Iymen Chehade
Founder and Co-Artistic Director
Iymen Chehade was born and raised in Chicago and is a Palestinian American actor, theater artist, social activist, as well as Professor of History at Columbia College Chicago and School of the Art Institute Chicago.
Iymen received his BA in History at the University of Illinois Chicago, and his MAT in Teaching of History at the University of Illinois Chicago.
As an artist, Iymen has performed in theater, film, and television. As well as his original works, he was a producer for the Chicago production of The Gaza Monologues. His television credits include Chicago Med (2016) and Sirens (2015). He has studied acting and performance at the Black Box, Green Shirt, and Second City.
As a Professor, Iymen has been teaching for over 15 years. He is a nationally known advocate in the area of human rights and public policy regarding the Palestinian Israeli conflict, along with academic freedom. He is one of five committee members on the American Association of University Professors, and the advisor for the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at both SAIC and Columbia College Chicago. He is also the advisor for Jewish Voice for Peace chapter at Columbia College Chicago. He is proud to be an educator and encourages his students to utilize history as a useful tool to implement change.