The Chicago Activator - Feb. 23, 2016

Official E-Newsletter of the SAG-AFTRA Chicago Local

IN THIS ISSUE The Solo Performer

February 23, 2016

Actors' Equity Association's National Equal Employment Opportunity Committee Presents

KMRC Tech Night Election Workers Needed Scholarships

The Solo Performer

Labor Leader Lecture Focus Awards

Saturday, Feb. 27

Greater Chicago Food Depository Farewell Linda

Details below.

Actors' Equity Association's National Equal Employment Opportunity Committee Presents The Solo Performer (Working for Yourself) Are you writing and/or developing a one-person show? Are you ready to produce and perform your one-person show? Not sure how to do it? Actors' Equity can help.

9 a.m. - noon Saturday, Feb. 27 The Goodman Theatre 170 N. Dearborn Street Chicago, IL 60601 The professional panel includes: David Rice (actor, director, playwright, and First Folio Theatre producer), Angela Iannone (actor, playwright), Kurt Johns (actor, playwright, director, and SoloChicago Theatre producer), Wendy Whiteside (actor, playwright, and American Blues Theatre producer).

Ron Keaton, facilitator This workshop is open to all Actors' Equity members and to all Equity member candidates. Non-Equity actors will be admitted as space permits.

KMRC Tech Night 7 - 9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25 This workshop includes an overview of basic computer knowledge (both Mac and PC), email and Internet tips, how to personalize your Actors Access and Casting Networks accounts, along with creating social media accounts like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr. You will learn computer shortcuts, tips and tricks on using the Web, and about the options available to you when creating an online presence.

Register online or email Chris Peak at chris@kmrcchicago.org.

It is your generosity that allows us to keep the KMRC free for members of SAG-AFTRA. Every donation helps! Thank you.

March 15 Primary Election Poll Workers Needed. Do Good. Get paid.

The Cook County Clerk's office is in need of poll workers to serve voters in suburban Cook County for the March 15 presidential primary. Having a broad spectrum of community members working together to serve voters in local polling places is a critical part of the democratic process.

There are two positions available: election judge or equipment manager. Both assist voters and ensure the polling place is running smoothly. Equipment managers have greater responsibility for setting up and maintaining the voting equipment. Due to the additional responsibility, equipment managers receive more training and higher pay. Election judges earn $175. Equipment managers earn $325. This video describes both jobs. There is a particular need for people to serve in the northern suburbs of Cook County. Bilingual judges are always needed.

To learn more or submit an application, please contact mark.mesle@cookcountyil.gov.

Applications for Scholarships Now Available The SAG-AFTRA Foundation has three types of scholarships available for eligible SAG-AFTRA members and their dependents: 

The John L. Dales Standard Scholarship is awarded to eligible SAG-AFTRA members and their dependents for study at accredited institutions of higher education;

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The John L. Dales Transitional Scholarship is awarded to eligible SAG-AFTRA members to pursue related professions within the entertainment industry or change their career paths;

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The George Heller Memorial Scholarship is awarded to eligible SAG-AFTRA members and their dependents for study at accredited institutions of higher education.

There is a single online application that must be filled out to apply for the SAG-AFTRA Foundation scholarships. The Foundation staff determines which scholarship criteria (Dales or Heller) the applicant meets. An applicant may qualify for only one scholarship per year.

Application deadline is March 31. For more information and to apply, please visit sagaftra.foundation.

CFL Applications for the Chicago Federation of Labor's 2016 William A. Lee Memorial Scholarship are available on the CFL website. Five academic-based scholarships and five random-drawing scholarships in the amount of $2,000 each will be awarded to high school seniors who will be graduating in the spring of 2016.

More information and the application is available online. The application deadline is Tuesday, March 1.

The applicant or his/her parent must be a member in good standing of a union affiliated with the Chicago Federation of Labor. SAG-AFTRA is an affiliate. All applications must be signed by one of the top officers of the member's local union.

Union Plus Scholarship Program The Union Plus Scholarship program, now in its 24th year, has awarded more than $3.7 million in educational funding to more than 2,500 union family members.

The 2016 Union Plus Scholarship application is now available online.

These programs are being produced and administered by entities independent of SAG-AFTRA. Any questions must be handled by the provider.

The 11th Distinguished Labor Leader Lecture 3 p.m. Thursday, March 10 IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law 565 W. Adams St. Chicago, IL Lecturer: Tefere Gebre, AFL-CIO Executive Vice President The Distinguished Labor Leader Lecture is presented as a public service by the Chicago Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO and Chicago-Kent College of Law and its Institute for Law and the Workplace.

Titled Changing the Rules to Create Shared Prosperity, Tefere will share his thoughts and engage in a discussion of ideas with students and the public about why and how we need to change the rules.

This event is free and open to the public. Please register online by March 7.

Chicago members Ashley Dearborn and Greg Cervantez attend the SAG-AFTRA-sponsored Women in Film Focus Awards on Jan. 28.

The mission of the Focus Awards is twofold: to raise the necessary capital to provide quality programming, networking and mentorship opportunities for women in the advertising, film and television industries and to honor the accomplishments of the noted "superwomen" who continually put Chicago on the map.

SAG-AFTRA members, staff and guests volunteer at the Greater Chicago Food Depository on Feb. 5.

The GCFD is a nonprofit food distribution and training center providing food for hungry people and striving to end hunger in our community. The GCFD distributes donated and purchased food through a network of 650 pantries, soup kitchens and shelters to 678,000 adults and children in Cook County every year.

Thank You, Linda The members and staff would like to thank Linda Swenson for her years of service to SAG-AFTRA. As the Chicago Local director of communications, she has been the voice behind this newsletter since its inception in 2001. While The Activator will continue, she will be missed. Linda retired on Feb. 12 and we wish her well.

Thanks, Linda!

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