Skip to main content

Chicago

SAG Awards Chicago Local Viewing Party

Feb 24, 2024 - 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM CST

Where: Davis Theater at 4614 N. Lincoln Avenue Chicago, IL 

The Chicago Local SAG Awards Viewing Party

Please join us at a viewing party for the 30th Annual SAG Awards. This is a great opportunity to gather with fellow SAG-AFTRA members to celebrate excellence in film and television performances.

Who: SAG-AFTRA members (free) and guests ($10) each.  After you RSVP for yourself, click here to make payment for your Guests.

Where: The Davis Theater at 4614 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL 

When: Saturday, Feb. 24, 5 - 9 p.m. 

5 - 6:30 p.m. - cocktail reception with light appetizers and cash bar. 

7 - 9 p.m. - SAG Awards Streaming Live on Netflix

RSVP: Reservations are required. Please complete the form below to RSVP; you must be logged in to RSVP. 

This event is only open to paid-up SAG-AFTRA members in good standing (paid thru April 30, 2024 or in compliance with the November 2023 dues extension program) plus a guest.

Parents/guardians of performers under 18 years old are welcome.

ADA requests may be included on your RSVP form below. Please note that ADA requests must be received 72 business hours before the start of the event. 



NEW YEAR, NEW YOU, Part 3: BUSINESS

Mar 04, 2024 - 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM CST

Where: The Kaufherr Center (KRC) - 1 E. Erie, Suite 660, Chicago IL

The SAG-AFTRA Chicago Conservatory presents
 "NEW YEAR - NEW YOU!: Body, Brain, Business!"

This three-part series is designed to get you feeling grounded, thinking positively and running your creative career like a business! Join all the sessions or pick and choose those most appealing to you. 
All Events are scheduled to be IN PERSON at The Kaufherr Center (1 E Erie, Suite 660)

PART 3: BUSINESS
Monday, March 4, 6 - 8pm
 
This two part event will be jam-packed with must have info!
 
Part 1:
Learn how to organize and maintain a daily discipline to run a successful small business (your acting career) without wearing yourself thin. Sarafina Vecchio will guide us through marketing basics, basic incorporation and tax tips, how to create Accounts Payable/Receivable organization, forecasting, scheduling, and staying agile (and calm) when plans change. If you want to recognize what business skills you already have and better understand how to put them to your advantage, this is the session for you!
 
Sarafina Vecchio is a former VP of Marketing and Sales turned SAG-AFTRA actor. For two decades she co-owned and operated her family’s manufacturing company, while simultaneously performing and modeling in Chicago and on both coasts. She is now a full time actor, director, VO artist, and educator. She credits her success in her second career to the skills she learned in her first! Helping fellow performers develop the skills and focus needed to succeed in an ever changing (and sometimes lonely) business is what she loves to do! www.SarafinaVecchio.com
 
Part 2:
 
Michael McCracken joins us to help you figure out some of the biggest actor challenges, such as:
 
  • How to make the most of your online casting profiles 
  • Understanding where you fit in the market
  • Best practices for building a great working relationship with your agent
  • Building your network and expanding your reach (without being over pushy and feeling icky).
  • And Of Course...what to do when things are a little too slow.
     
Michael McCracken is the Founder and Artistic Director of Vagabond School of the Arts in Chicago. He has been in the professional entertainment industry for over 20 years in multiple different capacities. Before founding Vagabond School he was a tv/film, commercial and theatrical Talent Agent in Chicago (Grossman & Jack Talent, Shirley Hamilton Talent). As an acting teacher and coach, he brings his experience as a freelance casting session director (Simon Casting, The Cast Station), SAG-AFTRA Actor (Chicago Med, Hyundai, Lunchables), improviser and musician. He has worked with thousands of actors through Vagabond School, pushing his student’s careers forward by teaching an on-camera technique that he created. He also provides business coaching for actors as someone who has worked professionally on all 3 sides of the acting business (Agent, Casting, Actor). Michael has also been asked to teach Master Classes at DePaul, Columbia, Loyola, University of Illinois Chicago, North Central College and Millikin University. He can be found at vagabondschool.com 

 

RSVP: Reservations are required. Please complete the form below to RSVP; you must be logged in to RSVP. 

This event is only open to paid-up SAG-AFTRA members in good standing (paid thru April 30, 2024 or in compliance with the November 2023 dues extension program).

Parents/guardians of performers under 18 years old are welcome.

ADA requests may be included on your RSVP form below. Please note that ADA requests must be received 72 business hours before the start of the event. 



NEW YEAR, NEW YOU, Part 2: BRAIN

Feb 12, 2024 - 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM CST

Where: The Kaufherr Center (KRC) - 1 E. Erie, Suite 660, Chicago IL

The SAG-AFTRA Chicago Conservatory presents
 "NEW YEAR - NEW YOU: Body, Brain, Business!"

This three-part series is designed to get you feeling grounded, thinking positively and running your creative career like a business! Join all the sessions or pick and choose those most appealing to you. 
All Events are scheduled to be IN PERSON at The Kaufherr Center (1 E Erie, Suite 660)

PART 2: BRAIN
Monday, Feb. 12 6 - 8pm 

Derive meaning and purpose from 2023. Bring your calendar, social media, photos from the year, your journal, or anything else that you can review from last year. What were you grateful for? What lessons did you learn? What growth did you experience through the challenges of the year? What deeper truths did you realize? Who did you become in 2023? Join us to set intentions for how you'd like to feel in 2024!

Courtney Rioux is an actor, coach, and podcast host living in Chicago. And now a mother! As an actor, you may have seen her most recently as Paramedic Courtney on eight seasons of Chicago Med, heard her voice on a Jimmy Dean commercial, or seen her as the Spokesperson for Hot Shot. Courtney can also be seen in Marlyne Barrett's film, Haimerican. Courtney is also an advocate for actors. She hosts the podcast The Whole Artist with Courtney Rioux. She coaches actors who feel stuck in their lives and careers. Finally, she serves on the National Board for Sag-Aftra, the most recent TV/Theatrical negotiating committee, as well as her Chicago Local Board. With each pursuit, she seeks to inspire and empower actors to create a life of joy, freedom, and abundance. Follow her at @courtneyrioux on Insta and reach out at CourtneyRioux.com

 

RSVP: Reservations are required. Please complete the form below to RSVP; you must be logged in to RSVP. 

This event is only open to paid-up SAG-AFTRA members in good standing (paid thru April 30, 2024 or in compliance with the November 2023 dues extension program).

Parents/guardians of performers under 18 years old are welcome.

ADA requests may be included on your RSVP form below. Please note that ADA requests must be received 72 business hours before the start of the event. 



NEW YEAR, NEW YOU, Part 1: BODY

Jan 22, 2024 - 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM CST

Where: NEW LOCATION: 1 E Erie, Suite 535 (5th Floor, follow signs)

The SAG-AFTRA Chicago Conservatory presents
 "NEW YEAR - NEW YOU: Body, Brain, Business!"

This three-part series is designed to get you feeling grounded, thinking positively and running your creative career like a business! Join all the sessions or pick and choose those most appealing to you. 
All Events are scheduled to be IN PERSON at The Kaufherr Center (1 E Erie, Suite 660)

 

PART 1: BODY 
January 22 - 6-8pm

Relaxation, mindfulness and grounding are a few things we’ll explore to facilitate the release of tension in both the body and the mind.  We’ll breathe a little, move a little, and even play a little as we connect our brains to our bodies, our breath, our senses and our imagination to release tensions and enhance creativity. 

How to prepare - come with an open mind and ready to play! We suggest wearing clothes you would be comfortable moving in - sweats, yoga pants, etc.  Please avoid wearing any dangly jewelry. This workshop is available for all body types and abilities, participants can choose to move as much or as little as they are comfortable with. That said, please consider bringing a yoga mat as some excercises will encourage sitting/lying/moving on the floor.  

 
Laura Sturm is a director, teacher, movement and acting coach, and intimacy director. Laura teaches a variety of different classes and workshops but specializes in Movement for Actors (Williamson/Laban) and Meisner Technique. She also teaches Period Style, Audition Skills, Scene Study, Monologue and Voice classes, as well as classes combining different elements.  Laura is on the Adjunct Faculty at Columbia College Chicago, and has also taught at Northern Illinois University, North Central College, Governors State University, Oakton Community College, and for many years at Chicago’s professional studios The Actors’ Center and Act One Studios.
 

RSVP: Reservations are required. Please complete the form below to RSVP; you must be logged in to RSVP. 
This event is only open to paid-up SAG-AFTRA members in good standing (paid thru April 30, 2024 or in compliance with the November 2023 dues extension program).
Parents/guardians of performers under 18 years old are welcome.
ADA requests may be included on your RSVP form below. Please note that ADA requests must be received 72 business hours before the start of the event. 



Entertainment Community Fund Affordable Housing Workshop

Nov 29, 2023 - 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM CST

Where: Virtual Zoom

A Seminar for the Creative Community in Chicago

You’re invited to attend an affordable housing workshop from the Entertainment Community Fund (@alifeinthearts). This FREE and informative workshop is designed for the performing arts and entertainment community. This workshop will help you better understand what constitutes affordable housing, how it works, and how to help you get prepared to search and apply.

Arts Workers often have episodic and fluctuating income from several sources, and this seminar will explore different methods to calculate and verify annual household income to help you put your best foot forward when applying.

Also discussed will be an overview of affordable housing programs, historical context for housing in Chicago, and housing opportunities currently in development.
 

RSVP Here

These events are not intended to imply an endorsement of any individual or company by SAG-AFTRA. Unless otherwise stated, the views expressed are those of the individual guests, not of SAG-AFTRA. The information provided through the workshops are given for informational purposes and may not be a suitable substitute for applicable professional advice. You should always use good judgment in these matters.



Chicago TV/Theatrical Contracts Informational Meeting

Nov 19, 2023 - 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM CST

Where: Omni Chicago Hotel, Chagall A, 676 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611

In order to help you have as much information as possible on the new 2023 TV/Theatrical Contracts prior to voting, the SAG-AFTRA Chicago Local will hold a TV/Theatrical Contracts informational in-person meeting with National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland and Chief Contracts Officer Ray Rodriguez on Sunday, November 19, 2023. 1- 4 p.m. For FAQs, a summary of the tentative agreement and voting information, visit sagaftra.org/contracts2023. 

RSVP: Reservations are required. Please complete the form below to RSVP; you must be logged in to RSVP. 

All SAG-AFTRA members who work the TV/Theatrical Contracts are urged to attend this important informational meeting. This meeting is open to active SAG-AFTRA members paid through the November 2022 dues period and new members who joined in the May 2023 or November 2023 dues periods with initiation fees and dues fully paid. No guests are allowed. Parents/guardians of performers under 18 years old are welcome.

If you are unable to attend please email Kathy.Byrne@sagaftra.org. If you have questions regarding the tentative agreement, please email tvtheatrical2023@sagaftra.org.

ADA requests may be included on your RSVP form below. Please note that ADA requests must be received 72 business hours before the start of the event. 



SAG-AFTRA Chicago Strike Photo Op

Nov 08, 2023 - 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM CST

Where: Federal Plaza - 230 S. Dearborn

What does it look like to be on strike for over 116 days? Let’s show everyone from New York to LA and everywhere in between that SAG-AFTRA Chicago members are strong and united! Join fellow Chicago SAG-AFTRA members for a photo op at Federal Plaza.

Wednesday, Nov. 8 at 5 p.m. (check in will begin at 4:30 pm) on Federal Plaza at 230 S. Dearborn, Chicago, IL.

Wear your SAG-AFTRA t-shirt. A limited number of shirts will be available for those who don't yet have one.

RSVP: Reservations are requested. Please complete the form below to RSVP. 

 



Niles Food Bank

Oct 24, 2023 - 11:45 AM to Oct 24, 2024 - 11:45 AM CDT

Where: 8341 Lockwood Avenue, Skokie, IL

The Niles Food Bank reached out to SAG-AFTRA to offer members the opportunity to access much needed groceries.  If you have food insecurity issues, please reach out to the food bank to arrange to pick up groceries asap.

Please note that the Food Pantry is closed on the last 2 business days of the month.

https://nilestownshipgov.com/162/Food-Pantry

Contact: Mark Collins at 312-719-2265 or civilcitizenm@aol.com.

The products and services noted herein are provided as an informational service to SAG-AFTRA members and are administered by entities independent
of SAG-AFTRA. Any questions must be handled by the provider. This information is not intended to serve as an endorsement nor is any warranty
or guarantee implied.



New Member 101

Dec 06, 2023 - 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM CST

Where: KRC - 1 E. Erie, Suite 660, Chicago, IL 60611

Welcome to the SAG-AFTRA Chicago Local! This Member 101 meeting is a must for new members, and a great refresher for the seasoned veteran actor!  

This is a valuable meeting to learn everything you need to know about SAG-AFTRA and all that we have to offer.  

Learn new things and get answers to any questions you have about SAG-AFTRA.

The meeting will be held in person at the KRC - 1 E. Erie, Suite 660, dinner will be served.

RSVP: Reservations are required. Please complete the form below to RSVP; you must be logged in to RSVP. 

This event is only open to paid-up SAG-AFTRA members in good standing (paid thru Nov. 31, 2023). Parents/guardians of performers under 18 years old are welcome.

ADA requests may be included on your RSVP form below. Please note that ADA requests must be received 72 business hours before the start of the event. 



NextGen Committee Presents: Saturday Afternoon Yoga and Reiki

Nov 18, 2023 - 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM CST

Where: KRC - 1 E. Erie, Suite 660, Chicago, IL 60611

Not a morning person? Join us for a Saturday afternoon Yoga and Reiki session!

Agent and Reiki master Donna Simons-Dunn will be joining us via ZOOM at 2:00pm for meditation and Reiki and SAG-AFTRA member Khloe Janel will lead a Yoga session starting at 2:30.   Bring a yoga mat and wear comfortable clothing!

After Reiki, stick around for snacks and conversation!

 

RSVP: Reservations are required. Please complete the form below to RSVP; you must be logged in to RSVP. 

This event is only open to paid-up SAG-AFTRA members in good standing (paid thru Oct. 31, 2023 or April 30, 2024 or in compliance with the November 2023 dues extension program). Parents/guardians of performers under 18 years old are welcome.

ADA requests may be included on your RSVP form below. Please note that ADA requests must be received 72 business hours before the start of the event. 



Subscribe to Chicago

Help Center

On-Set Emergency

On-Set Emergency: (844) 723-3773

Help Center

How can we help? Call, chat with a rep, get answers to FAQs or send us an email.

CALL US
(855) SAG-AFTRA / (855) 724-2387
On-Set Emergency: (844) 723-3773
Phone Chat FAQ Created with Sketch. FAQ Email Created with Sketch. Email