Helena Scholz-Carlson is an Evanston based actor, artist, and baker. She studied acting at the Great River Shakespeare Festival and graduated from Northwestern University in 2018, where she studied theater with a focus on playwriting. She has a passion for heightened text and truthful, grounded acting. Favorite roles include Bolingbroke in Richard II (Sandbox Theatre Collective & Circuit Theatre Co), Romeo in R&J (NU), and Laura in Tea & Sympathy (NU). Helena is a member of Laughing Stock, Chicago’s premier commedia dell’arte ensemble, and Sandbox Theatre Collective. She is also a pastry chef in training with Michèle Millan Bakes. Helena believes strongly in the power of Meisner acting work to unlock greater freedom, ease, and connection. She is deeply grateful to be a part of this community.

Cordie Nelson is a playwright and director based in Chicago with a deep-rooted passion for Meisner Technique and over a decade of teaching experience. She received her BA from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2012, where she assistant taught both graduate and undergraduate Meisner classes under Professor Sean Boyd, who trained under Steve Rapella and Bill Esper at UTA. After graduation, she led independent Meisner training in Chicago, preparing students to move beyond intro levels in many local storefront studios.

In 2014, Cordie began her training as both a student and instructor at Green Shirt Studio, studying under Sommer Austin and Andrew Gallant, whose lineage traces back to Larry Silverberg. She has since taught every course level at Green Shirt—from intro to advanced scene study—and continues to bring her sharp eye and empathetic approach to each class. Her additional role as a Quality and Assurance Market Trainer for La Colombe in Chicago and Texas speaks to her strength in developing others, and her belief in the “see one, do one, teach one” method fuels her work. Cordie now serves as the Director of Teacher Development at Green Shirt Studio, a role that not only allows her to shape the next generation of teachers, but also deepens her own practice. She cares deeply about her students and knows that, with dedication, this technique can transform them into powerful, truthful artists.