Above image provided by Theater Above the Law
"The greatest performance of the play comes from Shilts as the Wolf. They deliver a complex portrayal of a classic character with delightful humor and clever character reveal. The last 20 minutes of the play with Shilts will have the audience in sad tears and at the edge of their seats."
Emily Werner, "Review: Theatre Above the Law’s Grimm Finds Its Magic in a Spirited Ensemble," Third Coast Review
Oct. 13, 2026
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Theater Above the Law's GRIMM premieres Oct. 9th through Nov. 1st! Come celebrate Spooky Season with this imaginative re-telling of the Brothers Grimm fairytales and folklore
Maddy Shilts (they/he) is a Chicago-based performer, producer, and multi-hyphenate with a vast experience in the theatrical industry. In addition to performing and producing they also have experience as a stage manager and writer. They graduated from Miami University of Ohio with BAs in Theater (Summa Cum Laude) and History (Magna Cum Laude) in 2021 and received his MA in History from the University of Chicago in August 2022. They are a member of Shhh! Productions’ ensemble, an audiobook narrator on Audible, and have appeared on stage in plays and musicals throughout Chicago. Favorite credits include The Lightning Thief: A Percy Jackson Musical (Luke & Others, producer), Twelfth Night (Viola/Cesario), I Spoke to You With Silence (Narrator), Cleanup Crew (Bec), Murder Clinic: A Scrap of Lace (Bella Brickley), and My Friend Irma – St. Patrick’s Day Show (Jane). See Maddy’s full resume here.
Maddy is also the founding Artistic Director of TranScript Productions, a trans and nonbinary led production company dedicated to providing a space for trans and nonbinary artists to create, take up space, and speak and be heard in their entirety amid today’s political whirlwind. tranScript just produced their inaugural production – The Technicolor Play Festival – and are currently in early development stages for their upcoming staged reading to take place at The Understudy Coffee and Books in Chicago, IL.
Maddy is represented in film/TV, commercial, and voice over by Joey Joelle from SCE Agency
Photographed by Tom McGrath, TCMcG Photography
"As Cesario/Viola, Maddy Shilts easily conveys the character's inner confusion..."
Karen Topham, "Midsommer Flight 'queers' Twelfth Night with a hilarious production," Chicago Onstage
Dec. 4, 2022