Blog

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…

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…

Acting Is Hard: 3 Ways of Dealing With The Rejection by Christy Arington We’ve all been there. You’ve auditioned, you got the call back and now you’re on hold for a part that you really want to play and that would give your career a boost. You feel really great about your audition and how you presented yourself in the room. And then the call or email comes a few…

Embracing the Future as a Graduating Young Actor and Keeping the Freak Outs to a Minimum By Becky Keeshin So it’s happening. It’s finally happening. I am a Young Actor. As I lay here in bed at 1 a.m. in New York City, awaiting my senior showcase at DePaul and anxiously recalibrating the recent auditions I’ve been on (how could I have taken direction in a different way, what was…

Acting Skills are Life Skills.Youth acting classes can make a difference! by Sarafina Vecchio Sarafina Vecchio has been working as a performer and teaching artist in Chicago for over 20 years. She holds a Post Graduate Award in Teaching Shakespeare from The University of Warwick, in conjunction with the Royal Shakespeare Company, in Coventry, England. She also earned a Bachelor’s from Roosevelt University and studied classical acting at Richmond College in London. Sarafina…