Chicago

Our On Cam Jam is a perfect place to get up on your camera to work on sides, scenes, or the kind of copy that interests you! This is a great time to ask self-tape questions and discuss technology with other members.

Our VO Jam affords voice actors a time and place to work on copy, listen to feedback, ask all your tough tech questions, and make tweaks and revisions to get in tip top shape for the next voice gig!

Please Note:

Studio Jams are intended for union performers in good standing and are offered as a perk of membership. By claiming your seat in this series, you are confirming that you are a union performer in good standing and are participating in the series in order to share and receive developmental feedback intended for the growth and development of professional union performers. In participating in the series, you also confirm that you are pursuing work and development to work only under union agreements and contracts.

****Moderated Virtual Jams are often recorded and sent to the Participants for their own playback and education. Recordings are unlisted and only available to those who actively work on copy during a Jam.

RSVP: Reservations are required here.

This event is only open to paid-up SAG-AFTRA members in good standing (paid thru April 30, 2023). No guests are allowed. Parents/guardians of performers under 18 years old are welcome.

Join your fellow SAG-AFTRANs and Chicagoans for this family-friendly event to commemorate May Day and its importance to the Chicago Labor Movement! The race will begin on the Lakefront Trail near the Lakeside Center at McCormick Place at 8:00 a.m. and continue up the trail through the Museum Campus. The course features a segment on Solidarity Drive and beautiful views of Chicago’s Downtown skyline.

Packet pick-up will begin at 7 a.m. at the event site (no prior pick-up will be available.) Commemorative race t-shirts will be provided to all runners and walkers, and medals will be awarded to winners in age-group categories.

Registration Fee:

Adults - $50

Children under 13 years old - $45

Click here to register on a third party site.

Proceeds from the event:

Funds raised from this event will benefit the CFL’s ongoing efforts to support workers in Chicago and Cook County

If you plan on participating and would like to be included on any communications regarding meeting as a group, please contact Amy Rhodes at amy.rhodes@sagaftra.org.

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.

Join us April 24 for our Chicago Local virtual Conservatory - Surviving the Actor's Journey: Finding Mental Health in an Uncertain Business, as we gather together to identify the tools you need to ditch the anxiety and reclaim the joy in your acting pursuits. We will be joined by a host of experts, both peer and clinical professionals alike, including:

• Actor and educator Michael Kostroff, who will take us through some entertaining and enlightening concepts from his course/book Audition Psych 101.
• Elizabeth Clare (Chicago Local member and Ally Advocate at NoStigmas, a mental health non-profit) who will provide some resources on how to set boundaries and how to be an ally for your fellow actor's having a rough time.
• Fizzah Zaidi (licensed clinical therapist)
• Dr. Jason Washburn (Director of Clinical Psychology, Northwestern Hospital) who will help us navigate all the tough questions, and point us to where to get additional support when it's needed.

About:
Michael Kostroff
Kostroff is an established stage and television actor best known for his five seasons on HBO’s The Wire and a long list of appearances on shows including Billions, The Blacklist, NCIS and Law & Order: SVU. He toured with The Producers and Les Misérables and has starred at regional theaters all over the US. He’s a teacher, author, audition coach, former Backstage advice columnist, and the creator of Audition Psych 101, which is an online course on the psychological side of the audition process. Books by Kostroff include Letters from Backstage, Audition Psych 101, and the recently-published The Stage Actor’s Handbook: Traditions, Protocols, and Etiquette for the Working and Aspiring Professional (Rowman & Littlefield, 2022), which was listed as one of Playbill.com’s 12 must-read books.

Elizabeth Clare
Clare is an actor and musician based in Chicago and Los Angeles. Her background as a jazz musician lends itself to her work as an on-camera talent, scoring her multiple national commercial spots as well as her recent focus on TV/film roles.  She is also a mental health advocate, having created core programming with NoStigmas (a local non-profit) that includes general education as well as trauma-focused training. As a survivor of intimate partner violence, she understands how peer support from a lived experience perspective can support living in recovery. Claire connects this to the entertainment industry with her work as an intimacy coordinator to help tell stories responsibly. Claire loves baking, adores cats, and holds a 1st Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo.

Fizzah Zaidi
Fizzah Zaidi, LCPC, is a Chicago-based psychotherapist who is trained in EMDR and CCSP-ADHD certified. She specializes in working with adults with ADHD to identify and treat their comorbidities and trauma. Psychology is her second career after spending several years in traditional animation, where she worked on independent cartoons, Sesame Street games and commercials for General Mills and Hasbro. Fizzah uses behavioral and existential perspectives to advocate for breaking cultural and societal stigmas around mental health. She focuses on learning unique patterns in human development to collaborate with compassion and honor the authentic selves of her patients, as well as constantly working to improve her competencies in other modalities and theories. For more information, visit her website at www.fzpsychotherapy.com.

Dr. Jason Washburn
Dr. Washburn is Director of Clinical Psychology at Northwestern Hospital, whose overarching interests include science-based practice, practice-based clinical research, and education and training in Health Service Psychology. His clinical interests include psychodiagnostic, personality, and neurodevelopmental (ADHD, Learning Disorders) assessment. His research interests include nonsuicidal self-injury, suicide, and the implementation of psychological practices, including digital mental health.

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 Chicago Local members in good standing (paid thru April 30, 2023). No guests are allowed. 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 48 business hours before the start of the event. 

Virtual Studio Jams are a way to plug in with other union members, get practice in the medium, work on industry-relevant material, and share feedback as you flex your muscles in a low-pressure setting - your own house!

Our On Cam Jam is a perfect place to get up on your camera to work on sides, scenes, or the kind of copy that interests you! This is a great time to ask self-tape questions and discuss technology with other members.

Our VO Jam affords voice actors a time and place to work on copy, listen to feedback, ask all your tough tech questions, and make tweaks and revisions to get in tip top shape for the next voice gig!

RSVP here.

Please Note:

Studio Jams are intended for union performers in good standing and are offered as a benefit of membership. By claiming your seat in this series, you are confirming that you are a union performer in good standing and are participating in the series in order to share and receive developmental feedback intended for the growth and development of professional union performers. In participating in the series, you also confirm that you are pursuing work and development to work only under union agreements and contracts.

Our virtual jam sessions take place via zoom - you will receive a confirmation email with zoom room info when you confirm your 'seat' in the jam. If you do not receive it or have any questions or problems, email Melissa- melissa@thekaufherrcenter.org.

This workshop is not intended to imply an endorsement of any individual or company by SAG-AFTRA. The information provided through the workshop is given for informational purposes and may not be a suitable substitute for the advice of other industry professionals. You should always use good judgment in these matters and should not act or refrain from acting based solely on information provided through the workshop.

Virtual Studio Jams are a way to plug in with other union members, get practice in the medium, work on industry-relevant material, and share feedback as you flex your muscles in a low-pressure setting - your own house!

Our On Cam Jam is a perfect place to get up on your camera to work on sides, scenes, or the kind of copy that interests you! This is a great time to ask self-tape questions and discuss technology with other members.

Our VO Jam affords voice actors a time and place to work on copy, listen to feedback, ask all your tough tech questions, and make tweaks and revisions to get in tip top shape for the next voice gig!

RSVP here.

Please Note:

Studio Jams are intended for union performers in good standing and are offered as a benefit of membership. By claiming your seat in this series, you are confirming that you are a union performer in good standing and are participating in the series in order to share and receive developmental feedback intended for the growth and development of professional union performers. In participating in the series, you also confirm that you are pursuing work and development to work only under union agreements and contracts.

Our virtual jam sessions take place via zoom - you will receive a confirmation email with zoom room info when you confirm your 'seat' in the jam. If you do not receive it or have any questions or problems, email Melissa- melissa@thekaufherrcenter.org.

This workshop is not intended to imply an endorsement of any individual or company by SAG-AFTRA. The information provided through the workshop is given for informational purposes and may not be a suitable substitute for the advice of other industry professionals. You should always use good judgment in these matters and should not act or refrain from acting based solely on information provided through the workshop.

Please join your fellow SAG-AFTRA members and their guests for a celebration of your peers at the Chicago SAG Awards Viewing Party.

Sunday, February 26 from 5-9 p.m. Reception begins at 5 p.m. - light appetizers and no-host bar. The SAG Awards will begin at 7 p.m.

Where: Davis Theatre

4614 N. Lincoln Avenue

Chicago, IL

SAG-AFTRA Members: FREE

Guests: $10

Click Here for payment if you are attending with additional guest(s)
 

Casual attire, but feel free to be as fancy as you want to be – everything from jeans to cocktail dresses and tuxedos are appropriate and fun!

Public transportation is recommended. Please bring your SAG-AFTRA card
 

RSVP: Reservations are required. Please complete the form below to RSVP; you must be logged in to RSVP. If you are bringing a guest, you must ALSO click here to pay for your guest's ticket. Please RSVP by Wednesday, February 22, 2023.

This venue does not have COVID restrictions. Masking is recommended and up to members/guests to provide.
 

Questions? Please contact kathy.byrne@sagaftra.org.

This event is only open to paid-up SAG-AFTRA members in good standing (paid thru April 30, 2023, or in compliance with the November 2022 Dues Relief Extension) and their guests (who have paid for admission) 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 48 business hours before the start of the event.

Below is the information for the SAG-AFTRA/IFA table read. We are pleased to announce that we are reading “All Things Considered” from filmmaker James Choi. His script was the winner of the Pitch Competition at the 2022 Chicago International Film Festival Industry Days.  If you are interested in putting yourself on tape (audio or video), for consideration to read one of these roles, please email Kathy.byrne@sagaftra.org to request the sides for the specific role you are interested in.

Deadline for submissions is Monday, January 9, 2023 at 5:00 pm. Please upload your audition tape, resume and headshot via dropbox to:

https://www.dropbox.com/request/G87s0toP67dORrSvmlD6

The Table Read is on Monday, January 30, 2023 at 6:00 pm via ZOOM with a rehearsal on Thursday, January 26, 2023 at 5:30 pm. You will need to have a strong internet connection on your home computer. If you are able to commit to these 2 days - please feel free to submit.

Logline:

After an overdose sends Paul to the hospital, his spirited Korean-American Mother, So-Ri, is determined to reconnect with her son and help him with his depression through an exotic South Korean ritual that promises to deliver people from their despair.

Character Breakdown (performers able to portray the following):

We are committed to authentic, diverse, and inclusive casting. We encourage qualified performers of the Asian American/Pacific Islander community to submit for this role, especially those who identify as Korean American.

PAUL (Asian Male 30-40): A really even keeled facade but still warm. Confident on the outside, insecure and neurotic on the inside. Mostly quiet and only speaks when he has to. Has a comfortable career. A social introvert.

SO-RI (Asian Female 60-70): First-gen immigrant mother. Loud, dramatic and overly emotional. Fiercely loyal and protective. A big presence. Does have a soft motherly side to her that most people never see.

BINNA (Asian Female 20-30s): Sharp, intelligent and carefree. A great listener and super observant but can also be super talkative and the center of attention. Unpredictable and full of surprises.

JOON (Asian Male 20s): Man-child. A little naive and super passionate about his hobbies. Loves to sing and is a consummate daydreamer.

SA-RANG (Asian Female 30-50s): She is like a loving grandmother. Direct yet provides an immense amount of empathy. A wise sage like figure.

MONK (Asian Male 40s): Funny jokester. Breathes happiness and positivity. Childish in the best way.

NARRATOR (Male or Female 30-50s): Warm voice that is patient and kind.

This event is open to paid-up SAG-AFTRA Chicago Local members in good standing, paid thru April 30, 2023, or in compliance with the November 2022 Dues Relief Extension. No guests are allowed. 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 48 business hours before start of event. 

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. AT THE TABLE is an unpaid stage performance presented to a live virtual audience. Casting will be based on vocal quality and characterizations. We are committed to diverse, inclusive casting. For every role, please submit qualified performers, without regard to race, age, color, national origin, sexual orientation or gender identity, disability or any other basis prohibited by law, unless otherwise specifically indicated.

Attention new and existing members: Join us Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023 at 6 pm for a chance to hear from member leaders and staff about SAG-AFTRA and all of the great ways to get involved. Learn new things and get answers to any questions you have about SAG-AFTRA. We will meet via ZOOM.

RSVP: Reservations are required. Please complete form below to RSVP. Please note that 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, 2023, or in compliance with the November 2022 Dues Relief Extension). No guests are allowed. 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 48 business hours before start of event. 

Join fellow SAG-AFTRA members, staff, friends and family for a day of service at the Chicago Food Depository. We will repack donated and purchased food. The food we receive at our warehouse comes in bulk quantities, and volunteers break it down into manageable sizes. Together, we can properly and efficiently distribute quality food to participating food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters in Cook County.  We may sort produce, inspect and box shipments of bread, or repack bulk dry goods (pasta, rice, beans) into smaller quantities.

Some jobs may require lifting. Ages 11+

Please plan to arrive 15 minutes early so we can begin right on time with a brief orientation. Long pants, shirts that cover shoulders, and fully enclosed shoes are required.

We should be done by 11:30 am, and then we will convene for lunch at a local establishment.

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

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.

ADA requests may be included on your RSVP form below. Please note that ADA requests must be received 48 business hours before start of event. 

SAG-AFTRA Midwest locals will be conducting wages and working conditions (W&W) meetings in preparation for the 2023 TV/Theatrical Contracts negotiations. These meetings are open to members of the following locals: Chicago, Ohio-Pittsburgh, Michigan, Twin Cities and Missouri Valley.

This is your opportunity to recommend proposed changes to these contracts. 

Proposals for this negotiation are developed through the involvement of members like you. Make your voice heard and participate in this very important process. Meetings are open to all paid-up* SAG-AFTRA members. Please check your email and sagaftra.org/2023ww for updates as additional wages and working conditions meetings are announced.

Midwest Locals Meetings via Zoom** (all times Central):

Tuesday, December 13, 2022 at 1 pm CT

Wednesday, December 14, 2022 at 6 pm CT

Monday, January 9, 2023, 1 pm CT

Tuesday, January 10, 2023 at 6 pm CT

Tuesday, January 31, 2023 at 1 pm CT RSVP on the form below; you must be logged in to RSVP below. 

**Dates and times are subject to change, so please refer to sagaftra.org/2023ww for changes and/or additions to the schedule.

Steps to attend:

• Make sure your dues are in good standing.
• Have a Zoom account that identifies you by name. 
• RSVP on the form below.
• Complete the Confidentiality Agreement you will be sent prior to the meeting.

WHO CAN ATTEND:

*W&W meetings are only open to paid-up SAG-AFTRA members in good standing thru April 30, 2023, or in compliance with the November 2022 Dues Relief Extension. No guests are allowed. Parents/guardians of performers under 18 years old are welcome.

CAN’T ATTEND A MEETING?

If you cannot attend a W&W meeting or caucus, please make sure your voice is heard. You may submit proposal recommendations by email at tvtheatrical2023@sagaftra.org. Recommendations must be received by Friday, Jan. 27, 2023.

This event is only open to paid-up SAG-AFTRA members in good standing (paid thru October 31, 2022 or April 30, 2023, or in compliance with the November 2022 Dues Relief Extension). No guests are allowed. 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 48 business hours before start of event.