Training classes for seasoned and emerging actors, taught by industry professionals​
WINTER SESSION
December 2025
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The inaugural winter 2025 series offers a chance for you to receive a triple-threat of training from three experienced Chicago professionals. Each instructor leads a 4-hour session with a focus: an introduction to Viewpoints movement technique, refining your on-camera auditioning skills, and character development in new work scene study. Submit to enroll per class that catches your interest, or for all three at a discounted price.
WORKSHOPS:
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Dec 7: Introduction to Viewpoints with Jonathan Berry
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Dec 14: On-Camera Audition Workshop with AJ Links, CSA
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Dec 21: New Works Scene Study with Kaiser Ahmed
TIME: All sessions meet Sundays, 11 AM - 3 PM
LOCATION: Jackalope Theatre in Broadway Armory Park, 5917 N Broadway Ave, Chicago, IL 60660.
COST: $75 per session, $200 for all three ($25 discount)
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APPLICATIONS OPEN: Applications accepted starting Nov 8, 2025.
APPLICATIONS CLOSED: Application deadline is Nov 30, 2025 at midnight.
APPLICANTS NOTIFIED: All applicants will be notified by Dec 1, 2025.
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TO APPLY:
Please complete the following form: CLICK HERE TO APPLY TO ENROLL
Financial assistance may be available, upon request.
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INSTRUCTORS:
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Four by Christopher Shinn, 2015
JONATHAN BERRY is a director and educator in Chicago.
(full bio coming soon)
AJ LINKS, CSA (she/her) is the owner of AJ Links Casting where she casts features, television, commercials, industrials, music videos & live theatre. She is a two-time Primetime Emmy Award-winning Casting Director for the Location Casting of Seasons 1 & 2 of FX’s THE BEAR. She is also a three-time Artios Award Winner (5x nominee) for her work on THE BEAR, HBO’s LOVECRAFT COUNTRY and Aaron Sorkin’s THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7. Most recently, AJ wrapped casting on Kris Rey’s highly anticipated upcoming feature, TRASH MOUNTAIN, written by Ruby Caster and Caleb Hearon. Outside of her on-camera work, AJ serves as the Casting Director to both Jackalope Theatre Company and Definition Theatre Company. Her select TV credits include: FX's THE BEAR and the fourth installment of FARGO, HBO's STATION ELEVEN, SOUTH SIDE, and LOVECRAFT COUNTRY, Showtime's SHAMELESS and WORK IN PROGRESS, AppleTV+ series THE SHINING GIRLS, Comedy Central’s JOE PERA TALKS WITH YOU and Disney+/Marvel’s IRONHEART. Select film credits: Aaron Sorkin's THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7, Steve McQueen's WIDOWS, Michael Bay’s TRANSFORMERS 4, Austin Vesely’s SLICE, Kris Rey’s I USED TO GO HERE, Elizabeth Chomko’s WHAT THEY HAD, Stephen Cone’s HENRY GAMBLE'S BIRTHDAY PARTY and PRINCESS CYD, Kelly O’Sullivan + Alex Thompson’s GHOSTLIGHT and SAINT FRANCES, Jennifer Reeder’s SIGNATURE MOVE, KNIVES AND SKIN, NIGHTS END, and PERPETRATOR. AJ’s independent feature work have premiered at legendary festivals around the world, including: TIFF, Sundance, Tribeca, Berlinale, SXSW, Frameline. She is a graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University and is a proud member of The Casting Society of America.
KAISER AHMED is a Bangladeshi-American theatre director, producer, teacher and actor based in Chicago. He has worked as a director at Steppenwolf, Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, The Artistic Home, Northlight Theatre, SIlk Road Theatre, American Blues Theatre, First Floor Theatre, Rasaka Theatre and many others. Ahmed was featured in The Kilroys’ 2023 Web and named on NewCity's Players 2019 and 2022: "Fify People Who Really Perform For Chicago". He was the co-founding artistic director of Jackalope Theatre Company from 2008-2012, he continued to serve as the associate artistic director through 2019 and returned as artistic director in 2020. Recent directing credits include Queen (Penobscot), Passage (Remy Bumppo Theatre Company), Among the Dead, Fast Company (Jackalope) and Language Rooms (Broken Nose). Ahmed is a member of the Columbia College Advisory Board and the Sarah Siddons Artistic Council, a 2015-16 Eugene O'Neill National Directors Fellowship finalist, a 2016-17 Victory Gardens Directors Inclusion Initiative recipient and an associate member of SDC. He holds a BA in theatre direction from Columbia College Chicago.
LIVING NEWSPAPER:
THE NEXT GENERATION
A free multigenerational education program in partnership with the Chicago Park District and CoGen!
Welcome to Living Newspaper: The Next Generation, a unique blend of drama class, creative writing, devising, producing, and performing all while collaborating across generations. Jackalope Theatre Company instructors Kaiser Ahmed & Hudson Therriault facilitate Youth and Elders in an 8-week program that will explore and interpret current events through the expressive genre of the arts. Sign up through the Parks portal and don't let tuition costs become a barrier from professional theatre training.
Living Newspaper: The Next Generation
Fall Session
October 15th 25th - December 10th, 2025
Mondays & Wednesdays 4:15-5:45 PM
(Afternoon Snack Provided!)
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Online Enrollment Begins Sept. 25th 2025 at 9am
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CoGen grants will use engagement with the arts to offer intentional opportunities for intergenerational interaction. In doing so, CoGen will help to combat ageism.
JACKALOPE
PLAYWRIGHTS
LAB
Created by Jackalope Company Member and acclaimed playwright, Calamity West, the Jackalope Playwrights Lab is the staple course offered by Jackalope and has led to the development of dozens of new plays further developed and produced around the country. Through an application process, Playwrights Lab pairs an Instructor with 6-8 participants to meet for eight weeks as they develop each participant’s full length play.
PLAYWRIGHTS LAB: Summer Session with Calamity West
June 14th - Aug. 2nd, 2025
Sessions meet in-person on Saturdays from 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM CST at Jackalope Theatre in Broadway Armory Park, 5917 N Broadway, Chicago
(off July 5th for holiday)
This in-person summer session of the Jackalope Playwrights Lab spanning seven-weeks will offer you weekly workshops, writing and reading assignments, reflections on playwriting fundamentals, conversations on the creative process, and of course - the support you need to leap into the world you're creating. Hope you can join us!
COST: $350 paid in two installments.
APPLICATION GUIDELINES: SUMMER SESSION 2025
- Accepting 6 Applicants: This Playwrights Lab Session is open to everyone - whether they have a first, second, 100th, or no draft at all.
- In-Person Only: Applicants must be available for the entirety of the dates and times.
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APPLICATIONS OPEN: Applications accepted starting May 6th, 2025.
APPLICATIONS CLOSED: Application deadline is June 1st, 2025 at midnight.
APPLICANTS NOTIFIED: All applicants will be notified by June 6th, 2025, by end of day.
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TO APPLY:
Please send a one-page statement of intent describing the play you want to develop in Playwrights Lab along with a 10-page sample from said play. Email all materials as individual attachments to playwrightslab@jackalopetheatre.org during the application timeframes with the subject line: APPLICATION: SUMMER 2025 - [Name]
Financial assistance may be available, upon request.
Calamity West is an award-winning playwright whose work has been presented at The Lortel, Primary Stages, The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Roundabout Underground, The Goodman, and Jackalope Theatre – to name a few. Through 2026 Calamity West will be developing her work at Primary Stages as a member of the Dorothy Strelsin New American Writers Group where she has (so far) written FEAST! - and - Sgt. Hank Cole’s Drama Club of Algona. West is also working on her newest play Inside the World of Somewhere Else, commissioned by Red Yes Studio in New York City. Calamity teaches playwriting at the University of Chicago, Einhorn School of the Performing Arts in New York, and literature at her alma mater of Webster University. For more information on Calamity and her work please visit calamitywest.com where you can also subscribe to her monthly newsletter.
SESSION ENDED. STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT ROUND
PLAYWRIGHTS
LAB
ALUMNI &
SUCCESSES
THE YOUNG ONES
BRYNNE FRAUENHOOFER
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The Young Ones, written for Jackalope Playwrights Lab in the summer of 2018, went on to receive a staged reading with First Floor Theater .
LITTLESPACE, OR
THE DADDY PLAY
MARJORIE MULLER
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littlespace, or the daddy play, which was developed in the Summer 2019 session, will receive its world premiere production with NoMads Art Collective in May of 2020.
MOSQUE4MOSQUE
OMER ABBAS SALEM
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Mosque4Mosque, written in the Summer 2018 Lab, was a runner up for Theatre Viscera's Queer Playwriting Contest and won the National Queer Theater's 2020 Playwriting Contest. It will receive a staged reading at the New Voices Festival.
T Y A
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this is what is chose no i'm not sorry and yes if you'd ask i'd do it again by Daria Miyeko Marinelli is a new play about choice that offers agency to young actors, flexibility to educators, and tries to make sense about loss. Company member Will Kiley directs the development process.
this is what i chose... was originally developed in 2017 & 2018 in partnership with Broadway Training Center of Westchester under Artistic Directors Jason Brantman and Fiona Santos. Through a collaboration with director Will Kiley, this is what i chose...has since received a reading at the University of Texas at Austin, acceptance into the 2020 Cohort of The Kennedy Center & TYA-USA’s New Visions New Voices via Jackalope Theatre, and a year-long workshop at Weiss High School.
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ABOUT THE PLAY: Even after William’s death, high school life has trudged on. But when Sara & Aimée start planning “Alive Together” to honor William, his sibling Vivian finally takes a stand and ask-demands Sara to cancel the event.
But should Vivian get to decide, given that William and Sara were “a thing, like romantically” and The Band has been planning their debut for the event? And did anyone think to ask Brett and Aüge who really knew Will, but have been cutting class all year? And what’s going on between Brett and Aüge anyway?
With three moments of decision and eight play tracks, this is what i chose and no i'm not sorry and yes if you'd ask i'd do it again is a birufcating modular play that explores who has ownership over a tragedy, when to stand by your friends, and what it is to try and make sense of a loss when you still have to show up and survive school every single day.