Theatre of Western Springs Invites Aspiring Actors To Workshop

Men and women age 18 and older who wish to act on stage at the Theatre of Western Springs (TWS) are invited to an acting workshop called Studio. The two-week class will take place June 9 – 24, 2018, at the theatre, 4384 Hampton Ave., Western Springs. All experience levels are invited.

Studio costs $40. This fee can be applied to a seven-play subscription for TWS’s 90th season 2018 – ’19, which is required for casting. Once a person has taken Studio and purchased a seven-play subscription, he or she is eligible for casting. During the first year, there is an expectation to work backstage in some capacity.

"TWS is a place where people of all skills and backgrounds come together to learn and put on theater,” said TWS Executive Director Eddie Sugarman. “We have a lot of fun, and we warmly welcome new people on our stage.”

Studio 2018 will be taught by Chicago director Amy V. Fenton who has a diverse background in the arts including training in art, theater, music, performance art and modern dance. Her directing credits include “The Clean House” and “Boy Gets Girl” at TWS, and plays at Strawdog Theatre, Lifeline Theatre, Zebra Crossing, Chicago Dramatists and Dominican University.

Studio is “TWS Bootcamp” consisting of 12 sessions during which participants learn about TWS and theatre in general. They also work on monologues and scenes. Participants also learn about the various technical/design areas of the theatre from a backstage tour set for Saturday, June 16.

“I look at TWS as a master’s degree in theatre,” said Patricia Huth of LaGrange Park, an active member of TWS. “I have learned so much and, at the same time, made lifelong friends.”

Sessions take place on the following dates:

• Saturday, June 9 - 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
• Sunday, June 10; 7 - 10 p.m.
• Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday; June 12, 13 and 14; 7 – 10 p.m.
• Saturday, June 16; 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
• Sunday, June 17; 7 – 10:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday; June 19, 20 and 21; 7 – 10:30 p.m.
• Saturday, June 23; 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
• Sunday, June 24; 3 p.m. call; 4 p.m. graduation performances

Attendance is required at 10 of the 12 sessions, and participants must be in class the last two sessions.

"Casting at TWS is done by a Play Selection and Casting Committee rather than through auditions," Sugarman said. "Once you have completed Studio 1, you are eligible for casting. What began in 1929 as founder Mary Cattell’s unique method of play selection and casting exists today, 90 years later.”

A rich, cultural heritage

From its founding, a few months before the stock market crash in 1929, the Theatre of Western Springs has promoted entertainment, education and participation through community theatre in the western suburbs. The theatre’s founder, Mary Cattell, a Western Springs resident, was deeply committed to contributing to the area’s cultural heritage, a commitment that continues in her memory to this day.

The TWS mission statement is: “To entertain, to educate, and to inspire across the generations through the art of live theatre.”

TWS is fortunate to have four full time employees including Executive Director Eddie Sugarman, a technical director and a children’s theatre director, an office manager, as well as several part timers. More than 20 additional professionals such fight choreographers or dialect coaches are hired on a contractual basis each year to teach actors and to support the productions.

Built in 1960, TWS’s 20,000 sq. ft. building has a 404-seat mainstage. Named after Mary Cattell, a smaller black box theatre, which seats 115, was part of an addition built in 1975, and the ribbon was cut by the late Henry Fonda. Productions, classes, workshops and concerts take place year around.

The nationally-renowned Children’s Theatre of Western Springs was founded in 1947, and today, theatre arts are taught to more than 300 students each year.

All participants in the production of a play at TWS are volunteers, including the actors. Currently there are more than 250 active members, all of whom donate volunteer hours to produce each season.

Backstage learning opportunities abound. People, actors and non-actors, can work on set design, construction, set painting, costumes, make-up, lighting, sound, props, box office, lobby hospitality and many other jobs.

To register for Studio, call Diana Visk at 708-246-4340, Ext. 221, or visit the website at: www.theatreofwesternsprings.com/.