Hi! I’m Elizabeth Bushell, a Chicago-based actor, performer, and Executive Producer of the charitable theatre organization, The Beautiful City Project. I don’t have a “traditional” theatre background – my passion growing up was figure skating; I trained 5-7 days a week, spent all my summers at the ice rink and competed regularly throughout the Midwest. I also studied piano at the Music Institute of Chicago, played at venues across Chicagoland and sang a variety of classical, musical theatre and pop repertoire in choirs for 10+ years. I was reserved as a child, but performing inspired me to let out my creative and goofy side. I was cast as Agnes Nolan in my eighth grade musical, George M!, and immediately fell in love with musical theatre, but high school productions told me if they cast me I would need to give up skating, which was a dealbreaker.
I attended UPenn’s Wharton School of business before moving to NYC and following the typical finance grad path – working 100+ hour weeks in investment banking. I didn’t have time for much in my life other than work and began experiencing frightening stress-related health issues that no one in their 20s should be dealing with. At the same time, the voice in the back of my head grew stronger – I am meant to do good in the world and touch people’s lives through the performing arts.
In 2018, I gathered the courage to leave my job, move back to Chicago and enroll in my first acting class. Anyone who knows me knows that if I’m going to do something, I’m all in. Within a year, I had completed 8 classes, started trying to sing again (much more challenging than anticipated after a long hiatus) and was fortunate to have a number of directors take a chance on me. I continued intensive training, graduated from The Academy at Black Box Acting, signed with an agent and have been so fortunate to find the most amazing coaches, mentors and friends along the way, not to mention my life partner on and off the stage!
I am truly grateful for every day that I get to do what I love and each opportunity that presents itself. As someone who runs toward challenges, I firmly believe anything is possible with hard work and a positive attitude. Let’s create some magic!
