Amanda Hays (she/her) is an actor based in Chicago. She grew up on the west side of the city, in the Austin neighborhood, and loved working at professional theaters in Chicago as a child. She received her BA in Theater from Northwestern College in Iowa and continued training at the American Conservatory Theater (ACT) in San Francisco. Since graduating, she has taken multiple classes at the Acting Studio Chicago, where she met many of her fellow Short Leap ensemble members! 

Amanda has worked at various Chicago theaters including The Gift, Redtwist, Big Noise, Oil Lamp, and Citadel. One of her most memorable Chicago theater experiences was a production of Hamlet where every actor memorized all of the parts and drew what role they would play each night. She drew the role of Hamlet on opening night which was both exhilarating and terrifying! 

When she is not performing, Amanda enjoys taking dance and yoga classes, sewing a new outfit, reading novels and plays, and finding ways to make her life more sustainable. She lives on the north side of Chicago with her husband, Warren, who is also an actor in the city.

Amanda is thrilled to be an ensemble member of A Short Leap Theatre Company and is excited to continue to grow and learn alongside the amazing artists on this team. Along with acting, Amanda is very involved in casting and intimacy direction and hopes to use her experience and skills in these areas to further the mission of the company.