stage (Washington DC), and Lincoln Center Theater (New York). Ilesa is also Executive and Producing Director at Pegasus Theatre.  As an educator, Ilesa has led youth development and arts education programs in Chicago for over thirteen years. She is a past awardee of an NEA/TCG Directing Fellowship and a 3 Arts Ragdale’s Fellowship. She is a member of the Lincoln Center Theatre Director’s Lab, the Chicago Director’s Lab, and is an associate artist with Chicago Dramatists.