Welcome to Niles North Theatre! Niles North Theatre strives to provide a safe, creative atmosphere, in a public school setting, where young theatre artists can feel free to express themselves and grow.

Emphasis is placed on all aspects of the dramatic process, focusing on collaboration. Instilling a professional attitude toward the work is the key element in creating a program that balances an imaginative, nurturing process with expectations for a high quality product. ​​

Megan Baskin

Theatre Teacher/Thespian Board Sponsor

Megan Baskin is thrilled to be back at her alma mater teaching theatre.  She graduated from Indiana University with a BA in Theatre, Psychology, and Comparative Literature and then went on to study Arts in Education at Harvard University, where she earned her Masters in Education.  She believes wholeheartedly that the arts have the unmistakable power to inspire young people to find their agency, voice, and compassion.  She is committed to creating artistic and educational opportunities that inspire creativity, artistry, empathy, and enrich young people's lives.

Annaliisa Ahlman

Dance, Piano, English Teacher/TFE Sponsor

Annaliisa Ahlman teaches Dance, Piano, English, and more at Niles North High School.  She also sponsors the Theatre for Equity (TFE) group and directs That's My Story.  Ms. Ahlman has a Bachelor's in Musical Theatre Performance and Theatre Education from Illinois State University, where she also minored in Women's & Gender Studies and History.  Her Master's degree is in Theatre Directing from Roosevelt University.  She is the recent Executive Director (2019) of the Illinois High School Theatre Festival, and she also serves as one of the Secondary Theatre Representatives for the Executive Board of the Illinois Theatre Association.

Pushkar Sharma

Guest Director, Ipi Zombi

Pushkar Sharma is director, playwright, and poet based in Chicago.  His work has been featured by The Asian American Literary Review, The Wall Street Journal, and DesiLit Magazine.  Pushkar co-founded the performance-poetry duo, BROWNSTAR, and performed in the stage show FASTER THAN THE SPEED OF WHITE at the 2010 New York International Fringe Festival.  He produced UNIFICATION, a joint independence celebration for India and Pakistan and a demonstration for peace in South Asia, annually in New York from 2009 to 2012. 

Pushkar has worked with the United Nations in Kosovo, the Gaza Strip, Colombia, Myanmar, and Iraq.  He also worked for Pratham in India, the country's largest education organization.  He holds a MPA in Human Rights from Columbia University in the City of New York and a BA in International Studies and Drama from Washington University in St. Louis.  He is a proud graduate of Niles North's Class of 2002.