Chicago

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then our message of strength and unity will be loud and proud as we gather as a SAG-AFTRA community for a photo in front of a Chicago icon - The Picasso sculpture at Daley Plaza!

Come and see the familiar faces of your fellow SAG-AFTRA members and meet some new ones!  

Please wear your SAG-AFTRA t-shirt! At this time we do not have enough shirts for everyone, so please wear the one you have.  If you do not yet have a t-shirt, please bring your SAG-AFTRA member ID card or digital card in the member app to receive one.  

When you arrive, sign in with designated SAG-AFTRA staff under the Picasso.

Be sure to show your support on social media with #SAGAFTRAstrong, #SAGAFTRAstrike!

RSVP: Reservations are required. Please complete the form below to RSVP; you must be logged in to RSVP. 

This event is only open to paid-up SAG-AFTRA members in good standing (paid thru Oct. 31, 2023, or in compliance with the May 2023 dues relief extension). No guests are allowed. Parents/guardians of performers under 18 years old are welcome.

 

Welcome to the SAG-AFTRA Chicago Local! This Member 101 meeting is a must for new members, and a great refresher for the seasoned veteran actor!  

This is a valuable meeting to learn everything you need to know about SAG-AFTRA and all that we have to offer.  

Learn new things and get answers to any questions you have about SAG-AFTRA.

The meeting will be held in person at the KRC - 1 E. Erie, Suite 660, lunch will be served.

RSVP: Reservations are required. Please complete the form below to RSVP; you must be logged in to RSVP. 

This event is only open to paid-up SAG-AFTRA Chicago Local members in good standing (paid thru Oct. 31, 2023, or in compliance with the May 2023 Dues Relief Extension). No guests are allowed. Parents/guardians of performers under 18 years old are welcome.

ADA requests may be included on your RSVP form below. Please note that ADA requests must be received 72 business hours before the start of the event. 

The SAG-AFTRA Blood Drive is back!  We will be hosting a Blood Drive on Monday, September 11, 2023 from noon - 5:30 pm.  This is an amazing opportunity to save some lives, while hanging in the KRC with your fellow SAG-AFTRA members and friends.

If you are interested in donating, please visit the Vitalant website here to select an appointment time.  To reserve your time slot, you can either login to your Vitalant account or create an account through the website.

If you are unable to make a reservation through the website, please feel free to reach out to Kathy.Byrne@sagaftra.org or 312-867-5508. 

The products and services noted herein are provided as an informational service to SAG-AFTRA members and are administered by entities independent of SAG-AFTRA. Any questions must be handled by the provider. This information is not intended to serve as an endorsement nor is any warranty or guarantee implied.

After almost 3 years of pandemic beards & buns, actors may not look (or feel!) like their old headshot anymore. And yet, those old professional photos are doing the work of helping you secure your next audition or booking. Perhaps it's time to let the SAG-AFTRA Chicago Conservatory help make sure your headshot is working for you!

Join us on Monday, August 21, from 6-8pm as we discuss the art of the headshot: what works, what doesn't, and what you can do to end up with one you love! Join us as we talk candidly with Bob Schroeder of Grossman & Jack Talent and Charleston Owensby of Stewart Talent as they discuss what makes a headshot pop or flop and what your agents need most from you! We'll then be joined by a few headshot photographers that will share their perspectives from behind the lens as they give some tips and tricks on how to get the most out of your next headshot session. 

Get ready to make your next headshot session hit the mark - RSVP today!

(Please note: this event is reccommended as a pre-shoot preparation conversation for those separately registered for the 1-look headshot event on Saturday, August 26th. Separate event registrations are required for each event.)

 

RSVP: Reservations are required. Please complete the form below to RSVP; you must be logged in to RSVP. 

This event is only open to paid-up SAG-AFTRA members in good standing (paid thru Oct. 31, 2023, or in compliance with the May 2023 dues relief extension). No guests are allowed. Parents/guardians of performers under 18 years old are welcome.

ADA requests may be included on your RSVP form below. Please note that ADA requests must be received 48 business hours before the start of the event. 

Please join your Chicago Local brothers and sisters in solidarity as we walk from Wrigley Square at Millennium Park to rally at Buckingham Fountain!  We are walking for our rights, for our livelihoods, and for our futures! 

WALK and check-in starts at 201 E. Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60601, NE Corner of Millennium Park in Wrigley Square at noon.

RALLY and program at Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park will begin around 1:30 pm.

SAG-AFTRA Members - PLEASE wear your SAG-AFTRA t-shirt, we have a small supply to distribute to those who do not already have a shirt. Don’t forget your hat, sunscreen and water bottle!

If you have mobility concerns, please feel free to meet directly at Buckingham Fountain.

If you are able to join us, please RSVP below.

Visit sagaftrastrike.org to find detailed information, updates, and helpful FAQs. Be sure to join the conversation on social media using #SAGAFTRAstrong, #SAGAFTRAstrike and #Power2Performers.

RSVP: Reservations are required. Please complete the form below to RSVP; you must be logged in to RSVP. 

ADA requests may be included on your RSVP form below. Please note that ADA requests must be received 48 business hours before the start of the event. 

Please join the NextGen Committee for Game Night in the KRC the 3rd Tuesday of every month!

We are building community while playing some games!  The games vary each month - could be a Cornhole Tournament, Taboo, Pictionary, Trival Pursuit, you name it - we have it!

Union members are welcome to bring friends, the more the merrier.

Bring a snack to share, and join in on the fun!

RSVP: Reservations are required. Please complete the form below to RSVP; you must be logged in to RSVP. 

This event is only open to paid-up SAG-AFTRA members in good standing (paid thru Oct. 31, 2023, or in compliance with the May 2023 dues relief extension). No guests are allowed. Parents/guardians of performers under 18 years old are welcome.

ADA requests may be included on your RSVP form below. Please note that ADA requests must be received 48 business hours before the start of the event. 

Time to update your headshot? The local conservatory has you covered. The following photographers will be participating in this year’s headshot event. Each appointment is $135 for a 30-minute one-shot session, resulting in one final retouched headshot. Any additional looks you wish to purchase can be discussed with the photographer. Each headshot session will take place at the photographer’s studio

Most photographers have a makeup artist for $50 per session. Use of the professional makeup artist is encouraged, if available. Once you make your appointment, you will need to make payment to confirm your reservation.

To schedule an appointment, please email jess.jones@sagaftra.org with the name of photographer and approximate time you would like to schedule your appointment.

 

Joel Maisonet, Maisonet Photography 
(FULL/BOOKED -  waitlist only)
joelmaisonet.com
2150 S. Canalport, #3C-19
Chicago, IL 

Joel Maisonet is a Chicago-based headshot and commercial portrait photographer. Leveraging his background as an actor and dancer, Joel is known for coaching his clients to natural, engaging expressions. 

HMU: Davenda Thompson, Paint Gal Studio
 

Joe Mazza, Brave Lux Inc.  
(FULL/BOOKED -- waitlist only)
bravelux.com
1770 W. Berteau, Unit 404
Chicago, IL 

Joe Mazza is an award-winning portrait, advertising, theater, and editorial photographer based in Chicago. Over the past 30 years, he's worked as an artist in many media– playwrighting, puppetry, film, radio, and as an actor– all of which inform how he creates with a camera.

HMU: (TBD)
 

Elizabeth Stenholt 
(Saturday, 8/26  - 11am-5:30pm)
Home Studio - Located near Northeastern University in North Park
https://lizlens.myportfolio.com/headshots-1

Elizabeth Stenholt likes to work and chat with clients to achieve their headshot goals and needs. She likes to help performers look and feel their best and be the ultimate cheerleader behind the lens!

HMU: No HMU Artist provided, please bring your kit & come with hair & make-up ready (like you would for auditions.)

 

(Please note: The SAG-AFTRA Conservatory is separately offering a pre-shoot headshot conservatory presentation on August 21st from 6-8pm, which is recommended and encouraged for those attending the 1-look headshot event on Saturday, August 26th. Separate event registrations are required for each event.)

 

The annual Chicago Pride parade, which started as a protest march in 1970 after the Stonewall Riots in New York City, has grown into the city's second-largest parade of nearly 200 entries, typically attracting more than 1 million people to multiple northside neighborhoods, particularly East Lakeview.

SAG-AFTRA members will be participanting with the team from WCPT 820 AM!

Pride Month has come to symbolize several things: the long history of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality, the freedom of all people to meaningfully and proudly express their sexual and gender identities, and the commitment of LGBTQ people to combat oppression.

RSVP: Reservations are required. Please complete the form below to RSVP; you must be logged in to RSVP. 

This event is only open to paid-up SAG-AFTRA members in good standing (paid thru Oct. 31, 2023, or in compliance with the May 2023 dues relief extension). No guests are allowed. Parents/guardians of performers under 18 years old are welcome.

ADA requests may be included on your RSVP form below. Please note that ADA requests must be received 48 business hours before the start of the event. 

Below is the information for the next SAG-AFTRA/IFA table read. We are pleased to announce that we are reading “A Real One” from filmmaker/SAG-AFTRA member McKenzie Chinn. If you are interested in putting yourself on videotape for consideration to read one of these roles, please email Kathy.Byrne@sagaftra.org to request the sides for the specific role you are interested in.

Deadline for submissions is June 23, 2023 at 5 p.m. Please upload your audition tape, resume and headshot via dropbox to:

https://www.dropbox.com/request/jtz2LZ8N2yMstFtILqbx

The Table Read is on Monday, July 24 at 6 pm at the KRC with a rehearsal on Thursday, July 20 at 5:30 pm. If you are available to participate on both of these dates - please submit.

Synopsis: Lauren and Keisha’s friendship is “us against the world.” They’re 17 and live on Chicago’s largely Black south side. When Lauren is forced to reveal a tightly-held secret to Keisha - that she’s involved with their English teacher - the two friends must take matters into their own hands in a landscape where the only thing they can truly count on is each other.

Character Breakdown: (Looking for perfomers who are able to portray the following:)

LAUREN: 17, Black, F. Studious and introverted with a rich inner life. Intelligent, but self-conscious. A latchkey kid and only-child raised by a single mom who works nights, Lauren learned independence young. Has had a part-time job since sophomore year, and longs to be accepted to a prestigious college as a way of proving her worth.  Feels deeply but mostly keeps how she feels to herself, along with a big secret: she’s involved with her English teacher.

OCEAN: 17/18, BIPOC. Nonbinary masc. They/them. Transfer student who’s into quietly defying social structures. Magnetic and grounded. A young David Bowie or Prince before either grew into themselves. Perceptive, thoughtful, and careful. Strongly relates to Lauren’s reserved nature. Has a history battling depression and self-harm. Has earned their wisdom and the scars it came with. Plays Hamlet in the school’s spring production.

OMAR: 17/18, Black, M. Kind-hearted and not particularly cool. Super smart - just got accepted to MIT. Carries a torch for Lauren, but is oblivious to how much Keisha likes him. (Also reads ANTHONY).

ALICIA: 17/18, Black, Latinx, Afro-Latinx, F. Alpha wanna-be. Besties with Ashley and always follows her lead. (Also reads CAFETERIA STUDENT 2, CREW 2, and PARTY-GOER 1). 

This event is only open to paid-up SAG-AFTRA members in good standing (paid thru Oct. 31, 2023, or in compliance with the May 2023 dues relief extension).  Parents/guardians of performers under 18 years old are welcome.

ADA requests may be included on your RSVP form below. Please note that ADA requests must be received 48 business hours before the start of the event. 

The Bud Billiken® Parade is the largest African American parade in the United States and SAG-AFTRA members will be participating with the team from the Chicago Federation of Labor!

The parade features contests in categories like Best Float and Best Dance Team allowing participants to showcase their unique talents. Bud Billiken® has hosted several notable figures including Oprah Winfrey, President Truman, Duke Ellington, and President Obama (then Senator). At the close of the parade, all attendees are welcome to join in the post-parade festivities in the park.

With a live broadcast on ABC7 Chicago, the parade is viewed and attended by over one million people. It stretches two miles down Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, through the historic Bronzeville neighborhood, into Washington Park. The procession is led by a Grand Marshal and Royal Court (youth recipients to a Week of Fun as essay winners).

The parade is produced in cooperation with the Chicago’s Mayor’s Office, the Chicago Police Department, Chicago Fire Department, Chicago Park District and other city organizations.

 

RSVP: Reservations are required. Please complete the form below to RSVP; you must be logged in to RSVP. 

This event is only open to paid-up SAG-AFTRA members in good standing (paid thru Oct. 31, 2023, or in compliance with the May 2023 dues relief extension). No guests are allowed. Parents/guardians of performers under 18 years old are welcome.

ADA requests may be included on your RSVP form below. Please note that ADA requests must be received 48 business hours before the start of the event.