Conservatory / diploma training · Initial professional preparation
The ACADEMY (five-month acting conservatory)
Black Box Acting Studio · Humboldt Park, Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Award
- No formal award
- Audience & level
- Adults
- Format
- In personFive months (100 days)
- Price
- $9,000whole program, 2027 ensemble
About this program
Application-entry five-month part-time acting conservatory teaching the Black Box Method (Meisner and Viewpoints), text analysis, classics, TV/film and commercial work, ending in a filmed industry showcase.
- Offering
- Conservatory / diploma training
- Fields
- Theatre acting, Screen acting, Actor training
- Advertised approaches
- Meisner Technique, ViewpointsAs advertised by the provider; this does not imply affiliation with any practitioner’s organisation.
- Purpose
- Initial professional preparation
- Teaching language
- English
Qualification and recognition
- Qualification
- Structured course (no award)
- Award status
- No awardThe course or class does not lead to a formal award.
Structure and schedule
- Duration
- Five months (100 days)
- Delivery
- In personTaught at the listed teaching location.
- Physical attendance
- Regular physical attendance
- Schedule
- Part-time, EveningsMonday through Friday; Daytime Ensemble 10am-1pm, Evening Ensemble 6:30pm-9:30pm; 2027 orientation June 7, 2027
- Course dates
- ACADEMY Orientation first day of classes June 7, 2027
- Teaching location
- Black Box Acting Studio2625 W. North Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
Admissions and auditions
Audition required
- Monologues
- One contemporary monologue or scene, 2 minutes maximum, plus a 2-minute self-taped artistic statement and introduction
- Self-tape
- Yes
- In-person audition
- Yes
- Audition detail
- Self-taped statement and audition, then in-person callback and interview if selected; letter of recommendation required at callback.
- Deadlines
- The final deadline to turn in the General Info Form to be considered for the 2027 ensemble is March 31, 2027, with self-tapes due no later than April 8, 2027.
- Official instructions
- Application and audition instructions
Fees
Original currency is authoritative. Each price keeps its basis (per class, per term, per year, whole program) and is never converted or added up for you.
Funding
Need-based financial aid and payment plans Bursary
Competitive
Not all applications will qualify
Performance opportunities
As published by the provider. Showcases and productions are opportunities to perform; they do not guarantee agents, auditions, casting, union eligibility or work.
- Showcase
- Yes
- Who takes part
- Industry Showcase with filmed scene work and monologues
- Industry invitations
- Black Box presents the work digitally to 300+ local and national agents, managers, casting directors, and other industry professionals (school statement)
- Screen projects
- Professionally filmed contemporary and classical audition monologues
- Career support
- Website with headshots, resume, bio; You Graduated, Now What? packet
Sources and verification
Not published on the program’s source pages: experience level.
Sources and how this was checked
Last checked 16 October 2026. Each fact carries a verbatim quote that is re-checked against the live page. Research methodology.
Sources (checked 16 October 2026)