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Paramount Theatre’s Artistic Director and 7-time Jeff Award winner

Chris Holling, is beyond ecstatic to be joining the brand new Paramount School of the Arts! A native of Elgin, IL he has worked as an actor, director, arts educator/education director and professional photographer. He is a proud alumnus of Western Illinois University, where he earned his BA in Theatre Performance. He has worked with many educational institutions, theatre’s and theatrical incorporation’s spanning from Chicago to Missouri. He is extremely passionate about what he does and will continue to work towards enhancing the lives of future theatre artists!

Jessica M. Duplessis holds a bachelors degree in Theatre, Dance, and Flim Education (TADF) from Keene State College. She is most known for her contemporary and lyrical choreography but prides herself in her ability to teach all styles to all levels. Her work can be seen across the Midwest and East Coast, as she travels teaching technique classes as well as choreographs for numerous studios and companies in those areas.  She owns her own dance company in Madison, WI called Raw Inspirations Dance Company (RIDC), a place where dancers 8 and up can train and nurture their love for dance. 

Shannon is a passionate arts educator who has enjoyed working with students of all ages throughout her career. She is thrilled to be a part of the Paramount family and working with her remarkable team to start the new Paramount School of the Arts. Originally from Lincoln, Nebraska, Shannon moved to St. Louis to study Musical Theater at Webster Conservatory and completed her undergraduate degree in Theater Education at Emerson College in Boston. She went on to teach, direct and manage non-profits all over the country, including Belvoir Terrace in Lenox, MA; Madison Youth Choirs, Madison, WI; Doane College, Crete, NE; and Boston Arts Academy, Boston, MA, Central Community College in Hastings, NE, and several high schools in Nebraska. Read more

Matthew Silar joined the team at Paramount in July of 2018. He has spent a decade watching arts education change the lives of students from all over the country including Chicagoland, Denver and Dallas. He’s worked as an educator, private audition coach and educational theater director, as well as a professional actor, director and stage manager. Matthew proudly holds a BFA in Theater from ACU in Abilene, TX. He loves Twitter and chocolate chip cookies.

Andrea Pikscher is thrilled to be a part of Paramount School of the Arts. She earned her BFA in Musical Theater from Millikin University and has worked as both a performer and theater educator in the Chicago area, as well as many other areas of the United States. She also has experience in the startup world, working to build companies that brought her love of the theater to as many people as she could.

Bill Pope has been a member of the Paramount family for over 16 years. He began in 2002 as a Group Sales Manager and transitioned to the Rentals Manager in November of 2005. Bill has spent his entire career in the theatre and the entertainment business, and has worked for nearly every major player in Chicago.

Jennifer Hahn became part of the Paramount team in 2010 as a part-time Event Coordinator. She is now the Special Events Director and oversees all rentals in our various unique venues. Jennifer really enjoys working with clients and helping them to see their vision evolve from conception to completion. She is thrilled to constantly assist clients the day of their event and watch guests enjoy and celebrate the special occasion.

Kelsey joined the Paramount family in 2015. She graduated from Kendall College with a degree in Business and a minor in Baking and Pastry. She brings her creativity and years of customer service experience to every client with one simple goal – to make people happy.

Jordan first joined the Paramount team as an intern, in the spring of 2015, while completing her Business degree at North Central College. After graduation, Jordan worked at a 5-star hotel in Chicago where she continued working in client relations and events. She returned to the Paramount in 2017 as an Event Coordinator, and enjoys working closely with clients to make their event dreams a reality.

Briana joined the Paramount family in the spring of 2017. She studied Mass Media Management at Illinois State University where her love for events blossomed. Briana joined the Rentals department with experience in customer service and event planning. She enjoys watching clients see their event come together, and loves assisting them with whatever they need in that process!