Contributing to Chicago's Cultural Vitality

The Actors Gymnasium is a unique organization in the Chicago theater community; both a creator of original circus-enhanced shows and a training center for the professional and the amateur. As such, The Actors Gymnasium satisfies the industry's demand for trained artist/athletes, the actors' demand for challenging physical roles, and the audiences' demand for thrilling entertainment.

The Actors Gymnasium provides more than $15,000 in need-based scholarships to children and adults each year.

Passing On Circus Traditions

The practice of circus arts has traditionally stayed within a performing family, passing from one generation to the next. Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi, who grew up performing in her family's teeterboard act, generously shares her knowledge of circus arts with her students and collaborators. On November 17th, 2007, students of all ages were able to learn to fly from the teeterboard at a Saturday afternoon workshop with Sylvia at The Actors Gymnasium.

Circus History Performance Available for Schools

Ottavio Canestrelli, eighth generation circus performer has been chosen by the Illinois Arts Council to participate in its Arts Tour program. With IAC partially underwriting the artistic fee, Illinois schools can bring Ottavio's one-man show, Clown Without A Circus, to their student assemblies Please visit www.actorsgymnasium.com for more details and the IAC link.

Committed to Thrilling Theatre and Artistic Development

The 2006 - 2007 season of the Advanced Student Series featured three world premieres: The Tempest, A Magical Circus, Clown Without A Circus, and The Truest Tale of Robin Hood. Advanced students served as the shows' creators, directors, producers, designers, performers and technicians. These circus-based, original shows ran in our space at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center for four to six weeks, attracting enthusiastic audiences of all ages.

Give your child or grandchild a healthy, fun, birthday party at The Actors Gymnasium! Call 847-328-2795 for details.

Lookingglass Alice Charms East Coast Audiences

Lookingglass Alice, the hit of Chicago's 2005 theatre season, was remounted in January at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, NJ, the New Victory Theater in New York City in February, and Philadelphia's Arden Theatre Company in May. The show won new devotees and garnered critical praise including Variety's rave of "Extraordinary!" Alice returned to Chicago in June, playing for three sold-out months at the Water Tower Water Works.

Lookingglass Alice, a co-production between The Actors Gymnasium and Lookingglass Theatre, was created and directed by David Catlin. The show's five-person cast includes Larry DiStasi, Co-Artistic Director of The Actors Gymnasium and Actors Gym student-turned-teacher, Lauren Hirte. Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi's choreography for Lookingglass Alice was recognized with a Jeff award in November, 2005. She traveled with Lookingglass Alice to reconfigure the extremely physical show for each new performance space.

Artistic Development

An Intensive Workshop designed to facilitate individual act development was offered again this past summer to fifteen advanced students. Guest faculty and specialties were: Adrian Danzig of 500 Clown (physical theatre); Tommy Rapley of House Theatre (dance); Lauren Vitz of House Theatre (gymnastics); and one of Mongolia's premier contortionists, Oyunchimeg Yadamjav (contortion). At the conclusion of the Intensive Workshop, each student performed his or her new original act to a standing-room-only crowd.

Rigging Grant Awarded

Theatrical rigging specialists Chicago Flyhouse awarded The Actors Gymnasium its $10,000 Rigging Grant in 2006 - 2007 for the expansion of the gymnasium's roof rigging. Previous Chicago Flyhouse grantees were Redmoon Theater and the House Theatre of Chicago.

Performers Featured on WTTW Ch. 11

Actors Gymnasium performers were selected to appear on the WTTW Showcase of Illinois Arts Council grantees on June 21st. Performers included our unicycle-riding Teen Ensemble, championship hand-balancer Almas Merimanov, and Oyunchimeg Yadamjav's Contortionist Troupe.

Outreach

In October 2006 a morning demonstration of lyra, hand-balancing and juggling gave King Lab Elementary School's 5th graders a sampling of the challenges that lay ahead of them. The next two mornings the children studied these skills with Actors Gymnasium teachers. The Actors Gymnasium was invited back to the school for an even longer workshop in 2007. This Circus Arts Outreach was partially underwritten by the Evanston Arts Council, a city agency supported by the City of Evanston.

Community Collaborations

The Actors Gymnasium collaborates extensively with Chicago area theatres and educational institutions. In the past year, our institutional, creative collaborators have included: Chicago Children’s Theater (Go Dog Go!), Chicago Waldorf School (four-week workshop), District 65 and King Lab Elementary School (one-week workshop funded partially by Evanston Arts Council), Family Focus Our Place (six week tuition-free circus arts classes and transportation), Naperville Jaycees (The Truest Tale of Robin Hood performances), Northwestern University Student-organized classes (for three academic quarters), Joffrey Ballet (Light Rain), Marriott Lincolnshire (All Night Strut!), Lookingglass Theatre (Black Diamond and Lookingglass Alice), and Tangerine Arts Group (The Tempest, A Magical Circus).