Today we’d like to introduce you to Edward Dennis Fogell.
Edward, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My career in entertainment started in the ’60s when I became the leader of several bands, including “The Rockin’ Relations”, “Beveryl Wright and The Second Generations”, “Rain”, “Bloody Monday”, “Sunnyside Up” and, the most popular, “Ed Fogell’s Cabaret.” We toured all through the US and globally doing concerts in Hawaii, Japan, Korea, China etc., serving as an opening act for many big name artists.
I started training as an actor in the 80s, and studied at Michael Shurtleff’s school in New York, Victory Gardens in Chicago, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, and most prominently at the Ted Liss School of Drama in Chicago.
Following Ted’s passing in 1992, I founded the Chicago Actors Studio to carry on his tradition of high standards in training actors. Since then, in addition to teaching, I’ve directed, produced and performed in a variety of films, tv shows, and theatrical productions, including the Silver Hugo Award & LA Telly Award winner “It Takes A Lot Of Light To Make A City.”
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
One of the biggest struggles has been trying to avoid making the Chicago Actors Studio nothing more than a commercial venture. I try to give my students honesty as part of their training and push them when they need it, instead of just giving them a lot of fluff, so to speak. This may rub some people the wrong way, or offend some students, but I want to give my students the training they need, and sometimes that means not telling them what they want to hear.
I’m not in this business just to become rich. I feel an immense sense of pride when my students go on to be successful. If they get cast in something, I feel like that’s me getting cast in that role because it’s such a close relationship I have with. It’s like I’ve been entrusted with their dream, and I don’t want to violate that trust.
To put that in perspective, I see a lot of other places that advertise like crazy, telling their students that they’ll turn them into a big star overnight. Places that won’t ever challenge their students or make them work hard at their craft because they don’t want the students to get frustrated and just want to keep on collecting their tuition.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the The Chicago Actors Studio story. Tell us more about the business.
Our school is rooted in “The Method”, the corner stone of professional training, created by Constantin Stanislavsky, learned by countless famous award-winning actors/actresses of film and television and taught by the Lee Strasberg institute in New York and West Hollywood, Uta Hagen, HB Studios, New York, and Stella Adler to name a few.
Our workshops also incorporate the teaching of Sanford Meisner and the 12 Guideposts of Michael Shurtleff, which are both basically techniques devised from the teachings of Stanislavsky himself, but approaching them from other innovative perspectives.
Since each individual is unique, teachers at The Chicago Actors Studio give each student special individualized attention, utilizing these various tools and combinations to whatever extent necessary to tap into and bring about each students unique creative inner-self. This specialized attention, not seen at any other school, is extended even far after a student may graduate, venturing out into the wonderful worlds of Stage, Screen, Television and industrial markets. A student may always find support needed at CAS, while actively pursuing their passions. We are dedicated to each and every student that passes through our doors and that is the bottom line.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I say, the harder you work, the luckier you get. As an example, I have a poster for Gollahan speakers hanging up in my studio, featuring me and my band back in the 70s. We were actually approached by the head of that company to help advertise the brand when he came to one of our shows and liked what he saw. When I tell that story to people, they say “Wow, you were so lucky to be in the right place at the right time.” But they’re missing the point. He would never have offered us the chance if he thought we were no good. There are golden opportunities all around us, but they’ll pass you by if you let them. That’s how you make your own luck.
Pricing:
- Acting As A Craft (our main program, taught at Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced level) $290.00 for 8 weeks.
- On-Camera classes – $345.00 for 8 weeks
- Audition Monologue & Cold Reading class – $290.00 for 8 weeks
- Voice & Diction and Accent Reduction class – $250.00 for 6 weeks
- On-Camera classes for kids & teens – $285.00 for 7 weeks
- Meisner Technique – $195.00 for 8 weeks
- Private Lessons – $75.00/hour
- One-on-one Career counseling – $75.00/hour (discounts available for students)
Contact Info:
- Address: The Chicago Actors Studio
2040 N. Elston Ave.,
Chicago, Illinois 60614 - Website: www.chicagoactorsstudio.net
- Phone: 773-645-0222
- Email: chicagoactorsstudio@gmail.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChicagoActorsStudio/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/chiactorsstudio
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