Our staff

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Brian Pastor, Executive Artistic Director

Brian Pastor (they/them) is a trans/non-binary producer, director, actor, and playwright in Chicago and the incoming Executive Artistic Director of City Lit Theater. Brian previously spent ten and a half years on staff at City Lit, including nine as Managing Director. From 2019 to 2024, Brian served as City Lit’s Resident Director, where they directed THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER, THE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD, George Bernard Shaw’s ARMS AND THE MAN, Archibald MacLeish’s J.B., and their own acclaimed adaptation of Robert Kennedy’s THIRTEEN DAYS. Brian is a founder and Emeritus Artistic Director of Chicago’s Promethean Theatre Ensemble, where they directed THE LION IN WINTER, THE WINTER’S TALE, and GROSS INDECENCY: THE THREE TRIALS OF OSCAR WILDE (all Broadway World Award Nominated–Best Director), as well as HENRY V and THE DARK SIDE OF THE BARD. Brian also directed the world premiere of THE BLACK KNIGHT by Angeli Primlani, the inaugural show for Lifeboat Productions. As an actor, Brian has worked with Strawdog, Raven, WildClaw, Promethean, Accomplice, and City Lit, among others. Brian is the former Executive Director of Sideshow Theatre and the former Executive Director of Raven Theatre. They also served as a board and company member of The Mime Company and as a founding company member of Chicago dell’Arte. A Pittsburgh native, Brian has called Chicago home since their graduation from Northwestern University in 2003.

John Weagly, Audience Services Manager

John Weagly has been rattling around Chicago theater box offices for over thirty years.

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Katy Nielsen, Education Director

A graduate of Columbia College's BFA program and the Second City Conservatory, Katy Nielsen started at City Lit in 2006 as Assistant to the Artistic Director.  After witnessing her exceptional administrative and production skills first hand the staff decided to hire Katy to produce several special projects, including the organizational overhaul of the theater's dressing room and City Lit's 30th anniversary party.  Today, Katy is in charge of the annual Banned Books Week program (a collaboration with the American Library Association), production of the annual Art of Adaptation Festival, and Real Live Literature, our educational program that is dedicated to bringing City Lit's mission to children of all ages.  You may also have spotted her on City Lit's main stage in Puddin'Head Wilson and We Have Always Lived in the Castle.  Katy is also a freelance production manager, actor, and performance artist, and the Artistic Director of Outlaw Production Collective.

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Lisa Maraldi, Graphic Designer

Lisa Maraldi brings over 30 years of branding and design experience to City Lit Theater. She has designed City Lit's print materials since 2005. Lisa has won industry awards in advertising, print design, and corporate identity and is the principal director of Maraldi Design where she focuses on assisting small businesses and not-for-profit organizations build their brands. Her expertise includes annual reports, print ads, brochures, corporate identity, direct mail, newsletters, publication design, signage and social media graphics. Lisa holds a BFA in Graphic Design from the University of Illinois at Chicago.