Tyrone Phillips

Tyrone Phillips
Director, Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea

Tyrone Phillips is the Founding Artistic Director of Definition Theatre in Chicago, a culturally diverse ensemble committed to producing and archiving work from underrepresented communities. He is currently leading a capital campaign to build a new theater, community center, and entrepreneur incubator in Woodlawn. A recipient of the 2022 Alumni Award for Diversity and Inclusion, Tyrone graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and studied abroad at Shakespeare’s Globe. A first-generation Jamaican-American, he is deeply committed to equity and accessibility in the arts and has completed advanced anti-racism training to support systemic change. His theater credits include collaborations with major regional and national companies across the country. Tyrone also serves as adjunct faculty at DePaul University and sits on the Board of Directors for the League of Chicago Theatres. He is the inaugural recipient of the Arts Midwest Peter Capell Award and a member of NAACP, SAG-AFTRA, and SDC.