ENSEMBLE

A woman in a brown trench coat and a black hat holds a potted plant with pink flowers, standing in front of a background with a large screen showing a black-and-white picture of a man in a suit. The woman appears to be performing or acting.

 Meghan Frank  (Co-founder, Managing Director)

Meghan Frank is a theatre maker, educator, and co-founder of Theatre Artibus, which she launched with Buba Basishvili in 2017. She specializes in original theatre creation, physical comedy, mask, and devised performance, and has been a primary creator on all of the company’s original work.

Her work has taken her internationally to Afghanistan, India, Canada, Egypt, Cuba, Azerbaijan, and the Balkans. Meghan has been an ensemble member of Bond Street Theatre since 2005, contributing to theatre-based projects focused on conflict resolution, education, and empowerment.

She holds an MFA in Ensemble-Based Physical Theatre from Dell’Arte International and a BA in Theatre for Social Change from UMass Amherst. Meghan has taught with Mirror Image Arts and as an adjunct with the Community College of Aurora. She lectured on “Theatre in War Zones” at the United Nations, Emory University, and NYU. She was an original member of the experimental performance group Glitter Gizzard.

A black and white photo of a man sitting on a stand or box against a black background, wearing a black t-shirt and shorts, with a serious expression, possibly in a performance or presentation setting.
A man with glasses and a beard, smiling and wearing a dark suit jacket and a black shirt, standing against a dark background.

Buba Basishvili (Artistic Director, Co-founder)

Buba Basishvili is a theatre maker, performer, educator, and co-founder of Theatre Artibus, originally from the Republic of Georgia and now based in the United States. He has worked across theatre and film as a director, performer, and teacher in Tbilisi and internationally.

His practice draws on a wide range of physical theatre forms, including original creation, character work, mime, mask, clown, dance, directing, choreography, vaudeville, cabaret, melodrama, tragedy, Commedia dell’Arte, and bouffon—blending the silly and the serious.

Buba holds an MFA in Ensemble-Based Physical Theatre from Dell’Arte International. He performed, toured, and taught with the Georgian State Pantomime Theatre for over 15 years and served as a director at Iliauni Theatre and University in Tbilisi. He also holds an MA in Mime Art from Shota Rustaveli State University of Theatre and Film.

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Sean Mallary (Lighting Designer)

With an impressive background that includes Chicago's vibrant storefront theatre scene, corporate productions, and a tenure at the renowned Goodman Theatre, Sean has honed his craft through hundreds of shows. Although his portfolio is extensive, he particularly enjoys collaborating on devised pieces, making him thrilled to contribute to our zany and innovative productions. As a three-time Denver Henry Awards nominee for lighting design and an MFA graduate from Northwestern University, Sean's expertise and passion are evident in every project he takes on.