The Chocolate Factory Theater Gala 2025

SHEILA LEWANDOWSKI

Executive Director

Sheila Lewandowski – Executive Director and Builder of Community

Sheila Lewandowski, Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Chocolate Factory Theater for over 27 years, is a powerhouse of arts leadership, a champion for impassioned advocacy, and a builder of community. At the core of Sheila’s work is a steadfast belief in the transformative power of the arts and the resilience of communities.

Under her leadership, The Chocolate Factory secured a permanent home through a successful collaboration with the City of New York in 2017, becoming a cornerstone for experimental performance and community engagement across the borough. Sheila served as artistic collaborator with co-Founder Brian Rogers on the organization’s earliest projects and her vision and tenacity transformed a grassroots endeavor into a cornerstone of experimental performance and local engagement in Queens.

Sheila’s work at The Chocolate Factory (born out of Sheila and Brian’s earlier transient producing corporation theater et al) has directly supported 1000’s of artists and drawn 10’s of thousands of visitors to the theater since its doors opened in Long Island City in 2004. Sheila created the annual Taste of Long Island City, a local economic and community development initiative that successfully raised funds for the theater and ran for 14 years. With over 30 years of experience in nonprofit management and finance, Sheila’s impact extends well beyond the stage. She has touched the lives of so many artists, teachers, colleagues, and community leaders.

Born to immigrant parents and a product of New York City public housing and the public school system, Sheila’s civic engagement is deeply rooted in her family’s and her own journey. Sheila was inspired by the work of her mother running arts and community programming at the Stapleton Houses community center and later running for State Assembly on Staten Island. She is also inspired by her father’s journey to and in the United States after growing up in an orphanage in war-torn Poland. Sheila looks to her parents and the experiences of those before her for strength, connection and hope.

From 1987-2004, Sheila served as Associate Director of the Girls’ Vacation Fund, Inc. working alongside her sister Eva to offer summer experiential education, wellness and mentoring to girls from New York City and Greene County, New York. Sheila remains in contact with many of these young women today.

Simultaneous to the opening of The Chocolate Factory, Sheila became the first Managing Director of the Queens Council on the Arts (QCA). From 2004 to 2006 she reorganized QCA’s operations, fundraising and financial systems. She also attracted new donors to its programming, increasing its budget by over 20%, helping to expand the High School to Arts School Program among other activities.

Sheila’s leadership has earned widespread recognition. She has been named Business Person of the Year by the Queens Chamber of Commerce and Community Leader in the Arts by the Queens Council on the Arts. Other honors include the Elizabeth Coleman Visionary Leadership Award from Bennington College, the Woman of Distinction Award from New York State Senator Michael Gianaris, and proclamations from the New York State Assembly and New York City Council.

Sheila is a member of Queens Community Board 2, where she served on the Executive Committee, Chaired the Transportation Committee and By-Laws Revisions Task Force and now serves on its Land Use Committee. Sheila founded LIC Business Women which ran for five years bringing 100 local business women together to connect, learn from each other and advocate for their needs from local, state and federal agencies. Sheila served on the NYS Long Island City Downtown Revitalization Fund panel in 2024, Sunnyside Yards Steering Committee for four years, and many other community projects. She is a founding Board member of New Yorkers for Culture and the Arts and has just returned to its Board in 2025.

Sheila’s insight and leadership are often sought after on panels and in classrooms, having served as a guest professor at the Academy of Theater & Dance in Amsterdam and Marymount Manhattan College. She has also been a speaker for organizations including Van Alen Institute, Dance/NYC, LIC Partnership, Biznow, WNYC and many others.

Whether she advocates for artists, mentors future leaders, or shapes cultural policy, Sheila leads with passion, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to social impact. Her journey is far from over—she remains a vital force in the ongoing story of arts and culture in Queens.

Sheila is the middle daughter of three and remains deeply connected to her sisters and her family. Her sisters Eva and Andrea and their spouses Nathan Thompson and Louis Siegel (respectively) reside in Brooklyn. Sofia, David, Alexander and Matthew are the next generation of the family to whom Sheila is devoted.

JIMMY VAN BRAMER

Secretary

Jimmy Van Bramer is a dedicated public servant and community advocate, known for his unwavering commitment to improving the lives of residents in New York City. Born and raised in Astoria, Queens, Jimmy’s passion for public service was ignited at a young age, driving him to pursue a career focused on serving others.

With a background in public policy and community organizing, Jimmy Van Bramer has dedicated his career to advocating for progressive change and amplifying the voices of underrepresented communities. As a former New York City Council Member representing the 26th District, Jimmy played a pivotal role in shaping legislation and initiatives aimed at promoting social justice, affordable housing, LGBTQ+ rights, and cultural diversity.

Throughout his tenure, Jimmy Van Bramer has been a fierce advocate for equity and inclusivity, championing causes that empower marginalized groups and promote equality for all New Yorkers. His leadership and vision have earned him widespread recognition as a tireless advocate for social change and a steadfast ally for those in need.

Beyond his professional endeavors, Jimmy Van Bramer is deeply passionate about the arts, culture, and education. As a strong supporter of the local arts community, including the Chocolate Factory, he has worked tirelessly to promote cultural initiatives and expand access to the arts for all residents. Jimmy believes in the transformative power of education and is committed to ensuring that every child has access to quality educational opportunities – including the arts – that unlock their full potential. During his 12 year stint as chair of the Cultural Affairs and Libraries Committee, the arts and libraries saw record increases in funding.

Jimmy Van Bramer is guided by a firm belief in the importance of empathy, compassion, and justice in creating a more equitable society. He believes in the power of community engagement and collaborative action to address the most pressing challenges facing our city and build a brighter future for generations to come.

Currently, Jimmy Van Bramer continues his advocacy work through various initiatives aimed at promoting social justice, youth and economic empowerment, and civic engagement. His ongoing public service includes his role as an executive with the Girl Scouts of Greater New York, serving as Vice President of the City’s Public Design Commission, as well his service on the boards of the Queens Public Library and the Chocolate Factory.

Whether through grassroots organizing, legislative advocacy, or community outreach, he remains dedicated to fighting for the rights and well-being of all New Yorkers.

Jimmy lives in Sunnyside Gardens with his husband Dan Hendrick. Legally married in 2012, the couple are together for over 25 years.

BRIAN ROGERS

Artistic Director

Brian Rogers, Co-Founder / Artistic Director is a director, video and sound artist, co-founder and artistic director of The Chocolate Factory Theater, which supports the creation of theater, dance, music and multimedia performances at its post-industrial facility in LIC, Queens. Since 1997, Brian has conceived and/or directed numerous large scale films and performances at The Chocolate Factory and elsewhere including Small Songs(2023), Screamers (2018), Hot Box (September 2012, co-presented with FIAF’s Crossing The Line Festival / January 2013, PS122’s COIL Festival / February 2013, EMPAC Center, Troy NY – supported by a MAP Fund grant), the Bessie-nominated Selective Memory (July 2010, Mount Tremper Arts / September 2011, The Chocolate Factory / January 2011, PS122’s COIL Festival) and the horror the horror (Movement Research Festival 2011, Abrons Arts Center / 2012). Brian recently completed his first feature film; composed the soundtrack for Shaun Iron & Lauren Petty’s film Standing By: Gatz Backstage; and has collaborated as a sound and video artist with numerous experimental dance and theater artists in NY and elsewhere. Brian is a MacDowell Fellow, and has had residencies at Yaddo and Mount Tremper Arts. In addition to his own work, Brian curates The Chocolate Factory’s artistic programming (now in its 19^th year) which supports the work of more than 100 theater, dance, music and interdisciplinary artists each year.

Brian has recently taught at Kenyon College, University of Michigan, University of Colorado, Long Island University, The School at The Art Institute of Chicago, St. Johns University, Carnegie Mellon University, Sarah Lawrence College, The New School, New York University, Princeton University and others; and has served as a panelist / recommender for NYSCA, Queens Council on the Arts, Fresh Tracks, NYC Dept of Cultural Affairs, Foundation for Contemporary Arts, Creative Capital, Pew Charitable Trust, the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, Kresge Foundation, Yaddo, the Macdowell Colony, and others. He is a graduate of Bennington College.

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MARY ROSE LLOYD

Trustee

Mary Rose Lloyd is a curator of performing arts, recognized for her expertise in family and young audiences programming and for her passion in supporting the creation of extraordinary work for audiences of all ages by innovative artists across all disciplines. She is currently the Director of Artistic Programming at The New Victory Theater in New York – a leading arts presenter dedicated to championing outstanding theater, dance, music, circus, and puppetry arts for kids, their families and classmates. During her tenure, several shows have won and/or been nominated for Tony, Obie and Drama Desk Awards. In 2012, the New Victory received a special Drama Desk Award for “providing enchanting, sophisticated children’s theater that appeals to the child in all of us, and for nurturing a love of theater in young people.”

Mary’s work at the New Victory has been recognized by Time Out New York: “There’s more sheer inventiveness and wonder in a single New Victory season than in most venues combined.” She has been instrumental in bringing the work of bold international artists including the nouveau cirque and physical theater prodigies James Thiérrée and Aurélien Bory (France), the aerial dance company of Brenda Angiel (South America), inventive theater groups Kneehigh and the Young Vic (England) and the National Theatre of Scotland, Catherine Wheels, and Visible Fictions (Scotland), powerhouses Circus Oz and Belvoir (Australia), puppet auteurs Improbable and Blind Summit (UK) and the intensely fresh Ontroerend Goed (Belgium) to the attention of U.S. viewers and programmers. She has regularly supported and programmed works from important American companies as well, including Rennie Harris RHAW (Philadelphia), Black Violin (Miami), Lookingglass Theatre Company and Steppenwolf Theatre Company (Chicago), Children’s Theater Company (Minneapolis), Seattle Children’s Theater (Seattle), and New Yorkers Phil Soltanoff, Tectonic Theater Project, Mabou Mines, Ping Chong + Company, The Acting Company, Fiasco Theater and Don Byron, among others.

An accomplished speaker and frequent panelist and juror, Mary has attended numerous arts festivals and conferences as an invited guest and as part of various international delegations for curatorial research. Her writing has been featured in Inside Arts and TYA Today, as well as on other platforms. She has been a board member of TYA/USA (formerly ASSITEJ USA) and International Performing Arts for Youth (IPAY) and was the Chairman of IPAY’s Artist Showcase Selection Committee. In 2014, Mary received the Mickey Miners Lifetime Achievement Award, IPAY’s highest honor for making a significant impact on the field of performing arts for young audiences.

Mary has served on the curatorial selection team for the Made in Scotland program at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and was a delegate to the U.S./Netherlands/Flanders Touring and Exchange Project as well as a member of the East Coast Advisory Board for the US COMEDY ARTS FESTIVAL. She has served on grant giving and funding panels, including for the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour.

Most recently, Mary was a selected juror for the 37^th Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain in Paris, a respondent for the Southeastern Theater Conference (SETC), a member of the Artistic Advisory Committee of Circus Now, and a member of the Board of Directors of The Chocolate Factory Theater in New York. In January 2017, Mary received the William Dawson Award for Programmatic Excellence and Sustained Achievement in Programming from the Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP).

Previously, Mary programmed the Special Events Series at the Yale Repertory Theater and served as its Associate Managing Director and was the Managing Director and a Board member of Connecticut’s Ensemble Company for the Performing Arts. She has an MFA in Theater Management from the Yale School of Drama where she received the Morris Kaplan Award for Excellence in Arts Administration.

Save The Date!
The Chocolate Factory Theater’s Annual Gala
Celebrating Sheila Lewandowski

September 30, 2025
6pm

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Lists*

Save The Date! The Chocolate Factory Theater’s Annual Gala Celebrating Sheila Lewandowski

September 30, 2025 6pm

Lists*

Save The Date!
The Chocolate Factory Theater’s Annual Gala
Celebrating Sheila Lewandowski

September 30, 2025
6pm