Jonathan Shmidt Chapman Author

Jonathan Shmidt Chapman is a nationally-recognized leader in the fields of Theater for Young Audiences and Jewish Education. He is the founder of The K’ilu Company, creating projects that activate Jewish early childhood through theater and imaginative play. Jonathan served as founding project director of Aggadah Adventures at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, staging Jewish stories as immersive theater experiences for children and families. He is part of the inaugural cohort of the Mandel Institute’s Jewish Education Leadership Program and a Jewish Education Project Young Pioneers Award recipient. He serves on the theater faculty at Northwestern University, teaching coursework on Sensory Theater. As a writer and director, Jonathan has created new theatrical work for children and families at Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, and Seattle Children’s Theatre. He holds an M.A. in Educational Theatre from NYU and a B.A. in English Literature/Theatre Arts from Boston University. He currently lives in Northbrook, IL. César Garcés is an artist and children's book illustrator. He is the illustrator for Meeting an Astronaut. As a recent graduate of graphic design, César has a passion for art and is excited about the future of digital illustration. He lives in Mexico City, Mexico.