About Jonathan
Jonathan Shmidt Chapman is an award-winning theater artist, writer, and Jewish educator. His projects have reached thousands of families and classrooms around the world. He is an innovator at the intersection of theater for children, family engagement, and imaginative play.
Interested in bringing Jonathan to your community for a workshop, training, or event? Learn more here.
“Jonathan has found innovative ways to use theater and music to bring Torah to life for the youngest members of our community. He has helped us build a vibrant community of babies, pre-schoolers, and their grownups.”
— Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum
Jonathan is a pioneer in using immersive theater and imaginative play to transform Jewish early childhood education. He founded The K’ilu Company in 2019, creating engaging experiences that bring Jewish tradition to life for children and families in Chicago and nationally. Drawing from his background in family arts engagement along with a foundational yeshiva education, Jonathan travels the country leading workshops on activating Jewish education through theater and play. In 2023, he was named the Covenant Foundation’s innaugural Jewish Family Education Fellow. He is also the recipient of a Pomegranate Prize and the Jewish Education Project’s Young Pioneers Award.
Jonathan began his career creating performing arts experiences for children and families. He co-founded Trusty Sidekick Theater Company, a ground-breaking ensemble devoted to creating experiential theater for kids and families in NYC. Under his leadership, the company created 12 productions, including the nationally-acclaimed Up and Away and Shadow Play. His theatrical works have been presented at leading venues across the country, including the Kennedy Center and the Seattle Children’s Theatre. Jonathan has held leadership positions at New Victory Theater and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. He also served as Executive Director of Theatre for Young Audiences USA (TYA/USA), the national organization for the field of professional children’s theater. In that role, he co-authored Envisioning the Future of Theater for Young Audiences for the National Endowment of the Arts, and led the national field through the Covid-19 crisis.
Jonathan holds an MA in Educational Theatre from New York University. He has served on the theater faculty at New York University and Northwestern University. He lives in the Chicago area with his husband, Rabbi David Chapman, and their two children, Elior and Amitai.
“Jonathan uses immersive theater to introduce very young children to Torah, Jewish learning, peoplehood, spirituality, and ethics in deeply impactful new ways … this needs to be available to every single parent and kid.”
— Rabbi Stephanie Kolin
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