Welcome to SAG-AFTRA Chicago! As a local we advocate for and protect the rights and wages for actor/ performers, singers/recording artists, and broadcasters across Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and a portion of Iowa.
To our producers, casting directors and advertisers, rest assured our unique mix of theater, commercial, television and independent film makes Chicago the perfect location for exceptional talent. The training received from our world-class theaters and universities prepares our members for every set, booth and broadcasting floor.
With Chicago being a commercial and broadcasting hub, and with shows like The Bear; Chicago Fire, P.D. and Med; The Chi; Power Book IV: Force; Saturdays; and more, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to gain the experience and exposure needed to grow and sustain a fruitful career in the industry.
To our members, use this site and the app to stay connected with the local and the union nationwide. Visit the Kaufherr Resource Center for monthly workshops and training opportunities, use our fully equipped video and audio recording facilities, or meet and network with other members. Our goal is to engage, educate and empower our local community to stay #UnionStrong.
Charles Andrew Gardner
SAG-AFTRA Chicago Local President
Members of the Chicago Local gather at the Davis Theater to celebrate and watch the SAG Awards. The group mingled during a pre-show reception, a great chance to catch up with old friends and make new ones. Photo by Janelle Snow.
The Chicago Local delegation and staff at the fifth biennial convention, themed “Virtual / Vital / Visionary,” participating in the union’s governance agenda for the next two years.
Attendees at the Chicago Local Annual membership meeting held at Instituto de Cervantes on May 8, 2023. In addition to the annual business meeting, the members were treated to a panel of actors and casting directors for the hit show ‘The Bear.’
SAG-AFTRA members Carlos Rogelio Diaz and Ilse Zacharias at the SAG Awards Viewing party at Davis Theater on Feb. 26, 2023.
SAG-AFTRA Chicago Local members at the 'I Don't Dream in Spanish Anymore' table read on April 1, 2024. The event is part of the 'At the Table' series, an ongoing initiative between the Chicago Local and IFA Chicago that helps introduce local filmmakers to union talent that can help take their scripts to the next level. Photo by JC Farris.
From left, SAG-AFTRA Chicago Local President Charles Gardner, Association of Independent Commercial Producers President and Chief Executive Officer Matt Miller and SAG-AFTRA member Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel at the annual 2023 AICP Awards, a celebration of excellence in commercial production. Photo courtesy of AICP.
The ‘Short Film DIY’ series Class of 2019 at the Kaufherr Center. The series is a six-week course that teaches 25 local members how to make a short film from script to screen.
Members spend Volunteer Day 2023 at the Greater Chicago Food Depository on Feb. 10, 2023. Volunteering at the GCFD has become an annual Day of Service for members of the Chicago Local.
A once-in-a-lifetime photo op with Chicago Local members and 'CODA' star Marlee Matlin at Daley Center Plaza on July 26, 2023. Matlin's visit from Los Angeles to The Windy City was a great show of union solidarity during the TV/Theatrical strike!
Member participants in the Bud Billiken Parade in Chicago on Aug. 12, 2023. SAG-AFTRA Chicago Local members joined the Chicago Federation of Labor on their parade float to show (and receive!) support during the TV/Theatrical strike.
SAG-AFTRA Chicago Member Kevin Lingle donates blood at the annual blood drive in the KRC. Annually, Chicago Local members donate approximately 25 pints of blood to local blood banks, helping provide a needed resource for lifesaving procedures. That’s enough to help over 75 people in need!
From left, Chicago Local member Jose M. Cervantes; casting directors Jennifer Rudnicke, AJ Links and Mickie Pascal; member Richard Esteras; casting director Kaitlin Shaw and member Melanie Brezill at the local’s annual membership meeting on May 8, 2023.
Members Brian Plocharczyk, Duke Czlonka, Denise Jaeckel and John Carter Brown at the annual membership meeting on May 8, 2023.
Members and local singing talent, from left, Sandee Greene, Roland Parker, Mike Ward, Kathleen Lawlor, Ashley Dearborn and Suzi Petri at the Kaufherr Resource Center’s singers rehearsal in 2019.
Chicago Local
Chicago
1 East Erie, Suite #650Chicago , Illinois 60611
United States of America