Testimonials

Testimonials

  • "Black Box is the real deal. If you want to be brave and truthful, go there. An actor couldn't be in better hands."

    Amy Morton
    Steppenwolf Theatre Ensemble
    Tony Nominee, August: Osage County

  • "Black Box classes have challenged me to be present without forcing anything, even if it means being ugly or ridiculous or unsure of what comes next."

    Christine Lin
    Black Box Student
    Broadway Actor, Chinglish

  • "Audrey Francis and Laura Hooper are simply top of the line instructors.  They create a safe and open environment where actors can open up, be vulnerable, honest and in the moment. Their training is ensemble based yet they know when to ‘collaborate’ with the group and when to focus on the solo artist. I recommend them highly."

    Erica Daniels
    Associate Artistic Director
    Steppenwolf Theatre

  • "Being a student at Black Box has been the single most important experience in my professional life. No one here will coddle you. When you think you're working your hardest, they'll tell you to work harder. When you want to quit they'll ask you, honestly and without judgment, if that's the kind of actor you want to be. And you'll come out a braver, smarter and better actor for it. "

    Sarah-Jayne Ashenhurst
    Black Box Student
    Actor

  • "The instructors at Black Box provide shining examples of how to be successful professional actors in the city of Chicago. I am consistently impressed with the artists that emerge from Black Box. Black Box instructors and students are hardworking artists that always impress and surprise. Working actors would do well to study with the accomplished instructors at Black Box."

    Mickie Paskal, CSA
    PR Casting

  • "Black Box instructors not only developed my appreciation and love for the art of acting, but they've deepened my understanding of the world and my place within it."

    Heather Jencks
    Black Box Student
    Actor

  • "The energy between Black Boxers is one of a kind — you can truly feel the camaraderie."

    Matthew George
    Playwright

  • "I love watching actors like Audrey and Laura – they have incredible access to their emotional wells because they understand that they need to bring themselves into every role. Their incredible personalities and fierce honesty make them two of the hottest young actors in Chicago. Their brand of acting excites audiences by embracing honesty in each moment on stage. They’re smart, talented and completely unique."

    Adam Belcuore
    Casting Director
    Goodman Theatre

  • "Black Box is the best place to go for an actor who's stuck. I rediscovered my imagination and my passion for this business."

    Laura Korn
    Black Box Student
    Actor

  • "Black Box is teaching me to be a warrior."

    Todd Kiech
    Black Box Student
    Actor + Dancer

  • "They are incredibly gifted teachers who have the ability to teach each student in the way they need to be taught. It is a marvel to sit in class watching them recognize the needs of each student and responding in a way that is clearly tailored to that particular person. I have found a home at Black Box."

    Lindsay Nance
    Black Box Student
    Actor

  • "Black Box is the training ground for fearless acting."

    Jacob A. Ware
    Black Box Student
    Actor

  • "Black Box Acting has absolutely transformed my work as an actor, and even shifted the way I show up in life."

    Jennifer Alexander
    Black Box Student
    Actor

  • "The ability to identify emotional behavior in my scene partners, and myself, is invaluable in the improv world.  What I've learned at Black Box keeps me in the moment on stage, and grounds everything I say and do in truth... whether I am playing a guy on a camping trip with his best friend, the floor of an apartment building that can talk, or a dingo who has just watched his wife get run over by a car."

    Toph Enamy
    Black Box Student
    Actor + Improvisor

  • "As a dancer, Black Box showed me how to face my fears with my whole body."

    Anna Zimowska
    Black Box Student
    Dancer

  • "I am so grateful that Black Box exists."

    Tim Cunningham
    Black Box Student
    Actor

  • "They create and nurture a safe environment in which I've learned how to become honest in my work as an actor. I'm learning how to get past my fears, not apologize for my work, and know what I bring to the table as an actor. Trust me, these ladies are onto something."

    Mandy Walsh
    Black Box Student
    Actor