Essential Invisible
Makenna Van Raalte
They/She | Founder/Artistic Director
Makenna Van Raalte is the artistic director and founder of Essential Invisible Productions. With a B.A. in Theatre and English from Loyola University Chicago, Makenna is dedicated to the pursuit and love of stories, in their variety of forms and mediums. The beauty of life is found in the tradition of performance and storytelling; they manipulate the way we see the world and offer new perspectives on life. As a queer, femme performer, writer, director, and producer in Chicago, they are drawn to the stories of those with unique perspectives and experiences. Essential Invisible stems from a place of learning and growth between communities with shared experiences and those who have nothing in common.
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Annemarie Andaleon
She/Her | Literary Manager
Annemarie is thrilled to debut as a playwright with Essential Invisible! She is a proud Filipino-American actor, musician, and writer. You may have seen her onstage in A Shadow Bright & Burning (Black Button Eyes Productions), The Hottest Fall (Pocket VR Theatre & Theatre L'Acadie), Shakespeare's R&J (PrideArts), or The Duchess of Malfi (Babes with Blades). She is a graduate of Loyola University Chicago with a BA in Theatre and a BS in Data Science. She sends thanks to all her loved ones for their support.​
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Olivia Wheeler
She/Her | Director of Finance
Olivia Wheeler is a Chicago-based actor and director. Originally from Beach Park, IL (de facto Waukegan), Olivia received her BFA in Musical Theatre from the Dobbins Conservatory and moved to Chicago upon graduation.
Since graduating, Olivia has worked at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and on CHICAGO FIRE. Within Chicago’s astounding storefront scene, Olivia has worked with companies such as Chicago Dramatists, Runaways Lab Theater, Bump in the Night Theatre, and on a variety of short films. Olivia is a local hire in New York City and has worked at The Producers Club and Players Theatre, having made her off-Broadway debut in 2023.
Additionally, Olivia works in the administrative side of new play development in production & operations. She has worked as the Associate Artistic Director for the Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival. Past positions with the festival include Guest Artist Liaison & Guest Coordinator.
At Essential Invisible Productions, Olivia recently directed the staged reading of fellow ensemble member Annemarie Andaleon’s new play ARACHNE, and will be stage managing Life is a Queer Cabaret in June 2025.
Olivia is proud to call Essential Invisible her artistic home and is excited to share more of what EI brings to Chicago’s robust theater scene.