Susie Field created Special Gifts Theatre (SGT) in 2000 after she discovered there were no community theatre resources for children with special needs. Its mission is to provide children and teens that have special needs with a customized creative drama experience that encourages personal growth, as well as to break down stereotypes related to disabilities within the community. She began SGT in Northbrook with six children. The program has since grown to serve 122 children last season, including the introduction of a pre-literary program for 3-6 year olds with developmental delays and learning challenges. To date, SGT has served over 500 children and presented 18 musical performances in Northbrook and the Chicagoland area to audiences of more than 12,000 people. She also has a Peer Mentor Program, in which students with and without special needs work together. Field started SGT as a volunteer, holding interviews and staff meetings in her home, but now the organization has grown and she is Executive Director. Prior to founding SGT, Field was an Occupational Therapy Consultant for Chicagoland area hospitals and taught medical ethics and health science for Chicago City Wide Colleges.