Colleen Altman

A native of Chicago, IL, Colleen Altman is an avid stage and film performer and presenter. Her work on film includes the The Curse of the Tempest Jewel, in which she played Florence Streetwise, the leader of the girl gang The Rough & Tumbles, and The Spy Who Knew Me playing covert spy and master of disguise, Belinda Burgundy. Both films were produced by A.B.L.E. (Artists Breaking Limits & Expectations), of which Colleen is a founding ensemble member. During her tenure with A.B.L.E. she has performed in over a dozen stage productions ranging from classical theatre to original devised performances. Some of her favorite roles include Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Kate in The Taming of the Shrew, The Red Queen in Adventures in Wonderland and Olivia in Twelfth Night for Shakespeare 400 Chicago at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Her work onstage also includes several musicals with Special Gifts Theatre, with some favorites being Fiona in Shrek: The Musical and Wendy Darling in Peter Pan. Colleen has been a finalist for both the Mikva Challenge's Project Soapbox (2015) and The August Wilson Monologue Competition (2016). Self-described as "happy, joyful and social", Colleen enjoys the challenges and rewards of performing. She enjoys working as part of a team, memorizing lines, and performing in different venues. She also likes to sing, dance, and show off her freestyle rapping skills. Colleen is also an athlete with the Special Olympics. She has medalled in snowshoeing (2009, 2011, 2015) and tennis, and was part of the 2014 Illinois Championship Team. In addition to competing in individual and team sports, Colleen is also a Global Messenger for Special Olympics Illinois and speaks at various events around the state. Colleen lives in Chicago with her parents and 3 siblings. She also happens to have Down syndrome, a condition resulting in an extra copy of her 21st chromosome.