The Inconvenience Names New Artistic Director

The Inconvenience is very happy to announce a new Artistic Director, as well as it's recent hiring of Development and Managing Directors. After leading the company since it's inception, Chris Chemlik is handing the reigns of Artistic Director over to Founding Member Missi Davis, who has been serving as the Executive Director and Producer. Chris is still an active and integral member of The Inconvenience, and is excited for Missi to lead the company in a new direction both creatively and within the administration. The Inconvenience also welcomes Charlie Otto as the company's Managing Director, and Joe Varisco as the new Development Director.
In a statement, outgoing Artistic Director Chris Chmelik would like to say "The main thing the group of artists that make up The Inconvenience will always have in common is the collective pursuit of bettering our means of storytelling. We strive to always make our voice resonate clearly and precisely. That calls for a lot of adaptability and growth within our company - It was one of my greatest pleasures to be able to lead for the time that I did. It also makes me that much more excited to see where we are going to go under Missi's leadership, as I know she understands our voice more clearly than anyone."

About Missi Davis, new Artistic Director:

Missi Davis has been with The Inconvenience since its inception in 2008. She first worked as the organization's Producer; leading negotiations on Hit the Wall's transition to The Barrow Street in NYC. Serving as Executive Director from fall of 2013 through fall of 2014, Missi was able to guide the organization to quadruple its operating budget by optimizing audience engagement and seeking out relationships with corporate partners such as Schlitz Brewery, The University of Chicago, and The Aviary. She is honored to serve as Artistic Director and to build upon the work set up by Chris Chmelik. As Artistic Director, Missi is centering on increasing the administration with professionals who can support the exponential growth and driving the artistic team to create cohesive seasons that embolden community engagement, audience development and artistic maturity.

Along with her work for The Inconvenience, Missi is also a freelance artist, producer and advocate for Chicago based artists. Her work encompasses companies such as Steep Theatre; A Red Orchid Theatre; Dog & Pony Theatre Co.; Blair Thomas and Co.; and Redmoon, where she has worked as an actress, puppeteer, director, project coordinator and finance manager. She has toured internationally Brazil for the FILO Festival with Redmoon; and to Iran for the Tehran Mobarak International Puppetry Festival with Manual Cinema. Currently Missi is working with the Bellefountaine Cultural Arts Commission, partnering with mosaic and mural artist Andy Bellomo to bring art mentorship and community building to young people; and is also a part of the planning committee for the Women of Chicago Theatre Conference. Missi graduated with a BFA in acting from The Theatre School at DePaul University and has studied with The Actors Gymnasium and Plastiscene, and is a part of the Brave New Voices Network.

Missi is dedicated to fostering supportive environments for brave collaborations by providing professional production support and inclusive networking opportunities. She is also dedicated to strengthening Chicago's cultural impact by advocating for living wages for artists and administrators.

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