I’m really excited to announce some big changes happening at Green Shirt starting this fall!

First, I’m proud to announce that I’ve named Jack Schultz as Managing Director of Green Shirt. If you don’t know Jack yet, you should. He is a very talented actor, teacher and storyteller in Chicago who has been teaching at Green Shirt for the last few years. I first met Jack in 2012 when he started taking Meisner classes with us, and I was instantly impressed with his passion, vulnerability, humility, and positive can-do attitude. Jack has a background in acting, improvisation and storytelling. He studied acting at DePaul Theatre School before studying the Meisner Technique with us, and he is a graduate of the iO Training Center. He wrote and produced his first one-person show, “I’m Falling in Love All the Time,” through The Agency Theater Collective, and after playing to sold-out audiences here in Chicago, Schultz now tours with his show to colleges and theaters throughout the country.

Over the last seven years, Jack has become an integral part of the Green Shirt community, volunteering countless hours with The Agency, putting up his own show at the Basement Series, teaching yoga classes for actors and more. He currently teaches Meisner classes and solo performance classes at Green Shirt and serves as the Co-Artistic Director of The Agency.

Jack and I will be co-teaching most of the Meisner acting class during the fall session, along with Cordie Nelson, and we are also excited to welcome back another instructor, Yvia LaVie, who is returning from Washington, DC. Yvia received her Meisner teaching certification from Larry Silverberg at the True Acting Institute in 2013, and most recently she has been teaching Meisner classes to veterans at the Armed Services Arts Partnership and WorkHouse Artes Center in Virginia.

After the fall session, I’m planning to step away from the day-to-day operations of the school to teach Meisner classes and workshops in North Carolina, as well as around the country. However, I’ll still be involved in the administration of the school and I plan to return to Green Shirt frequently to teach workshops and train instructors.

Jack plans to continue Green Shirt’s strong focus on Meisner Technique training, while also expanding the school’s mission to offer more classes aimed at helping people write, perform and produce their own storytelling pieces and one-person shows.

Secondly, I’m excited to announce that we’ll also be moving to a new location beginning Sept. 1 — 4001 N. Ravenswood, Suite 303-B, in Chicago. We’re going to be celebrating with a Opening Night party on Thursday, Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. Hope you can join us!

The space is gorgeous, and I think you’ll all love the big windows and open floor plan, not to mention the easy access to the Irving Park stop on the Brown line.

I hope you’ll continue to support us as we expand and grow, and help spread the word about our new endeavors!