After 18 months of talks with new management, all four founders and every ensemble member before 2008 left the ATC in March 2009 citing "major administrative and artistic differences.
Under her leadership, American Blues has expanded the ensemble and diversified its base of artists.
Whiteside established the annual Blue Ink Award for playwriting, incorporated community service into the company's mission, and developed arts education programming for Chicago Public Schools, which serves just under 4,000 students annually.
Since 2009, the theater has held food and book drives, distributed promotional tickets, and raised awareness for children's surgeries and health needs.
Each year the theater accepts worldwide submissions of original, unpublished full-length plays.