Actors Gymnasium

Faculty
	Chuck Coyl has been a professional fight director for over 20 years and was president of the Society of American Fight Directors for two terms. Stage credits include the Broadway and London productions of August: Osage County, and The Crucible and Superior Donuts at the Steppenwolf Theatre. Film and television credits include work as stunt coordinator for episodes of the Moments in Time series on the History Channel and episodes of the True Crime Authors series on the Discovery channel. In addition to teaching at The Actor's Gymnasium, Chuck is a member of the North Carolina Stuntmen’s Association and a founding member of the Single Action Theatre Company.
	Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi is a lifelong practitioner of circus arts. She has received four Jeff awards for her circus choreography. In addition to teaching and managing the faculty at the Gym, Sylvia directs the Teen Ensemble and runs the summer Circus and Performing Arts Camp.
	Amy Dominguez has been a long time student here at the Actors Gymnasium and loves being part of the faculty. She has a strong love for circus and costumes and is currently studying for a BA in Theater Design at Columbia College.
	Nathan Drackett assists Sylvia with circus arts classes and directed and adapted Neverwhere: A Circus Underground at The Actors Gymnasium. He has been seen onstage at The Actors Gymnasium and Piven Theatre and has a BA in theatre from Northwestern University.
	Jill Heyser is a regular at the Logan Square venue Vaudeville Underground, where she is an Associate Artist. You may have also seen her at Estrogenfest 2005/2007, in one of the first two Flying Griffin Circuses, the Tangerine Family Circus, The Tempest, or Neverwhere,, right here at the Actors Gym.
	Mandi Martens has a degree in dance from Northwestern University and a love for the circus. She has been teaching since 1998. She has been seen onstage at the Goodman, Lookingglass and The Actors Gymnasium.
	Britta Rowings graduated from Northwestern University with a BA in Theatre and Certificate in Creative Writing for the Media. At NU, she acted, taught, directed and wrote for numerous student theatre and film groups including directing an originial adaptation of Roald Dahl's The Witches. She teaches, performs and writes throughtout Evanston and Chicago.
	Clare Tallon Ruen received her MFA in choreography and performance from the University of Milwaukee Wisconsin. She is an avid contact-improviser and enjoys creating performance pieces in yards and trees around Evanston. She teaches creative dance and drama to children of all ages.
	Ariel Tal started in competitive gymnastics at age 5. He trained under Dave Burgering, the president of USA diving, while competing nationally on springboard and platform. He began training aerial silks at UCLA, and later under Shayna Swanson and straps under Andrew Adams. He has performed in Aloft's El Circo Cheapo and teaches Aerial Silks and Tumbling at The Actors Gymnasium, MSA and Aloft Loft in Chicago.
	Meredith "Tommy" Tomlins is a graduate of the original Actors Gymnasium Teen Ensemble and is proud to now hold the title of Assistant Director of the same performance group. She has been seen in many professional productions including Circus Crashers, Dream, and Lost & Found at The Actors Gymnasium and Hephaestus: A Greek Mythology Circus Tale in 2008 and 2010 at Lookingglass Theatre Company and The Goodman Theatre, respectively.
	Rani Waterman is an AFAA certified personal trainer with over 10 years experience in competitive gymnastics and figure skating. In addition to teaching she has been seen on stage at Steppenwolf Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre and Goodman Theatre. She is a graduate of Northwestern University and The School at Steppenwolf.
	Oyunchimeg “Oyuna” Yadamjav is one of Mongolia’s premier contortionists with over 25 years of experience performing internationally with the world-renowned Mongolian National Circus. She has won “SILVER CLOWN” at the global circus competition in Monte-Carlo and gold medals at international circus competitions in Germany and Cuba. Oyuna is currently teaching for Mongolian Children’s Performing Arts.

Faculty