Guest User 7/5/21 Guest User 7/5/21

The Actors Gymnasium announces community circus event to celebrate its 25th year.

July 31 at 7pm in Tallmadge Park, Evanston

Evanston, IL, July 15, 2021 — Actors Gym is proud to announce Summer Salon 2021, an evening of circus under the stars in Tallmadge Park to celebrate the organization’s 25th year. It will be a family-friendly night of music, performances, nibbles, and libations.

The event is open to the general public and will include a series of circus acts curated by Artistic Director Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi, featuring performers from a cross-section of Actors Gym’s programming.

Founded in 1995, Actors Gym is dedicated to expanding human potential through its three program areas: Classes, shows, and event entertainment. Since its inception, it has been at the forefront of making the knowledge and skills that had long been passed down only in professional circuses accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds.

In doing so, the Gym has helped train the next generation of professional performers, which have gone on to perform nationally and internationally.

“We give something unique to everyone who walks through our doors, but the primary thing we offer is confidence. With this year’s Summer Salon, we want to celebrate this important milestone and help people see that they are capable of more than they ever thought possible.”

To learn more and RSVP, please visit https://www.actorsgymnasium.org/summer-salon/.

About Actors Gym

The Actors Gymnasium is one of the nation’s premiere circus and performing arts training centers, led by master teacher and Circus Ring of Fame artist Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi. Founded in 1995, it provides educational programs for students of all ages and levels, produces original and daring circus-theatre, and offers award-winning entertainment for corporate and other special events.

Actors Gym is proud to partner with many performing arts organizations throughout Chicagoland and serves as the exclusive provider of circus performing arts training for Lookingglass Theatre.

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Guest User 9/14/20 Guest User 9/14/20

The Actors Gymnasium announces new, socially distanced learning pods

Chicago, IL, September 14, 2020 — Actors Gym is pleased to announce circus learning pods. The small group classes provide socially distanced circus and theatre activities from the comfort of families’ yards or nearby green spaces.

Hosting families can choose up to six participants, which are then matched with one of Actors Gym’s vetted instructors.

Circus pod packages range from $80-$120/class, and like with all of its educational programs, generous financial aid is available.

Actors Gym Artistic Director Sylvia Hernandez-Distasi says, “We’ve been reflecting on the physical and emotional benefits of circus during this challenging time. Bringing our programs to families’ neighborhoods allows us to help kids stay healthy and provide safe opportunities for them to stay active and socialize.”

The Gym’s faculty have trained and performed around the world. By pairing its teaching artists with local families looking for safe, in person kids’ activities, Actors Gym hopes to offer critical employment opportunities for artists whose livelihood has been severely impacted by the pandemic.

Anyone interested in hosting a pod can visit actorsgymnasium.org/pods to learn more.

About Actors Gym

Actors Gym is proud to partner with many performing arts organizations throughout Chicagoland and serves as the exclusive provider of circus performing arts training for Lookingglass Theatre.

Guest User 5/4/20 Guest User 5/4/20

The Actors Gymnasium presents ISOLATED: An original, online circus theatre production

Directed by Kasey Foster and Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi

Evanston, IL, May 4, 2020 — Actors Gym is pleased to announce “Isolated,” its annual Spring Youth Circus, which has been devised through an innovative online rehearsal process. It features 28 of its top youth performers working under the direction of Kasey Foster and Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi. The show will be screened online on May 16 and 23 at 7:30pm.

Isolated invites audiences to step into our bedrooms and learn what being a teenager amidst a global pandemic is like. The show searches for joy in the simplest of things in an effort to cope with the tremendous challenges of this moment.

For the past six weeks, the directors and cast have been rehearsing regularly via Zoom, getting creative, and using their acting, musical, and circus skills and everyday objects to create this theatrical endeavor.

“We’ve been thrilled with the response we’ve received from families,” says Artistic Director Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi. “I’m so grateful that we’ve been able to stay in touch with our community and help give students a sense of normalcy. It’s been a really cathartic and hopeful creative process.”

Anyone interested in receiving notification reminders for the event can sign up on the Gym’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ActorsGymCircus/

On Monday, Actors Gym also launched its lineup of May classes, providing online instruction in subjects ranging from Juggling to Aerial Conditioning and more. For over a month now, the Gym has been offering its programming online to hundreds of students of all ages across the country.

Classes meet over Zoom and are $15 per drop in, or $50 for four weeks. Registration is available at actorsgymnasium.org, and financial aid is available.

About Actors Gym

Actors Gym is proud to partner with many performing arts organizations throughout Chicagoland and serves as the exclusive provider of circus performing arts training for Lookingglass Theatre.

Guest User 1/27/20 Guest User 1/27/20

The Actors Gymnasium opens third teaching studio in Noyes Cultural Arts Center to support expanded curriculum

Chicago, IL, January 27, 2020 — On Wednesday, Actors Gym announced the opening of a third studio in the Noyes Cultural Arts Center and a new, expanded class curriculum. The facility will be primarily dedicated to the nine month Professional Training Program’s new Clown concentration, which welcomed its first cohort in September. It will also allow the Gym to expand its curriculum to include a broader range of ground skills, including dance and acting.

By opening the additional space, Actors Gym will be better equipped to meet demand for in-person classes, which resume on February 1. The socially distanced classes will be meeting at reduced capacity with a range of other health and safety measures in place.

The expansion of its teaching facilities comes alongside a downsizing of its office space – a measure that allows the Gym to avoid increasing its overhead expenses, even while increasing its classroom capacity by nearly 50%.

About Actors Gym

Actors Gym is proud to partner with many performing arts organizations throughout Chicagoland and serves as the exclusive provider of circus performing arts training for Lookingglass Theatre.

Guest User 1/21/20 Guest User 1/21/20

The Actors Gymnasium Announces Casting for THE GHOST IN GADSDEN’S GARDEN, its Annual Winter Circus

The Gym’s unique brand of physicalized stagecraft brings a ghastly tale of garden tending to life.

Chicago, IL, Jan. 23, 2020 — The Actors Gymnasium is proud to announce THE GHOST IN GADSDEN’S GARDEN, an original circus theatre production. It is written and directed by Chris Matthews and Sully Ratke, with circus choreography by Artistic Director Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi. The show features Lucy Carapetyan, Adrian Danzig, and Hayley Larson, as well as members of the Gym’s Teen Ensemble.

THE GHOST IN GADSDEN’S GARDEN is part of the Gym's annual Winter Circus tradition, which is one of Chicago's most popular circus shows.

Hernandez-Distasi says, “For over a decade, our annual Winter Circus has pushed the limits of theatre by merging daring, physical spectacle with imaginative narrative. I’m excited to combine this unique blend of circus theatre with Chris’s profoundly heartfelt writing and Sully’s masterful, visual storytelling to craft a show that will resonate with audiences of all ages.”

Within the walls of an abandoned hilltop estate, the reclusive groundskeeper Gadsden keeps the garden marvelous and lush. He's happy to, as his love Vivian adores him for it. There's just one problem: Vivian is a ghost! When Kid, new to town, accepts a dare to find out what's really going on at the suspicious old mansion, Kid finds more than anyone could have imagined.

Listing Information

THE GHOST IN GADSDEN’S GARDEN

Runs: February 22 – March 22
Opening and press night: Saturday, February 22 at 7:30 PM
Performances are Fridays at 7:30 PM, Saturdays at 4:30 PM and 7:30 PM, and Sundays at 3:00 PM
Tickets start at $28 for adults and $18 for students
Co-Writer/Director: Chris Mathews
Co-Writer/Director: Sully Ratke
Circus Choreographer: Sylvia Hernandez-Distasi
Dance Choreographer: Kasey Foster
Artistic Consultant: Lindsey Noel Whiting
Stage Manager: Beth Koehler
Production Manager: Catherine Allen
Rigging Designer: Isaac Schoepp
Costume Designer: Sully Ratke
Lighting Designer: Alex Ridgers
Sound Designer: Kevin O'Donnell
Set Dressing and Props: Craftiga Crafts

Tickets start at $28 for adults and $18 for students and can be purchased online at www.actorsgymnasium.org or by calling (847) 328-2795.

Not recommended for children under 5.

All performances are at Noyes Cultural Arts Center at 927 Noyes St., Evanston, IL.

Performer Bios

Lucy Carapetyan: Lucy began as a student at Actors Gym in 2003, eventually teaching, performing, and then joining the staff in 2015 as the Special Events Manager. As an actor and physical theatre performer she's worked around town with Steppenwolf, Steep (where she's an ensemble member), Northlight, The House, Lifeline, Griffin, Raven, and many others. With a particular fondness for new work, she has devised a number of literary adaptations, and worked on several world premiere productions. She's served as a motion capture actor for Injustice and Mortal Kombat video games. TV credits include Chicago Fire, Proven Innocent, and the upcoming 4th season of Fargo. She is a graduate of Northwestern University and represented by Paonessa Talent.

Adrian Danzig: For 15 years Adrian was Producing Artistic Director of 500 Clown, a Chicago-based Clown Theater ensemble that toured nationally. He performed the shows in the 500 Clown touring repertoire: 500 Clown Macbeth, 500 Clown Frankenstein, 500 Clown Christmas, and 500 Clown Trapped. More recently he performed in Citadel Theatre's production of Peter and the Starcatcher, as a Dancer / Actor / Clown, with Lucky Plush Productions The Better Half, and in The House Theatre’s A Comedical History for Mr. Punch, he played both Antipholi, in California Shakespeare Festival's production of A Comedy of Errors, Caliban in The Feast: an Intimate Tempest at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Medvedenko in The Seagull at Lake Lucille Chekov, Orlando at The Court Theater. In addition he has performed in shows at The Goodman theatre, The Second City, Steppenwolf Studio, Berkeley Rep, Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Public Theater, and with Shakespeare & Company and Lookingglass Theatre Company. He has performed his solo works at The Kitchen, P.S. 122, The Ontological Hysteric Theater and Soho Rep. He was an early Neo-futurist and a founding member of Redmoon Theater. He has studied clown with Ctibor Turba, Philippe Gaulier, Ronlin Foreman, Dominique Jando, Els Comediants, David Shiner, Avner the Eccentric and was a clown with Big Apple Circus Clown Care for 7 years.

As a teacher, in addition to hundreds of workshops and master classes around the country and internationally, He was on Faculty at The Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University for 7 years where he taught Movement, Acting, Comedy, Circus Arts, and directed devised works. He has created 500 Clown based workshops for doctors, business schools, hotel employees, division 2 athletes, incarcerated youth and Chicago based performers, social workers and other interested types.

Hayley Larson: Hayley is a multidisciplinary circus performer specializing in aerial arts. With a degree in Dance from Oberlin College, Hayley uses her background as a dancer to bring a crisp, complex style to her choreography that underscores the commanding stage presence so often found in her performances. Currently, Hayley is a member of Aloft Circus Arts’ touring ensemble show Brave Space and is excited to be working closely with The Actors Gymnasium for the first time in The Ghost in Gadsden’s Garden! When not flying through the air herself, she can be found coaching and creating throughout the Midwest, or snuggling with a cat on the couch.

About Actors Gym

Actors Gym is proud to partner with many performing arts organizations throughout Chicagoland and serves as the exclusive provider of circus performing arts training for Lookingglass Theatre.

Guest User 12/17/19 Guest User 12/17/19

The Actors Gymnasium Named Inaugural Recipient of $25,000 “Signal Grant” from Celebrity Chef Rick Bayless’ Foundation

EVANSTON, IL, Dec. 17, 2019 — The Bayless Family Foundation has named The Actors Gymnasium as one of two recipients of the inaugural “Signal Grant,” a new grant intended to highlight theaters that are particularly deserving of the Chicago philanthropic community’s support.

According to the foundation, "The grant will be given occasionally to draw focus to a company the foundation believes in and to inspire other donors to give.”

The Actors Gym plans to use the $25,000 award to make critical improvements to its equipment and facilities, which are used by over 1,000 students annually. “We are tremendously grateful for the Bayless Family’s support, which will have an immediate, tangible impact on the quality of our classes and our audience experience,” said Executive Director Murphy Monroe.

In addition to the Actors Gym, the African Diaspora-inspired Congo Square Theatre, located on the Near North Side, was also named as one of the recipients.

Formed in 2017 by Bayless and his wife Deann, the Bayless Family Foundation supports established Chicago theater organizations with a vision for institutional and artistic growth. Since its inception, it has supported five local theaters with multi-year Stepping Stone grants and has awarded more than $500,000 dollars in support of over 25 Chicago-area theatre companies.

About Actors Gym

Actors Gym is proud to partner with many performing arts organizations throughout Chicagoland and serves as the exclusive provider of circus performing arts training for Lookingglass Theatre.

Guest User 12/16/19 Guest User 12/16/19

The Actors Gymnasium Adds Clown Concentration to its Professional Circus Training Program

CHICAGO, IL, Dec. 16, 2019 — The Actors Gymnasium is expanding its nine month Professional Circus Training Program to include a new concentration in clown, giving actors the opportunity to deepen their skill set through intensive training in physical theatre.

The curriculum will be partner-based and draw from techniques across a wide range of disciplines including physical comedy, devising, object manipulation, ensemble theatre making, circus arts, Meisner technique, and Thai massage. It will feature regular performance labs to help physical performers increase their confidence onstage.

Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi, Artistic Director says “Clowning pushes you out of your comfort zone as a performer and shows you how to make bigger and bolder choices. Having spent a lifetime in the circus, it's become clear to me that many of the most versatile and successful performers have a background in clown. It’s time for Actors Gym to stretch further in this direction and add even more skills to our students' tool kit."

Ms. Hernandez-DiStasi is developing the curriculum in collaboration with Adrian Danzig, who previously served as the Producing Artistic Director of 500 Clown, a renowned, Chicago-based clown theater ensemble that toured nationally.

Mr. Danzig explains how clowning pushes theatre’s emotional range and relevancy: “The clown uses humor to embrace the full spectrum of human experience. The clown we play towards is not naive. It is a 24 hour news cycle clown that carries the weight of the world on its shoulders and has been smashed by it. The clown is resilient. Even when it doesn’t win, it always survives the experience, and the audience sees that it's possible to go through the fire, to transform, and to thrive.”

Since the program began in 2015, graduates have gone on to perform across the country, from Chicago’s top stages (including Lookingglass, Writers Theatre, and The Goodman) to Broadway tours and more.

The application process for next year’s program is now open, with students being accepted on a rolling basis. Prospective students can learn more and apply at www.CircusTheatre.org.

About Actors Gym

The Actors Gymnasium is one of the nation’s premiere circus and performing arts training centers. Founded in 1995, it provides educational programs for students of all ages and levels, produces original and daring circus-theatre, and offers award-winning entertainment for corporate and other special events.

Actors Gym is proud to partner with many performing arts organizations throughout Chicagoland and serves as the exclusive provider of circus performing arts training for Lookingglass Theatre.

Guest User 5/22/19 Guest User 5/22/19

The Actors Gymnasium presents “Case Study,” its 2019 Professional Training Program Showcase.

CHICAGO • EVANSTON, IL – For nine months, guided by Co-Founder and Artistic Director Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi, students have trained intensively with some of America’s top circus instructors. From "Chicago's Queen of Mischief and Mayhem" Molly Brennan, to Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson ONE’s Amanda Crockett and the multi-award-winning dance theater, Lucky Plush Productions.

"Case Study" explores the ways in which athleticism, grace, spectacle, and storytelling combine to form the vibrant world of circus theatre.

The culmination of our nine month professional training program, it recognizes the incredible dedication that went into an intensive year of training, and celebrates the beginning of the next phase of these performers’ careers.

What makes this program unique? Artistic Director Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi says, “It gives our students the tools they need to form their own artistic vocabulary. Developing that vocabulary in a collaborative environment helps artists deepen their skills in profound ways they may never have even dreamed of.”

Performance dates are Saturday, June 1 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday June 2 at 3:00 p.m. with a reception to follow. Recommended for ages 13 and up. Tickets are $15 for general admission and can be purchased at actorsgymnasium.org. For group reservations and general questions, please call 847-328-2795. The on-location box office opens 1.5 hours prior to the start of each performance.

Graduating students include Stefan Brundage, David Chervony, Molly Hernandez, Kai Hirota, Amma May, Jordan Reinwald, Arielle Giselle Rogers [Clitora Leigh ((¡)) ] , Michele Stine, Sasha Vulovic, Erin Williams.

Core program instructors include Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi, Molly Brennan, Amanda Crockett, Flora Bare, Michel Cintra, Jean Claudio, David Corlew, Megan Mallouk, Raheim White, and Oyuna Yadamjav.

About the Professional Training Program:

A nine month intensive training, consisting of 27 hours per week of circus arts, physical theatre, and dance led by award winning master teachers Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi, Molly Brennan, and Amanda Crockett. The program is intended for performing artists looking to take their circus training and performance to the next level.

About the Actors Gymnasium:

Since 1995, The Actors Gymnasium has dedicated itself to expanding human and theatrical potential through the vital forms of circus arts by providing artistic and educational programs that push the limits of physical, emotional, and creative expression. To that end, Actors Gym has supported the education and development of multi-skilled performers, specializing in circus skills. Actors Gym offers some of the most unique classes in Chicago and has a comprehensive series of courses designed for students of all ages and skill levels. Along with classes, Actors Gym produces original, daring circus-theatre productions, including nine productions a year at Noyes Cultural Arts Center. The Gym also provides award-winning entertainment for private, public and corporate events, and on-site parties are a favorite in the community.

Listing Information

Case Study

Under the direction of Molly Brennan, Amanda Crockett, and Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi

Opening and press night is Saturday, June 1 at 7:30 p.m. with an additional performance on Sunday, June 2 at 3:00 p.m.

General admission tickets are $15 and can be purchased online at www.actorsgymnasium.org, on site, or by calling 847.328.2795.

All performances are at Noyes Cultural Arts Center at 927 Noyes St., Evanston, IL.

Please note – there is no apostrophe in the company name, The Actors Gymnasium.

Guest User 1/17/19 Guest User 1/17/19

The Actors Gymnasium Announces its 10th Annual Winter Circus, All the Time in the World

CHICAGO • EVANSTON – The Actors Gymnasium is proud to announce All the Time in the World, an original circus-theatre production written and directed by Kerry Catlin, with original music by Kevin O’Donnell and circus choreography by Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi. All the Time in the World runs Saturday, February 16 through Sunday, March 24 at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes St. in Evanston.

All the Time in the World is part of the Gym’s annual Winter Circus tradition, which has been loved by thousands of people for the past decade. The Winter Circus at Actors Gymnasium is one of Chicago’s most popular circus shows and features some of the city’s top performers and designers. What’s makes it so special? Artistic Director Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi says, "Every winter for the past ten years I have looked forward to our Winter Circus. This collaboration with some of Chicago's top performers and designers, combined with the talent of our celebrated Teen Ensemble creates a little homegrown magic. It gives our community a moment to come together and celebrate our humanity in a way that only circus and live storytelling can do."

Opening and press night is Saturday, Feb. 16 at 7:30 PM, followed by an opening night reception. Performance times are Fridays at 7:30 PM, Saturdays at 4:30 PM and 7:30 PM, and Sundays at 3 PM. Running time is approximately 90 minutes with no intermission. Tickets start at $25 and are available online at www.actorsgymnasium.org, or 1.5 hours prior to the performance at the box office. For group reservations and general questions call 847.328.2795. If online sales are sold out, a limited number of tickets will be available at the door the night of the performance.

All the Time in the World is a circus about time. Trudy is a young girl who lives a hectic life with her very busy family, and who also has an imaginary friend. When Trudy’s imaginary friend is suddenly too busy to play with her and leaves to join the circus, she and her parents enter the circus paracosm to find more time and reunite Trudy and her imaginary friend. Featuring original live music, dance, and daring circus acts, All the Time in the World explores what it means to be busy in this day and age, the laws of physics and time, and the pressing need for imagination in our lives.

The cast includes David Corlew, Kathleen Hoil, Megan Mallouk, Lindsey Noel Whiting, and members of Actors Gym’s Teen Ensemble.

The creative team includes Kerry Catlin, writer and director; Kevin O’Donnell, composer and sound designer; Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi, circus choreographer. Other team members include Sully Ratke, costume designer; Isaac Schoepp, rigging designer; Tracy Walsh, dance choreographer; Kristof Janezic, lighting designer; Catherine Allen, production manager; Jamie Crothers, stage manager; Damian Portz, assistant stage manager; and Griffin DiStasi and Emma Isaacs, production assistants.

About writer and director Kerry Catlin:

Kerry Catlin wrote and directed the first production of All the Time in the World at Actors Gym many years ago. Last spring, she adapted and directed The Odyssey with the Spring Youth Circus. She has worked with Lookingglass Theatre Company as co-director of the

Outreach and Education department, Master Teacher, and Director of Lookingglass Young Ensemble. She teaches English, Research, and Drama in the Chicago Public Schools. Currently, she is teaching at Walter Payton College Prep where she teaches AP Language and Composition, AP Capstone, and serves as director and producer with Payton Players. Kerry is proud to serve on the Board of Directors for The Actors Gymnasium.

About the Actors Gymnasium:

Listing Information

All the Time in the World

Written and Directed by Kerry Catlin

Circus Choreography by Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi

Composer and Original Music by Kevin O’Donnell

Opening and press night: Saturday, February 16 at 7:30PM

Performances are Fridays at 7:30PM, Saturdays at 4:30PM and 7:30PM, and Sundays at 3:00PM

Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased online at www.actorsgymnasium.org, on site, or by calling 847.328.2795.

All performances are at Noyes Cultural Arts Center at 927 Noyes St., Evanston, IL.

Please note – there is no apostrophe in the company name, The Actors Gymnasium.

Guest User 1/11/19 Guest User 1/11/19

Founder of Actors Gymnasium, Sylvia Hernandez DiStasi, to be inducted into Circus Ring of Fame

Evanston, IL — On January 13, 2019, Sylvia Hernandez DiStasi, the founder of Evanston's cutting edge Actors Gymnasium training facility, will be inducted into The Circus Ring of Fame along with other members of her acrobatic family who performed internationally together as the celebrated Hernandez Troupe.

The annual Ring of Fame ceremony, taking place in Sarasota, Florida, recognizes those who have made a significant contribution to the art and culture of the circus. This year, DiStasi is looking forward to gathering with her mother and brothers to receive the award. They will be honored for their much-loved acrobatic work, especially the teeterboard performances in which they catapulted each other high into the air, flipping, and flying, and landing on one another's shoulders. The Hernandez Troupe was active through the 1970s and ’80s, including a three-year stint with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey from 1989-91.

Hernandez believes that what set her family troupe apart was the open, friendly, playful quality of their performance as well as their technical prowess. "Our act brought the audience in," she says. "We had so much fun and we made eye contact with the audience. We practiced intensively, so our risk was effortless, but we would sometimes miss tricks on purpose to build suspense, and then ask the audience's forgiveness. We would high-five each other after a really good trick. Other troupes were more serious."

Hernandez left the circus in 1990 and co-founded the Actors Gymnasium in 1995. At the January 13 ceremony, Hernandez is looking forward to seeing people she hasn't been in touch with for years, representatives of generations of "traditional circus families"—actual genetic families. "These days it's different, circus companies will hire the best acrobats from around the world and put them together in a group."

Does she think that the closeness of blood ties makes for a more trusting bond? After all, members of these ensembles doing risky athletic feats must rely on each other for their safety. "No," she says, confidently. "The beautiful thing about working in a physical way is that it generates an emotional connection, too. If you aren't already a family, you become one."

Through her work at the Actors Gymnasium, Hernandez fosters those bonds of connection among her students. "I recently participated in a 14-year reunion of former members of my teen ensemble," she says. "It is a beautiful thing to see the instantaneous recognition of that bond years later. Circus training makes us more human."

Guest User 5/18/17 Guest User 5/18/17

THE ACTORS GYMNASIUM PRESENTS PASSAGE: The Professional Training Program Showcase at Noyes Cultural Arts Center, June 3 & 4, 2017

TICKETS are available NOW!

EVANSTON, IL - For 9 intense months, guided by Co-Founder and Artistic Director Sylvia Hernandez - DiStasi, students have trained with some of America’s top instructors in the arts. From From "Chicago's Queen of Mischief and Mayhem" Molly Brennan and Amanda Crockett from Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson ONE - to the multi-award winning dance theater, Lucky Plush Productions.

Nine months of sweat, grit, risk and human connection for America's next top circus stars will transform onstage into a show about journey, struggle, and triumph. Filled with humor and awe, Passage is a snapshot that showcases the accomplishments of Actors Gymnasium Pro-Training class of 2017. Join The Actors Gymnasium as we celebrate how movement can transform, express and tell beautiful stories for this incredible moment in time, Passage.

Performance dates are Saturday June 4 at 4:30PM and 7:30PM - and Sunday June 4 at 3:00PM. Recommended for ages 13 and up. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors, students with i.d. and children 12 and under. Tickets can be purchased at actorsgymnasium.org. For group reservations and general questions call 847.328.2795. The on-location box office opens 1.5 hours prior to the start of each performance.

Graduating students include Brittany Anderson, Myriam Bloom, Alexandrine Bonaparte, Jean Claudio, Athena Giles, Kathleen Hoil, David Mann, Sarah Molsen and Nicole Thompson will present traditional circus techniques with a decidedly theatrical bent.

Instructors include Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi, Molly Brennan, Lucky Plush Productions, Amanda Crockett, Tommy Tomlins, Oyuna Yadamjav, Nourbol Miermanov, Flora Bare, Eric Allen, Aerial Emery, Patrick Tobin, Krystyn Tsagarakis, Brian P. Dailey, Javen Ulambayar, Destiny Vinley, David Corlew, Edgar Ortiz, Kate Braland, Scott Ray Merchant, Jaq Serfeit, Leah Urzendowski, Jennifer Glasse, Noah Ginex, Jennifer Zumann, Dharmesh Bhagat, Sully Ratke, Isaac Schoepp, Lucy Carapetyan and Daniel Gibson.

About the Professional Training Program:

A 9 month intensive training - 27 hours per week in circus arts, physical theatre and dance led by award winning master teachers Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi, Molly Brennan, Lucky Plush Productions and the recipient of the 2011 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre. The program is intended for performing artists looking to take their circus training and performance to the next level.

About The Actors Gymnasium:

The Actors Gymnasium is dedicated to bringing a new physicality to the American Theatre. Encouraging ground-breaking theatrical exploration, The Actors Gymnasium teaches circus arts, physical theatre and multi-disciplinary performance to children and adults; produces original, daring works of circus-theatre; and serves as a talent resource, providing performance opportunities to our students and innovative professional event entertainment for a wider audience. At The Actors Gymnasium, people Learn To Fly - physically, emotionally, and creatively. For more information, please visit actorsgymnasium.org.

Location:

Please note: There is no apostrophe in the company name, The Actors Gymnasium.

Guest User 12/28/16 Guest User 12/28/16

THE ACTORS GYMNASIUM PRESENTS THE WORLD PREMIERE OF QUEST, AN ORIGINAL CIRCUS-THEATER PRODUCTION, FEBRUARY 11 – MARCH 19

Written and Directed by Leslie Buxbaum Danzig, Quest is Loosely Based on Leo Tolstoy’s Parable “The Three Questions” and Takes the Audience on a Wild Ride to Answer Three Simple, but Very Important Questions

CHICAGO – The Actors Gymnasium is proud to announce the world premiere of Quest, an original circus-theater production adapted and directed by Leslie Buxbaum Danzig, featuring original music by Kevin O’Donnell and loosely based on Leo Tolstoy’s short story “The Three Questions.” Quest, part of Actors Gymnasium’s Annual Winter Circus, runs Saturday, Feb. 11 – Sunday, March 19 at Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes St. Press opening is Sunday, Feb. 12 at 3 p.m. with an opening night party Saturday Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m. Performance times are Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Running time is approximately 80 minutes with no intermission. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for kids, students and seniors and are available online at

ActorsGymnasium.org or 847.328.2795. Once online sales are closed, 1 hour and 30 minutes prior to the show start time, the on-location box office will be open. For group reservations and general questions call 847-328-2795. If online sales are sold out, a limited number of tickets will be available at the door the night of the performance.

Quest, loosely based on the Leo Tolstoy story “The Three Questions,” has the protagonist ask three simple, but huge, questions, setting in motion a whirlwind journey to find the answers. The hero with her sidekicks venture through obstacles, misinformation, slapstick fun, unexpected detours, music and songs, near crises and amazing feats of partnership in seek of answers.

"One of my favorite books to read to my kids is “The Three Questions.” It's one of those children's books that gives as much, if not more, to me as to my kids,” said Buxbaum Danzig. “I always thought this would make a great theatrical experience. And, when, Sylvia [Hernandez-DiStasi, Actors Gymnasium artistic director] reached out, I jumped at the chance. I'm a regular winter circus-attendee and I always love the spirit of the show - its mix of professionals, teens, and kids, its generosity with audiences of all ages, its joy, its rigor and its ambition. Within seconds I thought aha, this might be the time and place for “The Three Questions.””

The cast of Quest includes Flora Bare, Kate Braland, David Corlew, Amanda Crockett, Edgar Ortiz and members of Actors Gymnasium’s Teen Ensemble and Young Artists.

The production team includes Kevin O’Donnell, original music; Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi, circus choreographer; Tommy Tomlins, circus co choreographer and Erin Kilmurray, dance choreographer. Other team

members include Jerica Hucke, costume designer; Justine Brock, lighting designer; Isaac Schoepp, rigging designer and Grover Holloway, sound designer.

ABOUT LESLIE BUXBAUM DANZIG, adapter and director Leslie Buxbaum Danzig is a director primarily of devised theater productions, working with ensembles over the course of a year or more (or less) to create original performances. Her productions often bring together different performance languages (dance-theater, clown-theater, circus-theater). As both theater-maker and audience member she enjoys the unexpected ways in which narrative (of some kind) emerges from shifting performance forms and logics.

Buxbaum Danzig has worked extensively with Lucky Plush Productions and is currently co-creating/co-directing Roominghouse, slated to premiere in Fall 2017. She is also a co-founder of the Chicago-based physical theater company 500 Clown. Other directing credits include Damon Kiely's The Revel with the House Theatre of Chicago; Redmoon's The Elephant and the Whale, with Chicago Children's Theater (with Frank Maugeri); Redmoon's Hunchback at New Victory Theater (NYC) and Rockefeller Memorial Chapel at the University of Chicago; and Float with About Face Theater. Prior to turning to directing, she toured nationally and internationally as an actor with NYC's Elevator Repair Service. Buxbaum Danzig is an assistant professor of Practice in the Arts, Theater and Performance Studies, University of Chicago. She received her BA from Brown University and PhD in Performance Studies at Northwestern University, and trained in physical theater at Écoles Jacques Lecoq and Philippe Gaulier.

ABOUT THE ACTORS GYMNASIUM

Since 1995, The Actors Gymnasium has been guided by the vision of a revitalized American theatre: one with performances as thrilling as a rock concert and as mesmerizing as the circus. To that end, they have dedicated themselves to the education and development of multi-skilled, physical theatre artists.

CLASSES AT THE ACTORS GYMNASIUM

and more are provided, as well as the equipment for ground skills such as unicycling, juggling, tight wire and gymnastics. Additional classes are taught in Studio 108, a 900 sq/ft classroom space that features a floating sprung White Oak dance floor, a fully rigged 14 foot ceiling, a handstand wall, conditioning ladders and room length 12 foot mirrors for aerial work.

The highly skilled instructors create a non-competitive imaginative environment where students can learn as much from each other as their teachers. Students explore their creativity, build courage, and develop community as they tackle circus and aerial arts, physical theatre and so much more.

The faculty includes Artistic Director Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi, a second generation circus performer, a Master teacher and an award-winning choreographer. American Theatre Magazine has called Physical Theatre Director Molly Brennan “Chicago’s Queen of Mischief and Make-Believe.” The Actors Gymnasium has faculty with circus credentials that stem from training at The Actors Gymnasium, New England Center for Circus Arts, Circus Juventas and National École de Cirque. Instructors have performed with esteemed circus and theatre companies worldwide. For complete bios, visit: www.actorsgymnasium.org/about-us/faculty/.

The Actors Gymnasium is proud to announce the world premiere of Quest, an original circus-theater production adapted and directed by Leslie Buxbaum Danzig, featuring original music by Kevin O’Donnell and loosely based on Leo Tolstoy’s short story “The Three Questions.” Quest, part of Actors Gymnasium’s Annual Winter Circus, runs Saturday, Feb. 11 – Sunday, March 19 at Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes St. Press opening is Sunday, Feb. 12 at 3 p.m. with an opening night party Saturday Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m. Performance times are Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Running time is approximately 80 minutes with no intermission. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for kids, students and seniors and are available online at ActorsGymnasium.org or 847.328.2795. Once online sales are closed, 1 hour and 30 minutes prior to the show start time, the on-location box office will be open. For group reservations and general questions call 847-328-2795. If online sales are sold out, a limited number of tickets will be available at the door the night of the performance.

Please note: There is no apostrophe in the company name, The Actors Gymnasium.

Guest User 8/31/16 Guest User 8/31/16

Piven and AG Partner to Provide a New Workshop for Home Schoolers

Evanston, IL - The Actors Gymnasium and Piven Theatre Workshop have teamed up to create a workshop crafted especially for the social needs and education requirements of students who study outside the traditional education setting. The $50 workshop takes place September 7 from 12-3 pm, for students 4th through 8th grade. For more information and to enroll in the workshop, click here.

In an action-packed Piven workshop, students learn core improv exercises and theatre games designed to encourage creativity, self-expression, and truthfulness in the moment.

With The Actors Gymnasium students learn basic circus skills in silk knot, partner acrobatics, rolling globe, and more, exploring their creative movement, building courage, and developing community.

The three hour workshop uses the unique strengths of both organizations (and our convenient location together in the Noyes Cultural Arts Center) to make this a not-to-be-missed opportunity for homeschoolers to learn, explore the arts, and just plain have fun!

Piven Theatre Workshop is a nationally acclaimed training center and professional theatre. For over forty years, the Workshop has helped thousands of students celebrate play while finding their unique creative voice through the study of improvisation, theatre games, scene study, and story theatre.

The highly skilled instructors at The Actors Gymnasium create a non-competitive imaginative environment where kids can learn as much from each other as their teachers as they tackle circus and aerials arts, physical theatre and so much more.

Location:

The Actors Gymnasium and Piven Theatre Workshop are located at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes Street, Evanston, IL - just off of the Noyes purple line 'L' stop. The Noyes Cultural Arts Center is owned by the City of Evanston and home to over 20 artists and arts organizations offering music, theater, and visual arts programs and studios. The galleries exhibit local artists, with exhibitions changing every two months.

Actors Gymnasium classes are taught in a 3,000 sq/ft gymnasium space that features a 1,600 sq/ft sprung floor and a fully rigged 24 foot ceiling. All aerial equipment such as the Aerial Hoop, Spanish Web, aerial silks, static trapeze and more are provided, as well as the equipment for ground skills such as unicycling, juggling, tight wire and gymnastics. Starting Fall Session 2015 additionally classes will be taught in Studio 108, a 900 sq/ft classroom space that features a floating sprung White Oak dance floor, a fully rigged 14 foot ceiling, a handstand wall, conditioning ladders, and room length 12 foot mirrors for aerial work.

Piven Theatre Workshop's 70-seat black box theatre is the hub of the Workshop's training center, professional Equity theatre, and the new work development program the Lab@Piven. Over the 45 years of Piven's history, Piven's stage has seen the mentorship of thousands of artists, including celebrity alumni Jeremy Piven, Shira Piven, Aidan Quinn, John Cusack, Joan Cusack, Lili Taylor, Sarah Ruhl, and many more. Piven's space also includes two additional rehearsal spaces and classrooms (Rooms 103 and 105) and their main office in Room 110.

About The Actors Gymnasium:

About Piven Theatre Workshop:

Piven Theatre Workshop is a nationally acclaimed training center and professional theatre. For over forty years, the Workshop has helped thousands of students celebrate play while finding their unique creative voice through the study of improvisation, theatre games, scene study, and story theatre. Piven classes focus first and foremost on our process-oriented training technique, which values personal and artistic growth over a cookie-cutter final product. Our students learn the value of create and improvisational thinking, the empowerment achieved through emotional expression, and the power of truth and honesty in performance.

Please note: There is no apostrophe in the company name, The Actors Gymnasium.

Guest User 8/25/16 Guest User 8/25/16

Start Your Saturday with an Aerial Adventure

EVANSTON, IL - The Actors Gymnasium is opening its doors to anyone who has ever wanted to try aerial circus. The two hour open house gives locals the chance to pop in, get into the air, meet the teachers, and check out the space without needing to join a class.

The event is open to all ages and free to the public. No RSVP necessary. Takes place from 9-11 am on Saturday August 27 at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 100 ft from the Noyes Purple Line stop.

Learn about our classes.

About The Actors Gymnasium:

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Please note: There is no apostrophe in the company name, The Actors Gymnasium.

Guest User 8/15/16 Guest User 8/15/16

Circus Returns to Third Annual Canal Shores Campout

EVANSTON, IL - With activities that include swinging on a silk knot, climbing the Spanish web,spinning on the Lyra (aerial hoop), laser tag, rollerskating, a "midnight" movie, games, and an inflatable obstacle courses, the third annual Canal Shores Campout promises to have something for everyone. Add in grilling and meals from Ten Mile House and you have a formula for an overnight of fun for everyone, with a focus on family, friendship, and sports.

"The Campout has become one of our most anticipated events of the year. It's great to see families circle-up their tents by school or block. Last year more than 200 people had fun while supporting great causes that are based in their backyards," said Dan Bulf, Canal Shores' Business Manager.

Bulf is planning to reach 200 campers again this year, and the program has expanded to provide additional experiences for all attendees.

"The Board of the Evanston Wilmette Golf Course Association is thrilled to have the Actors Gymnasium providing their aerial rig so our attendees can Learn to Fly. We hope that all attendees will go home with fond memories of a great experience. We appreciate the contributions that the Chandler-Newberger Community Center has made in promoting the event, providing assistance with planning, and hosting indoor activities."

What: Third Annual Canal Shores Campout

When: Saturday, August 27, 3 pm through Sunday, August 28, 10 am

Where: The First Fairway at Canal Shores Golf Course 1030 Central Street, Evanston, IL

Sponsors:

Evanston-Wilmette Golf Course Association

The American Legion Post 42

Ten Mile House

The Actors Gymnasium

Chandler-Newberger Community Center

Details: Passes and tickets for events can now be purchased online, visit www.canalshores.org. Passes for a family of four are now on sale through Aug. 20 at $199 with meals, $99 without; $249/$199 thereafter. Additional campers are $50/$62.50, respectively."

Note: there will be a charge for some food items and that attendees may bring their own items for grilling

Net proceeds from the campout will support Canal Shores 2017 youth golf program and The Actors Gymnasium.

To register for the Campout and for more information, visit www.canalshorescampout.org, call 847-475-9173 or email info@canalshores.org.

About Canal Shores Golf Course (The Evanston Wilmette Golf Course Association)

The all-volunteer Evanston Wilmette Golf Course Association operates Canal Shores, an 18 hole, par 60 golf course on the banks of the North Shore Channel of the Chicago River. It is established as a charitable organization and qualifies as an exempt organization under Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It offers programs that celebrate the game of golf, with special programs designed for families, youth and the community. More information can be found at www.canalshores.org. No public funds or taxpayer monies support the operations. The Course hosts corporate and charitable golf outings, tent parties and banquets; year-round recreation is also offered, including walking, cross country running and skiing, family campouts, and support for the Northwestern Wildcats football team.

About The Actors Gymnasium

About the Chandler-Newberger Community Center

Chandler-Newberger Community Center is part of the City of Evanston's Parks & Recreation Division which is committed to enhancing the quality of life of all citizens by providing collaborative opportunities for our community to grow, learn, create and play. Chandler-Newberger Community Center offers comprehensive programs for infants through adults and manages a variety of citywide programs conducted at 20 sites throughout Evanston. Contact information: 847.448.8252, recreation@cityofevanston.org. www.cityofevanston.org/parks-recreation/chandler-newberger-center

Please note: There is no apostrophe in the company name, The Actors Gymnasium.

Guest User 7/18/16 Guest User 7/18/16

Brand New Circus Acts - This Weekend Only

EVANSTON, IL - During the past six weeks, 31 students conditioned their bodies to their highest physical levels while working with a cross section of Chicago's leading circus, dance, and physical theatre instructors. Collaborating with their fellow students, they choreographing brand new circus movement pieces.

Two casts created two completely different showcases. This weekend will be the first and only time the public can see these exciting, collaborative acts in their completion. The culminating Summer Circus Intensive Showcase is open to all ages.

New acts include: Stacked Lyra, Chinese Pole, Double Trapeze, Sling, Poi, Unicycle, Straps, Lyra, Silk Knot, Juggling, Pendulum, Silks, Single Point Trapeze, Aerial Rope, Acrobatic Pole, Spanish Web, Cloudswing, Contortion, Aerial Net, Dance
Directed by Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi and guest taught by Dean Evans, Tommy Rapley, Flora Bare, Amanda Crockett, Patrick Tobin, and Javen Ulambayar.

Tickets are available now for both days of performances for $15. They can be purchased here or at www.actorsgymnasium.org. For group reservations and general questions, call 847-328-2795. The on-location box office opens 1.5 hours prior to the start of each performance.

View the trailer:

Summer Circus Intensive Showcase trailer

Location:

The Actors Gymnasium is located at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes Street, Evanston, IL - just off of the Noyes purple line 'L' stop. The Noyes Cultural Arts Center is owned by the City of Evanston and home to over 20 artists and arts organizations offering music, theater, and visual arts programs and studios. The galleries exhibit local artists, with exhibitions changing every two months.
Actors Gymnasium classes are taught in a 3,000 sq/ft gymnasium space that features a 1,600 sq/ft sprung floor and a fully rigged 24 foot ceiling. All aerial equipment such as the Aerial Hoop, Spanish Web, aerial silks, static trapeze and more are provided, as well as the equipment for ground skills such as unicycling, juggling, tight wire and gymnastics. Starting Fall Session 2015 additionally classes will be taught in Studio 108, a 900 sq/ft classroom space that features a floating sprung White Oak dance floor, a fully rigged 14 foot ceiling, a handstand wall, conditioning ladders, and room length 12 foot mirrors for aerial work.

About The Actors Gymnasium:

Guest User 5/23/16 Guest User 5/23/16

Brand New Physical Show Brings Spectacle to Holiday Weekend

EVANSTON, IL - As the landscape of Chicago physical theatre changes with the departure of several large institutions, The Actors Gymnasium has doubled down on its commitment to physicality. This Memorial Day weekend, audiences can see the inaugural graduating class of the Professional Circus Training Program in Ascend.

The performances showcase the acts created by the students in their 9 months of study. The Actors Gymnasium always grows a unique pool of talent, and the 2015/16 Pro-Training Students are up and coming stars. Come see how a year of dedication, creativity and teamwork can change the world of physical theatre, circus, dance, and beyond. From trapeze to partner acrobatics, lyra to Chinese pole, hand balancing to cloud swing, these brand new acts delight and amaze.

Ascend: the 2015/16 Professional Circus Training Showcase Trailer

"The students we accept are of diverse physical backgrounds, so their goals are often just as diverse as they are. The program's overarching goal is to create physical performers that can do anything that is asked of them. When they graduate, students are prepared for their next step as a performer, whether in the professional circus or theatre world, or in furthering their training and pursuits as a physical creator," says Program Manager Nathan Drackett.

"After graduating, I plan on exploring the intersection between independent theatre and circus to further physical story-telling within the contemporary American Theatre scene. Nothing examines the human condition better," says graduating student Joey C Heyworth.

"I am continuously inspired by the perfect marriage of artistry, athleticism, and adventure that circus offers," says fellow graduate Zoe Boyer, who started training at The Actors Gymnasium as a teen.

Ascend provides Pro Training students with the opportunity to perform in front of our audience as well as agents, casting directors and other established working professionals in theater and circus.

Tickets are available now for the one day only performances on May 28 at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 3:00 pm. A wine and cheese reception to follow Sunday's performance Tickets are $15 and can be purchased here or at www.actorsgymnasium.org/shows. For group reservations and general questions call 847-328-2795.

Featuring graduates: Zoe Boyer (Single-Point Trapeze & Hand Balancing), Joey C Heyworth (Hand Balancing & Chinese Pole), Liz Loar (Lyra & Partner Acro), Arik Mendelevitz (Juggling & Tumbling), Symphony Sanders (Lyra & Partner Acro), Cassandra Schiano (Cloud Swing & Unicycle), Ashley Marie Sylvester (Aerial Sling & Hoop), Andrew Tardif (Tumbling & Partner Acro).

About The Actors Gymnasium:

Please note: There is no apostrophe in the company name, The Actors Gymnasium.

Location:

Guest User 5/4/16 Guest User 5/4/16

Molly Brennan to Join AG Staff as Physical Theatre Director

The Actors Gymnasium is pleased to announce the addition of Molly Brennan to its faculty. Molly is the new Physical Theatre Director for the Professional Circus Training Program 2016-17 year. Molly is a well respected performer within the theatrical community, named "Chicago's Queen of Mischief and Mayhem" by American Theatre Magazine.

"I'm excited to bring on board a co-director that is as dedicated as I am to developing well rounded performers. By the end of the program, students will be the type of performer the circus/physical theatre world needs today." says Program & Artistic Director Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi.

Its difficult to find a highly regarded artist community that Molly hasn't been involved with her appearances with Salonathon, the Paper Machete, the Moth, You're Being Ridiculous, the Fly Honey Show, Steppenwolf, the Goodman, Lookingglass, Second City, Lyric Opera, Neo-Futurists, About Face, Red Tape, the Factory Theatre, Lifeline, Barrel of Monkeys, the Kennedy Center, and more. She has taught Clown, Devising and Physical Theatre at DePaul, UIC, Northwestern, Columbia, Opera-Matic, Steppenwolf, University of Chicago, the Neo-Futurists, and various institutions nationwide.

Her talent as a physical performer including actor, singer and clown, knowns no bounds. Much has been made of her taking on typically male roles including the Red Queen (originated by Tony Hernandez), Harpo in Goodman's Theatre's "Animal Crackers," Smee in Lookingglass' "Peter Pan." Co-founder of CLQWN MUTINY, Company Member of 500 Clown, and co-creator of the Madam Barker Show, Molly is a strong advocate for building one's own work in addition to working with established venues.

In addition to her work with the 9 month intensive Pro Training program, she will be offering physical theatre classes to the general population at The Actors Gymnasium starting in August.

In light of this announcement, the deadline for application to the Professional Circus Training Program has been extended.

Meet the Teachers: Molly Brennan

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About The Actors Gymnasium:

Guest User 5/3/16 Guest User 5/3/16

Moby Dick to Go on Tour

NATIONWIDE - The Jeff Award winning Moby Dick is going on a journey of its own. The show is going on tour with port stops at DC's Arena Stage, Atlanta's Alliance Theatre and Costa Mesa's South Coast Repertory before landing back at home.

A physically challenging production, Actors Gymnasium Artistic Director and Moby Dick choreographer Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi used physicality to convey emotional scenes in the original adaptation including drowning, attack by cannibals, and the death of a young whale. "The storms, the whale, the ship being tossed around - there's a lot of opportunities for storytelling through movement. The key is to make sure the movement enhances the storytelling and deepens the dialogue, that it doesn't become just a series of tricks."

Hernandez-DiStasi was brought onto the project in 2013 when director David Catlin workshopped his adaptation at University of Chicago, then again at Northwestern University. After intensive training with the cast at The Actors Gymnasium, it then moved to Water Tower Water Works where it was produced by Lookingglass Theatre in association with The Actors Gymnasium in June of 2015.

The cast and crew will be returning to The Actors Gymnasium's training space for three weeks under Hernandez-DiStasi's guidance to prep for the collaborations with Arena, Alliance and South Coast and during the show's hiatus before returning to Chicago.

The original production swept the 2015 Jeff Awards, with nominations for Director- Play and New Adaptation, going on to win Production - Play - Large, Actor in a Supporting Role - Play, Sound Design - Large, and Artistic Specialization for the show's rigging.

The production has won praise from critics as well, called "exceptionally enjoyable" by Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune who gave the show four stars.

Moby Dick and The Actors Gymnasium

About The Actors Gymnasium:

Guest User 4/28/16 Guest User 4/28/16

Video Gamers will Delight in New Youth Show

EVANSTON, IL - The Actors Gymnasium presents the fourth annual Spring Youth Circus, Another Castle opening May 14.

Can our hero make it to the last level with one life and no powerups? After an escape from her mother's restrictive courtly rules, Princess Deidre runs to the woods and befriends young Irving- a half human/half fairy boy. Big Mistake. Little did Deidre know, Irving's mom is the wicked Morrigan, and she hates humans. Now it's up to Deidre to save her friend from his castle prison while navigating the chaotic Land of Bit.

The Actors Gym Youth Circus Ensemble is at it again- this time with an original fantasy/video game mashup! Goblins and Powerups, Witches and Warp tubes- whether you're a next-gen console kid or came up in the 8-bit days, you'll be amazed by the awesome physical feats of these young performers as they weave a tale of friendship strong enough to conquer the wickedest wild magic.

The Actors Gymnasium Youth Circus is a performance-based training program that culminates in a fully-produced, original show. This intensive experience pairs professional artists and youth performers to collaboratively create an original new show and includes high-quality training in drama, dance, aerial and circus arts. In the process, students develop skills in collaboration, problem solving, and social interaction with their peers. The Youth Circus is one of our most popular ticketed events each year.

"Whether I'm teaching or directing, I make sure to hand over control on certain aspects of the class or creative process so that the students or cast and I are truly collaborating together," says co-director Alex Tey.

*The MORRIGAN, wicked magical force of the forest, split in five as interpreted by castmate Annabelle*

Tey continues, "In rehearsal for the Youth Circuses, what this means is that Sara (my co-director) and I come in with a basic sketch of what the story might look like, and then we lead creative improv exercises with the cast. Through these early workshops, we get input on characters, situations, even specific lines of dialogue that may end up in the show. Any artist is going to be doing their best work when they are deeply invested in the project at hand, and this is our way of respecting and celebrating our cast, building investment, and coming up with great ideas that Sara and I never would have found on our own!"

To ensure a broad education in circus and performing arts, The Actors Gymnasium brings in instructors who specialize in dance and drama, while Artistic Director Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi teaches circus and aerial skills that include juggling, tumbling, trapeze, tightwire, stilts and more.

"Youth Circus is such a lucky opportunity, one we definitely don't take for granted. Where else can kids be part of the development and execution of a complete work of performance art with such a uniquely talented team of teachers and artists... and to truly feel like part of the 'team' throughout the process." says parent and board member Lauren Sinai.

The show runs May 14, 15, 21 & 22, 2016 with three shows each weekend. Tickets are available now and can be purchased at www.actorsgymnasium.org. For group reservations and general questions call 847-328-2795. The on-location box office opens 1.5 hours prior to the start of each performance.

About Another Castle: Spring Youth Circus:
Written & Directed by Alex Tey and Sara Sawicki
Circus Choreography by Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi
Dance Choreography by Kat Scott
Assistant Circus Choreography by Tommy Tomlins
Sound Design by Sammy Zeisel

Lighting Design by Justine Brock

Costume Design by Serena Sandoval

Props Design by Clara Wendland

Stage Managed by Gianna Petrosino

Location:

About The Actors Gymnasium:

July 31 at 7pm in Tallmadge Park, Evanston

Directed by Kasey Foster and Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi

The Gym’s unique brand of physicalized stagecraft brings a ghastly tale of garden tending to life.

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