Any Good Acting Classes?

Question

Would anyone know if their were any good acting classes that I could take over the summer? I love acting, and I love to see Broadway shows, I really would like to get in it.

I live in Missouri, and I wanted to know if anyone knew of any good acting classes in Chicago? I live about 4 hours away by train from there.

Answer 1

You're in luck, as Chicago is a wonderful theatre town with tons of great acting programs. Depending on your focus and what you're specifically looking for out of a class, I have a few suggestions.

Act One Studios (http://www.actone.com/) has a top-notch reputation, and they offer courses for multiple skill levels, taught by a wonderful faculty. They pride themselves on their small class sizes, as well. They're worth a look.

Acting Studio Chicago (http://www.theauditionstudio.com/) also has a great reputation. They also cater to many different skill levels, and their focus is on getting an actor work. They also have a great faculty, which includes Jane Brody (casting director for films such as Groundhog Day, Fargo, and A League of Their Own.)

If you want to do comedy, arguably the best comedy training school in the country is in Chicago - Second City, which developed comedians like David Koechner, Lily Tomlin, Martin Short, Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, Catherine O'Hara, John Candy, Eugene Levy, and Andrea Martin. Check them out at http://www.secondcity.com.

Finally (and there are many other great programs, but these are some of the highlights), there is the Steppenwolf Theatre (http://www.steppenwolf.org/education). One of the most respected theatres in the company, Steppenwolf has a really great educational arm, as well. You can take a class with one of their actors... in the past, this has included people like Gary Cole, Tina Landau, Joan Allen, Martha Plimpton, Gary Sinise, and Laurie Metcalf. Truly an experience worth getting if you can.

One final piece of advice would be to check ChicagoActor.com at http://chicagoactor.com/. They have some great resources, and their members may be able to turn you on to some great, lesser-known instructors.