Pro Training Class 2025

Serena Chiappelli

I am Serena Chiappelli (she/her) and I am a singer, dancer, actress and aerialist originally from Michigan! I graduated with my BFA in Musical Theatre from Ohio Northern University which led me to Lancaster, PA working as a performer and aerialist at Magic and Wonder Dinner Theatre! This is where I discovered my love for circus and the incredible community of people within it. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to explore my new passion and grow as an individual and artist alike. Super huge thanks to Actors Gym for trusting me and EXTRA big thanks to all of my people for helping, supporting, inspiring and challenging me to accomplish my dreams.

Katie David (Year 2 Student)

Katie David (she/her) is a second year student of the Professional Training program with a focus in Clown. Originally from Kirtland, Ohio, Katie grew up performing where she took her love of baton twirling and ran with it all the way to the circus. After graduating with her Associates of the Arts and spending a year learning from top global leadership and business professionals, Katie is currently exploring her love of physical storytelling with all Chicago has to offer. She’s invested in making the world a more fun, vibrant place through her art and business endeavors. When she’s not creating or sweating, you might find her hanging out with her two cats, Daisy and Disco.

Hannah Durkin (Year 2 Student)

Hannah Durkin (she/her) is twenty five years old, born and raised on the south side of Chicago, currently residing in Hillcrest, Illinois (aka the corn fields). This will be her second year of circus training as well as her second year at The Actors Gymnasium. Hannah is a self taught pole artist of six years, and has trained primarily in contortion for the past year. Her main focuses this year will be clown, continuing her contortion practice and her various pole discliplines. Hannah cocreated and performed in the ProTrainer group act for Circus in Progress 2023, and she created and performed the Flying Pole act for the 2024 ProTraining Showcase. On the rare occasion she’s not commuting between rural Illinois and the Chicagoland area, she enjoys cooking, baking, hiking, and spoiling all three of her fur children.

Sarah Farrell

Sarah Farrell (she/her) is a creative and driven innovator, adventurer, environmentalist, performer and aerial enthusiast. A sales and revenue management expert by trade, she fell in love with flying trapeze in August 2022 and has struggled to remain upright ever since. She is thrilled to be deepening her love of all things aerial with the Actor’s Gymnasium 2024-2025 cohort.

Hannah Finley

Hannah (she/they) is a dancer, choreographer, and aerialist from Memphis, TN. She graduated from Southeast Missouri State University with a BFA in Dance in the Fall 2023 class. Her passions include eccentric fashion choices, such as, pajama pants as warm-ups and giving the best hugs. She has officially run away to the circus and couldn’t be more excited!


Alex Iacobucci

ALEX IACOBUCCI (he/him) is a performer born and raised Italy and kindly adopted by the Midwest - like one of those hard-to-pronounce wines you can find at Jewel-Osco. He recently fell in love with circus arts, and he's thrilled for the opportunity to learn and grow at the Actor Gymnasium! Alex has been working in theatre in the Chicago area, and favorite credits include: Carousel, The Producers, Pippin, White Christmas and Mamma Mia! at Music Theater Works, Manon Lescaut, Il Prigioniero, Medium (Chicago Opera Festival '24), 9 to 5, The Addams Family (Metropolis Performing Arts Center), Rocky Horror in The Rocky Horror Show, Hot Blades Harry in Urinetown (Surging Films and Theatrics), and Eldar Braithwaite in Book of Merman (MadKap Productions). Alex would like to send a big grazie to his friends and family, to his kitties Mochi and Sasha, and to his amorcito Enzo, who made him discover his love for circus. To check out what he's up to, visit his website (www.alexiacobucci.com) or follow him on his IG (@spikealex).

Renee Jones

Renee (she/her) is an enthusiastic actress and playwright who recently graduated with a BA from The Ohio State University. When she isn’t acting or working, Renee can be found crafting ridiculous props from paper mache and a bit of hope. She loves trapeze, cats, and writing the next great lesbian vampire musical. She is excited to continue to strengthen her craft and her body at Actor’s Gymnasium!!

Robbie Matthew

Robbie Matthew (he/him) is an actor, singer, and movement/circus artist from the Chicago area. While studying theatre at Northwestern University, he discovered circus and fell in love with highly physical storytelling. He likes to read, swim, watch movies, and hangout in his free time.

Chandler Paskett

Chandler Paskett (he/him) has loved being a performer in Chicago. From musicals to puppetry, circus arts to disruptive theatre and dance, Chicago has presented him with many opportunities in the year since moving from his hometown in Utah. Some of his favorite roles have been: Dev - The Flashlight Play, KIA in The Polar Express Train Ride, and untidy for Twinkie Dumb and Stephan Stephan in Steamworks the Musical. In addition to performing, Chandler also has experience producing and running shows in both commercials and national dance competitions.

Jordan Reinwald (Year 2 Student)

Jordan Reinwald (she/her), is a dancer, performance artist, and choreographer currently based in Chicago. She has performed professionally, nationally, and internationally for over a decade with Winifred Haun and Dancers, Khecari, Cerqua Rivera Dance Theater, The Catskills Ballet Theatre, The Civic Ballet at the Ruth Page Center for the Performing Arts, Aerial Dance Chicago, C5 Create With No Limits, as a promotional performer for Theater Mama with Cirque Du Soleil, and as a Magician's Assistant in Jamie Allan's "Magic Immersive", among others. In 2023 she was featured as the Bitter Assistant and other characters in Teatro Vista's, "The Dream King". The production went on to win "Best Production" in the Midsize Play category at the 2022-23 Jeff Awards. Reinwald was the 2021 Choreographer for Midnight Circus In the Parks, and in 2023 she choreographed and performed in "Hearts And Daggers" for MSA Circus Arts. Reinwald made her Directorial debut in 2024 with The Gift Theater, directing "The Imaginary Friend", written by Marvin Quijada. She is a 2019 First Year graduate of the Actor’s Gymnasium Professional Training Circus Program with concentrations in Clown, and Rope And Harness Dance Duet. Each year she grows over 70 different fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers in her 7,000 square foot garden. While she's really proud of all of the above, her two children (Sacha, 4 and Paloma, 22 months) are the best things she's ever done, and really the only things that matter.

Autumn Thelander

Autumn (she/her) is a Chicago based actor, director, and choreographer. She focuses on physical theater and connecting storytelling with movement of all kinds. She is thrilled to be a part of the ProTraining Program at Actor's Gym this year, where she has been a long time teacher of dance and drama for youth. IG: @autumnthelander


Samantha Rose Vasquez

Samantha Vasquez (she/her) is a theatre and circus artist with a passion for DEI centered work. She is a graduate of Cornish College of the Arts (Seattle, WA) with a BFA in Theatre, emphasis in Original Works: Acting, Directing, and Playwriting. After recently moving to Chicago, she is excited to dive into the Chicago art community and expand her circus skills. Samantha has a particular love for flying trapeze, which she has done for over a decade. She also deeply enjoys working as a circus coach and theatre teacher to children and adults of all ages.


Zachary Weese

With dreams of joining the circus since he was a kid, Zach (he/him) began his movement journey in high school color guard. It wasn’t until 2020 that a pandemic hobby of pole dancing came into his life and quickly turned into a profession. This was his first look into aerial arts, and he hasn’t looked back since. With 3 competitions and medals under his belt, a degree in classical music, and over 10 years of performance experience, he’s taking his training to the next level and is very excited to see where this adventure leads him as part of The Actor’s Gymnasium Pro Training Class of 2025!


Evan Wilhelm

Evan (he/him) is a theatre artist as well as a pole dancer/instructor based in the city of Chicago. After graduating from the Chicago College of Performing Arts he continued his love of learning through pole dance and is now expanding to more circus apparatuses. While he is training during the day at Actor's Gym - at night you can find him teaching classes at FlyClub and Siren as well as performing pole around the city!

Previous Classes

2024

Ky Anderson
Aidan Caravana
Dani Goldberg
Hannah Durkin
Noah Hinton
Kate Knight
Shoshana Levy
Olivia Lindsay

2022

Kaitlyn Andrews
Charley Darwin
Katie David
Madie Doppelt
Erin Gautille
Nick Grischow
Kat Harvey
Anna Hermanson
Regan O’Brien
Austin Rambo
Valeria Rosero
Artemisia Trowbridge-Wheeler
Jean Wildest
Amanda Raquel Martinez

2023

Charlie Baker
Ollie Beach
Chandler Chamberlain
JJ Gatesman
Erin Gautille
Julian Hester
Austin Rambo
Rachel Reizburg
Symonne Still
Liz Taylor
Jordan Wallace
Wild

2021

Kylie Anderson
Charlie Baker
Christian Carr
Julia deGruchy
Kimberly Florian
Ryan Huemmer
Julie Matolo
Saydi Ogden
Aaron Quick
Brittany Royce
Naomi Rusalka Cernota
Emma Stonesmyth
Katie Win
Katch Zed



2019

Stefan Brundage
David Chervony
Molly Hernandez
Kai Magee
Amma May
Jordan Reinwald
Arielle Rogers
Michele Stine
Sasha Vulovic
Erin Williams

2018

Emily Butcher
Scott Dare
Jadan Eberly
Phillip George
Kelly Maryanski
Jack Olin
Jessica Pennachio
Ayana Strutz

2017

Myriam Bloom
Jean Claudio
Athena Giles
Faye LaVerte
David Milo Mann
Sarah Moslen
Brittany Price Anderson
Nicole Thompson

2016

Zoey Boyer
Joey Heyworth
Liz Loar
Arik Mendelevitz
Sympony Sanders
Cassi Schiano
Ashley Sylvester
Andrew Tardif