The Chicago Activator - October 31, 2016

Official E-Newsletter of the SAG-AFTRA Chicago Local

October 31, 2016

IN THIS ISSUE Meet & Greet w/ President Carteris SAG Awards Voting Privileges TV/Theatrical W&W Meetings SAG-AFTRA Conservatory Chicago Local Remembers

The Chicago Local Remembers

Local News Singers Committee

Herb Kent and Jane Alderman

2017 IAP Grants Audition Psych 101

Meet & Greet with SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris SAG-AFTRA invites all active members in good standing to attend a special meet-and-greet with SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris on Nov. 14.

When: 5 - 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 14 Where: SAG-AFTRA 1 E. Erie, Suite 650 Chicago, IL 60611 RSVP to Shayna Young at shayna.young@sagaftra.org Space is limited. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

This meeting is only open to paid-up SAG-AFTRA members in good standing. Unfortunately, no guests allowed. Parents/guardians of younger performers under 18 years old are welcome. SAGAFTRA members, please bring your membership card (paid through Oct. 31, 2016) for admittance.

SAG Awards Voting Privileges Only active, paid-up union members are given the opportunity to vote for the recipients of the Screen Actors Guild Awards' coveted Actor statuette. November 2016 dues must be paid by Thursday, Dec. 1, in order for members to be eligible to vote and receive For Your Consideration materials.

Visit the SAG Awards at sagawards.org.

Television/Theatrical Contract W&W Performer Meetings SAG-AFTRA is pleased to announce the beginning of the TV/Theatrical wages and working conditions (W&W) process in preparation for negotiation of the TV/Theatrical Contracts that expire June 30, 2017. These formal meetings use the information and ideas gathered from the caucuses to create proposals for the 2017 contract negotiations.

If you have worked on a project under the TV or Theatrical Contracts as a principal performer in the past three years, you are strongly encouraged to attend one of the following meetings: When: Noon, Wednesday, Nov. 9 Noon, Thursday, Nov. 17 5:30 p.m., Monday, Nov. 28 Where: SAG-AFTRA 1 E. Erie, Suite 650 Chicago, IL 60611 RSVP: Kathy Byrne at kathy.byrne@sagaftra.org Park at 10 East Ontario. Enter on the north side of Ontario between Wabash and State, and then take a ticket. When you sign in, you may purchase a four-hour ticket for $13 cash, $14 Visa, MasterCard or American Express payment. You will need both tickets to exit the parking structure.

Email Suggestions: Can't make it to a committee meeting? You can still play an active part by emailing your ideas to wandw2017@sagaftra.org. All recommendations must be received by Friday, Nov. 18, 2016. All proposal recommendations will be reviewed by the Wages & Working Conditions Committee.

Attention members who are actively producing: SAG-AFTRA members who are actively producing cannot attend the W&W Committee meetings due to conflict of interest.

SAG-AFTRA Conservatory: Functionary and Small Roles for Episodic TV & Film This interactive conservatory will focus on the best way to approach the one-liner for film and television productions and what type of techniques you should be using to prepare for the audition.

Guests: Rachael Patterson, director of Acting Studio Chicago and Adria Dawn, SAG-AFTRA actress/coach When: 6 - 8 p.m., Monday, Nov. 21 Where: Kaufherr Members Resources Center (KMRC) 1 E. Erie, Suite 660 Chicago, IL 60611 Please RSVP to kathy.byrne@sagaftra.org to reserve your space.

Park at 10 East Ontario. Enter on the north side of Ontario between Wabash and State, and then take a ticket. When you sign in, you may purchase a four-hour ticket for $13 cash, $14 Visa, MasterCard or American Express payment. You will need both tickets to exit the parking structure.

This meeting is only open to paid-up SAG-AFTRA members in good standing. Unfortunately, no guests allowed. Parents/guardians of younger performers under 18 years old are welcome. SAGAFTRA members, please bring your membership card (paid through Oct. 31, 2016) for admittance.

SAG-AFTRA Chicago Local Remembers Herb Kent and Jane Alderman The Chicago entertainment community suffered two significant losses last weekend. While the Chicago Local mourns the loss of Herb Kent and Jane Alderman, we are comforted in knowing that their impact on the entertainment industry will continue for years to come.

Herb "The Cool Gent" Kent passed away on Oct. 22 at the age of 88.

Kent, a SAG-AFTRA member since 1961, was one of the earliest African-American disc jockeys, with an impressive career that spanned over seven decades.

Kent has been honored with many accolades, including his 1995 induction into the Museum of Broadcast Communications. In 2009, the Guinness World Records certified Kent as the longest tenured DJ. From 1988 to 2016, Kent soothed audiences with his memorable voice and witty banter at WVAZ V103. A job he cherished and worked to the day he passed.

Not only was Kent a talented radio personality, he was also an influential figure in the Civil Rights movement. Throughout Kent's career, he used his platform to advocate for social and political justice and awareness. Kent was more than just a DJ for the lives he touched; he was also considered a godfather of the African-American community.

SAG-AFTRA Chicago Local Third Vice President Richard Steele shared his loving thoughts on his longtime friend and former colleague: "It's really hard to capture the magnitude of Herb Kent's presence in Chicago radio in just a few sentences. I knew him for 40 of his 71 years as an exceptional broadcast talent. To Chicago's African-American community, he was the Pied Piper of music radio for over seven decades. He's in the national Radio Hall of Fame and also the Guinness Book Of World Records for having been "a regular radio presenter/disc jockey since 1944". The Guinness representative from London came to Chicago to present the honor. Herb Kent represents an extraordinary segment of radio history in Chicago. His death truly signifies the end of an era."

Jane Alderman passed away on Oct. 23 at the age of 77. A SAG-AFTRA member since 1971, Alderman was a gifted actress and one of Chicago's prominent casting directors - casting over 100 film, television and theater productions.

One of those productions included the critically acclaimed film The Color Purple. Alderman's passion for putting Chicago talent on the map helped to kick off Oprah Winfrey's career in film, when she cast Winfrey in the role of Sofia. Alderman was known for loving actors, especially the Chicago talent she spent the majority of her career advocating.

Alderman was also a committed union member. She co-created Casting Access for the Chicago Local - a program that connects casting directors and actors. She was also one of the founding members of Women in Film and an original member of Casting Society of America.

Chicago treasures and gifts to the broadcast and television/film/theater industries, Kent and Alderman, will surely be missed. We send our condolences to their families and loved ones.

Local News Keep Your Agent in the Know If you book a project through your agent, please let them know when production contacts you directly. For example: If you book one of the nighttime dramas shooting here, your agent calls to say you got the part. Then production calls you to arrange a fitting, change your shooting date, ask you to do something that may resemble a stunt or other training. If production contacts you directly, chances are your agent is not aware of the changes and therefore cannot negotiate further provisions or pay in some circumstances, and he or she can't make sure you are being paid properly when your check comes in.

KMRC Construction Update The KMRC construction is finally complete. Hooray! The Kaufherr Center will feature a stylish and ergonomic redesign with state-of the-art equipment for ultimate comfort and productivity. Although construction is finished, it still needs some more time to set up the new equipment so the entire center can be operational.

The KMRC Video Suite is now open, in case you need to tape an audition. And there are two computers for use in the center.

To reserve the studio, email kathy.byrne@sagaftra.org. The entire center will not open until approximately Monday, Nov. 7. Regular updates will be available on the KMRC Facebook page and on the Chicago Local page of the SAG-AFTRA website.

Thank you for your patience.

Background Committee Find out what's going on nationally and locally concerning background actors. Share your concerns, learn how you can be involved with a commercial background initiative and help plan activities for the upcoming year.

The SAG-AFTRA Chicago Local Background Committee meets quarterly and is looking for additional members. Please contact Sean Hennessy at (312) 867-2549 or sean.hennessy@sagaftra.org, if you are interested in attending a meeting or joining the committee.

Singer committee members in their first performance of Oreo on Oct. 5 at Lincoln Elementary School.

2017 DCASE Individual Artists Program Grants The Individual Artists Program aims to assist Chicago's professional artists and creative entrepreneurs in creating work that elevates their careers and brings value to the City of Chicago.

This year's IAP program will include significant updates to guidelines and eligible program categories. All applicants are required to attend an Application Assistance Workshop in order to apply for a grant.

The free workshop schedule is as follows: Workshops at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington St., Chicago         

Monday, Nov. 7, 6 - 8 p.m., 2nd Floor Claudia Cassidy Theater Thursday, Nov. 10, 10 - Noon, 5th Floor Washington Room (sign language interpreter will be available at this workshop.)

Thursday, Nov. 10, 2 - 4 p.m., 5th Floor Garland Room Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2 - 4 p.m., 2nd Floor Claudia Cassidy Theater Thursday, Nov. 17, 10 - Noon, 4th Floor Sidney R. Yates Gallery Thursday, Nov. 17, 2 - 4 p.m., 4th Floor Sidney R. Yates Gallery Thursday, Nov. 17, 5 - 7 p.m., 4th Floor Sidney R. Yates Gallery Tuesday, Nov. 22, 10 - Noon, 2nd Floor Claudia Cassidy Theater Monday, Dec. 5, 6 - 8 p.m., 2nd Floor Claudia Cassidy Theater

Click here to sign up for one of these training sessions.

Workshop at Zhou B Art Center, 1029 W. 35th St., Chicago 

Wednesday, Nov. 9, 7 - 9 p.m.

Click here to sign up for this training session.

Workshop at Comfort Station, 2579 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago 

Tuesday, Nov. 15, 7 - 9 p.m. (Space is limited)

Click here to sign up for this training session.

Workshops will review updates to grant guidelines and eligibility requirements, review criteria and provide guidance to help applicants prepare the strongest, most competitive applications.

Following the presentation, there will be time for applicants to speak with DCASE staff and ask questions.

IAP guidelines will be available at chicagoculturalgrants.org on Nov. 1. The IAP application period opens on Dec. 1 and the deadline for applications is Jan. 13, 2017. Absolutely no extensions will be granted.

Member Discount to Audition Psych 101 Audition Psych 101 is a refreshing approach to the dreaded process. TV and stage actor Michael Kostroff (The Wire, The Good Wife) takes the fear out of the audition process with logic, humor and field-tested common sense in this popular four-hour workshop.

Where: The Vagabond School of the Arts 4001 N. Ravenswood Avenue, #504 Chicago, IL 60613 When: Two dates to choose from 2 - 6 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 5 2 - 6 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 6 Class fee: $75 (20 percent off for SAG-AFTRA members) Click here for registration, testimonials and information.

In response to members' requests to stay informed, The Activator may include notice of rallies, pickets and other actions by unions and the labor movement that have not been sanctioned by the National or Chicago Board of Directors of SAG-AFTRA. This information is provided as a convenience.

The information contained herein regarding workshops, vendors, special offers and the like is provided for informational purposes and is not intended to imply endorsement by SAG-AFTRA of them or the information, material, products or services provided. SAG-AFTRA makes no warranties or representations regarding the use of the material or the quality of the services or service providers.

SAG-AFTRA Chicago: (312) 573-8081 Email: chicago@sagaftra.org Website: SAGAFTRA.org