Signature program
Acting as a Craft
Scene study, character development, script analysis, voice and diction, monologues, cold reading, improvisation, emotional recall, and more.
Chicago actor training since 1992, with roots reaching back to 1946
The room opens
when you do.
Build a truthful, repeatable craft for stage, film, television, and the audition room.
1946Roots of the teaching legacy
ChicagoNorthside studio on Elston
Whole actorVoice, movement, camera, scene
All levelsBeginning through advanced
A working actor needs more than one technique
Train for the moment that asks everything of you.
Technique becomes freedom when it holds up under pressure. Our programs connect inner work, physical presence, script analysis, and professional camera practice.
Discover the program
Film and television
On-camera and audition work
Refine the choices, scale, eyeline, preparation, and confidence that make a performance read through the lens.
Range and responsiveness
Improv, youth, and private coaching
Focused ways to free up impulse, strengthen fundamentals, prepare specific material, or support a young performer.
The signature program
Acting as a Craft
An ongoing eight-week workshop for actors who want fundamentals they can return to for an entire career.
Beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels build practical skill through consistent work. New actors learn a strong foundation. Experienced actors sharpen their instrument and move beyond habits.
- Format
- Weekly, ongoing workshop
- Session
- Eight weeks
- Tuition
- From $349
- Schedule
- Call for the current class opening
A Chicago teaching lineage
A living craft, passed actor to actor.
Chicago Actors Studio carries forward a training lineage that began with celebrated coach Ted Liss. After Liss's passing in 1992, former student Edward Dennis Fogell continued the work through the Studio, building a home for actors serious about growth across stage, screen, and television.
Today, Ed serves as Artistic Director, instructor, private coach, and career counselor, bringing experience as a performer, director, and producer into the room.
Meet the instructorsCome into the room
Your next honest choice starts here.
Tell us where you are in your training and what you want to strengthen. We will help you find a useful place to begin.