+ Sophia Esch

Director of Shakespeare in Prison

Sophia Esch, new Director of Shakespeare in Prison, is thrilled to step into this leadership role while continuing SIP’s mission of ensemble-based, transformative theatre work. A Michigan-based theatre artist, educator, and arts manager, Sophia has worked extensively in applied theatre, community engagement, and arts administration across Southeast Michigan.

Sophia holds a BFA in Musical Theatre Performance from Oakland University and is currently pursuing her MFA in Theatre Management at Wayne State University. She also serves as the Managing Director of the Professional Youth Theatre of Michigan (PYTMI) and as a Graduate Research Assistant with Wayne State University’s Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre & Dance, where she designs marketing and community engagement initiatives for mainstage productions. Her work is grounded in the belief that theatre can foster empathy, healing, and meaningful pathways for personal and collective change.

+ Kyle Fisher-Grant

Facilitator

Kyle studied acting and directing at the Liverpool Institute for Kyle Fisher-Grant graduated from the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts in Liverpool, England, where he holds a BA (Honors) in Acting. He then moved to NYC where he directed with the Red Door Theatre and Playlab NYC. Since moving back to Michigan he has worked as an actor and director with Waterworks Theatre in Royal Oak, Shakespeare in Detroit, Shakespeare in Prison program with DPT, and started the Livonia Shakespeare in the Park. He additionally holds a Masters in Urban Education from the University of Michigan Flint, and has worked as a high school mathematics teacher in Detroit and Ypsilanti.

+ Laiyla Santillan

Facilitator

Laiyla Santillan is a senior at the University of Michigan studying comparative literature. She has been with Shakespeare in Prison since the summer of 2025 and enjoys analyzing and discussing interpretations of Shakespeare's works with the ensemble.

+ Ciara Byers

Bio to come!

+ Jessica Christopher

Jessica Christopher was a SIP ensemble member for 4 years and remains involved with Shakespeare Reclaimed, including as a contributor to SIP’s upcoming critical edition of Richard III. She is currently Communications Director for 70x7 Life Recovery, an organization in West Michigan that serves individuals impacted by the criminal justice system. She is a person in long-term recovery and attributes much of her 9 years of sobriety to her involvement with SIP.

+ Justin Greenlaw

Justin Greenlaw is an alumni member of Shakespeare in Prison and one of the Original 12, SIP’s founding ensemble at Parnall. During his time with SIP, he played Malcolm in Macbeth and Iago in Othello, becoming a mentor for the ensemble during its exploration of King Lear. Currently, Justin is pursuing his master’s degree in Public Health, intending to explore the intersection of public health, incarceration, and criminal justice issues. He plans to start a consultation business to help incarcerated individuals and their families through challenges of navigating the criminal justice system, including those of physical disability, mental illness, and deafness. Justin is excited to continue his relationship with SIP as a member of the alumni advisory council, offering whatever insight and guidance he can for a program about which he is truly passionate.

+ Sarah Hannon-Lauderdale

Sarah Hannon-Lauderdale is an alumni member of Shakespeare in Prison. While an ensemble member in SIP, Sarah played Queen Margaret in Richard the III, Macbeth in Macbeth, and Sir Andrew in Twelfth Night. She also a contributor to SIP’s Critical Edition of Richard III. She is currently working as an independent contractor for Shipt while pursuing her bachelor’s degree in business with a focus on project management from Grand Valley State University. Sarah is also a co-founder of her family’s business, Brown Dog Farms.

+ Jocelyn Walker

Jocelyn Walker was an SIP ensemble member for two years and is a very active member of Shakespeare Reclaimed. She has always loved theater and has participated in school/church plays and musicals. She is a co-owner of a 501c(3) called B&C Productions 1820, a 501(c)3 company inspired by her and her partner’s sisters who passed away due to gun violence at the ages of 18 and 20. B&C Productions uses performing arts and creativity to give youth an opportunity to express themselves as an outlet, helping them avoid troublesome outcomes. Jocelyn recently graduated from cosmetology school and is the owner of Revived Styles, LLC. She is very passionate and purpose driven and will do anything in her power to succeed in life.

+ Patrick Hanley

Stage Combat Coordinator

Patrick Hanley is Production Manager for Detroit Public Theatre, support staff for SIP, and a stage manager, fight choreographer, and performer. He earned his B.F.A. in Acting from Wayne State University, where he was on the Varsity fencing team for four years, including two as captain.

Patrick has facilitated at Parnall Correctional Facility and in Youth Arts Alliance workshops, and he has choreographed stage combat for every ensemble performance since 2017. He has worked with many Metro Detroit theatre companies, including Matrix Theatre, Planet Ant Theatre, Water Works Theatre Company, and Shakespeare in Detroit. Credits also include years of working in educational theatre as fight choreographer, director, and producer.

+ Chuk Nowak

Official S.I.P. Photographer

Chuk Nowak is a Detroit/Ann Arbor-based photographer who considers himself "the most insider theatre outsider," bringing a uniquely acquired visual language to promoting and documenting stage productions. Chuk is humbled to be the eyes into the process of SiP, providing a document for the rest of us of the work being done. ALL of the photos on this page are by Chuk, many more of his SIP photos can be found by clicking here, and you can see lots of his other wonderful work by clicking here!

+ Kyle Stefak

Kyle is currently serving in his sixth season on staff with Detroit Public Theatre as Associate Director of Development and is a former facilitator with DPT’s signature community program, Shakespeare in Prison. Previously, he worked with the Ann Arbor Film Festival as the Operations Manager and in project development with Millennium Media. Outside of the arts, Kyle works with queer youth to develop self-advocacy skills and affirming tools for navigating consent, relationships, and sexual health.

+ Matthew Van Meter

Matthew Van Meter, an author and educator, was a part of Shakespeare in Prison from 2013-2023. He is Chair of the Academic Research Program at University Liggett School and Director of the Liggett Shakespeare Project. His writing has appeared in The Atlantic and The New Republic, and his first book, Deep Delta Justice: A Black Teen, His Lawyer, and Their Groundbreaking Battle for Civil Rights in the South, was nominated for the Chautauqua Prize in 2021.