The Actors Gymnasium Inc

Causes: Arts & Culture, Education, Performing Arts, Performing Arts Schools, Theater

Mission: A circus and performing arts training center dedicated to creating exciting theater

Programs: Education: the actors gymnasium offers a range of classes for students from 2 to 72 years old. More than 1,800 students deepen their circus and performing arts through more than 150 classes and 5 camps and intensives. The actors gymnasium's faculty includes 37 part-time teachers, all of of whom have active professional theatre careers. Throughout 2012-13, 1,562 students in 18 schools, after-school programs and universities learned courage, perseverance, body awareness, and collaboration through our off-site educational programs. Special needs students are also reached, including high-spectrum autistic students. Workshops cover a range of skills including society of american fight directors certification workshops in stage combat; and summer circus intensive. Scholarships are available to help ensure accessibility and diversity.

productions: using physical theatre as a means to tell narrative stories, nine new productions are developed each year. The winter circus is the narrative-driven, main stage production that anchors our performance season. Each fall and spring, the actors gymnasium presents a showcase of new work, circus in progress: an evening of daring new work, that highlights chicago area circus performers. The youth circus ensemble presents fall and spring productions. We also produce two polished, original

events: gig bookings for special events provide professional opportunities for performers and instructors, and significant income and exposure for the actors gymnasium. Last season we performed at 50 offsite special events, delighting more than 26,266 people. The actors gymnasium also offers circus arts workshops in conjunction with chicago area collegiate theatre and general programs. This school year we are working with graduate students from the theatre school at depaul university, and underg