About Us
“My goal when I moved to Chicago in 2017 was to start a production company. This company would redefine industry standards, eliminate gatekeepers, and create art that was about the art. That goal, that dream, came true.”
Mac Cherny, Founder and Creative Director
What do we do?
Sidewalk Lily Productions creates artistic work and educational opportunities that focus on enhancing community and humanity.
We deliver experiences that dig below the surface to uncover, acknowledge, and celebrate all facets of people.
Simultaneously, our work is designed to bring people together to learn, grow, and be entertained.
Sidewalk Lily Productions, at the corner of art and community!
So why the name?
Sidewalk Lily Productions got its name from Mac’s fascination with water lilies.
During the Covid shutdown of 2020, Mac found peace sitting and reflecting on walk bridges in Chicago’s Humboldt Park.
He would spend hours watching the water lilies; observing the wildlife that inhabited them. Taking in the beauty of aquatic vegetation he thought about how it symbolized communities. At first glance, you see a cluster of water lilies, but with a closer look, you notice the small physical differences between each. Those were only the surface-level observations! Below you’d find such diverse and unique differences in each lily's web of roots, some intertwined with the others around them.
Mac was amazed and in awe of how the roots that make it to the bottom of the pond, pull from nutrients in the muck, to create the beautiful flower at the surface.
Further, this natural beauty was thriving in the middle of a major city. An unlikely place for such a discovery. When crafting a name that would best represent the work Mac wanted to accomplish he thought about how he wanted communities to thrive by learning about one another.
Mac Cherny,
Founder and Creative Director
Mac Cherny is a writer/performer/educator based out of Chicago. Primarily he works in comedy, having performed at Second City, Improv Olympic, and the Annoyance Theater.
His drag persona, Merriam Levkowitz, a Jewish bubbie destined for the bright lights of "The Broadway," originated from Mac's original musical, Merriam: A Matzah Ballin' Good Time. Merriam has played at the Sea Tea Comedy Theater, Blackout Cabaret, Stage773 and multiple comedy festivals. Merriam herself has performed in numerous galas, fundraisers, private parties, Hillel events and live drag shows alongside RuPaul's Drag Race stars Detox, Jinkx Monsoon, Denali, Dida Ritz & Sonique. She is also the cycle 33 winner of Chicago's largest amateur drag competition, Crash Landing. Recently Merriam has been enjoying her monthly residence at the Graystone Tavern, p[erforming original immersive shows to sold out audiences.
Mac's one-person autobiographical show, No Outlet has been produced at both Steep Theatre and Stage773. The play partnered with Wellington Counseling Group and Between Friends Chicago to help tackle and navigate the three central themes of mental health, LGBTQ+ acceptance, and domestic violence. Lastly, Mac is a professional actor, having performed at Symphony Hall (Boston), Sharon Playhouse, Ivoryton Playhouse, PrideArts, and Connecticut Repertory Theater.
As a Theater Educator, Mac has Directed and Choreographed a youth production of Cinderella at the Mandell Jewish Community Center. Last fall he was the artist in residence for the Lasky Weekend (teen retreat), teaching a weekend long sketch comedy intensive. He has created and lead youth puppet workshops. Lastly, he has taught improv to business workshops for professionals.
Mac is a graduate of the Second City Conservatory, iO’s Musical Improv program, and has his B.A. in Theatre Studies with a Minor in Puppet Arts, from the University of Connecticut.