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To be a Successful Chicago Actor, it not only takes education, experience and a great headshot; it also takes a proper use of social media. It doesn’t matter if you’re a movie star, a seasoned stage actor or a student starting out, you’ve got to have a plan regarding social media. And, since social media and social media platforms change, you’ve got to be able to change too. A) Have…

When the Work Slows by Darryn Glass “Never stand still. Only stand still enough to learn, and once you stop learning in that stance, move off. Always keep yourself engaged, in theater, in whatever job you can get. If you can’t get an acting job, then go backstage. Or take tickets. But be around actors because that is where you will primarily learn.” ~Ed Asner Sometimes, our acting work slows…

Robert Schleifer has worked as a teaching artist and an actor for many years. We’re excited that he’s offering a workshop here at ASC titled, Exploring Expressions Of Non-Verbal Communication. We sat down and asked Robert a few questions about his experience as a Deaf actor and teacher. Tell us a little bit about yourself. I’ve been deaf since birth and I consider myself a “Pioneer Artist”. My childhood home was…

Mid-July 2017: I’m going to be really honest with you guys, I’m not just tired, I’m exhausted. As I write this I find myself fantasizing about my bed and when I can get back in it. My eyes feel bleary. I know I’m grumpy because I lose my patience with inanimate objects. Seriously, guys, I just yelled obscenities at my desk phone. I got angry at a pad of post…

A few weeks ago, ASC offered our Summer Camp for Kids: Grades 4-7. We love having young students in the studio who are excited about beginning (and for some, continuing) their acting education. Theatre camp teaches our young students Self Confidence, Collaboration, Empathy, Creativity, Problem Solving, Accountability and Risk Taking.  Acting Skills are Life Skills.  Some of the activities our students participated in included: Daily warm ups- physical, vocal, and…

Season Announcements and Self Submissions My project for the spring of 2017 was to take Adam Belcuore (Casting Director at the Goodman and ASC instructor) at his word: to straightforwardly submit myself for the roles I wanted in each theatre’s upcoming seasons as they were announced. Because I was out of Chicago for much of March, April, and May, I was especially interested in contacting the casting teams of those…

Wash, Rinse, Repeat by ASC Student, Darryn Glass Growing up, these 3 words were found on the back of every bottle of shampoo I ever used. The funny thing about these words was their origin.  They were a marketing scheme.  I say scheme because the shampoo industry was looking for a way to increase sales so they created  these simple instructions: Wash, Rinse, Repeat.  Three little words that led to…

What I learned From Stephen Cone by Nicole Lockard Part I: Why I wanted to study with Stephen I first met Stephen Cone when I was a fourth year at Theatre School at Depaul. Rachael Patterson (ASC Studio Director & Acting for the Camera intructor) brought Stephen in as a guest and gave us sides from his films, I think mine was from The Wise Kids. Right away I loved…

THE WORLD OF THE PLAY By Janelle Snow Being invited to audition for an on-camera project is always exciting but the limited amount of time given to prepare can make an actor feel like they’ve overslept their alarm and are racing to get out the door, elevating excitement to virtual panic! Having a plan for breaking down the scene can help keep you centered and maximize the hours (or minutes)…

An Interview with Casting Director David O’Connor How did you get into the industry? Oddly, I got into Casting because I didn’t know how to work with actors. I was studying filmmaking and writing and I was planning on going off to direct and produce. LA was my goal in my youth.  I had been wanting to get into this business since I was eight years old. How do the…