Author Profile:  Lisa Bany-Winters

Lisa Bany-Winters began performing in community plays at the age of 11.  As much as she loved every aspect of theater, her favorite part was games and improvisation.  She founded Emanon Theater Company when she was fifteen years old and began directing and adapting children’s productions based on improvisation.  Within a few years, Emanon became an established professional theater company with a talented ensemble of professional actors who, under Lisa’s direction, created original adaptations of children’s classics through improvisation.  Emanon performed regularly at the Halsted Theatre Centre, the Body Politic Theatre and the Second City Nothwest, and toured to countless schools, festivals, camps and libraries throughout the Chicago area. She has written two critically acclaimed children’s drama books and created the Northlight Kids program (now called Northlight Theatre Academy) in Skokie, Illinois.  Lisa teaches acting and improvisation to students ages eight to seventeen and runs theater camps.  A graduate of Columbia College, Lisa lives in Glenview with her husband and daughter.