Workshop Dates: Thursday, November 2nd & Saturday, November 4th
Time: 7:30pm-9:00pm CST (Thursday) & 11:30am-1:00pm CST (Saturday)
Instructors: Jaina Alexander & April Sigman-Marx
Location: Online via Zoom
Sliding Scale Pricing: $45-$75
Learn more about our pricing structure
Please contact us with any questions
FULL NEED-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS now available to this workshop! Apply HERE.
The Actor’s Toolbox is a series of workshops designed to hone the actor’s process by diving into the foundational tools of the Michael Chekhov acting technique. This workshop will cater to the working actor with focus on practically applying the actor’s tools to professional settings such as auditions, self-tapes, taking direction, character development & transformation, script analysis, and connection. Each workshop will focus on a particular set of tools and can be taken together or a la cart.
Tools to: Find your starting point, connecting text & subconscious, getting the text into your body, letting your body influence character choices, tapping into the full range of your vocal ability to create a character, inviting breath to work for you in expanded ways.
Industry application: Build your process of where to begin when given new texts, creating connection with text, expanding the possibilities of your voice, honing vocal characterization
Meet the Instructors
Jaina Alexander (she/her) is a singer, actor, educator, dog mom and a Founding Artistic Director of Thumbprint Studios Chicago. A multi-genre artist, Jaina has sung with theatres, opera companies, and choirs all around the Midwest, at award-winning cabaret and jazz clubs, and with The Rolling Stones. Her work as an educator focuses on vocal confidence and flexibility to allow for bold and brave artistic choices. Select projects include: The Secret Garden (Lily, Guest Artist Residency with Cloud County Community College & Manchester Theatres), Chicago Premiere of Harriet Tubman: When I Crossed That Line To Freedom (Ensemble, South Shore Opera Company), The Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terezin (Chorus, a multimedia benefit for Holocaust survivors with The Defiant Requiem Foundation). She is also a proud member of Estill Voice (EMT-C), MICHA, VASTA, and Lola Bard Productions.
April Sigman-Marx (she/her) is an actor, director, writer, educator, cat mom and a Founding Artistic Director of Thumbprint Studios Chicago. Specializing in new work development, April has created/written, directed, produced and performed in several original solo shows, web series, films and plays--Many of which focus on social justice issues. Select projects include: Rover the Bear (playwright/ director, Cal Rep. Affinity Series), Sheepdog world premiere (assistant director to Leah C Gardiner, South Coast Rep.), Fefu and Her Friends a virtual staged reading (Assistant Director to Stacy Stoltz, Seasons of Concern), Permed (playwright/ director/ performer, Tower Theatre & Uptown Theatre), Making Up History world premiere (performed Julia, DC Fringe Festival), Open Door (performed Lead, Feature Film, Sapling Pictures), Pathways (creator/ performer- currently in development).