Guest Instructors & Speakers

Austin Pendelton is a member of the Steppenwolf Company and an adjunct professor with The Conservatory. His feature film credits include: The Civilization of Maxwell Bright, Dirty Work, Christmas with the Kranks, Piccadilly Jim, Finding Nemo, A Beautiful Mind, 2 Days in the Valley & My Cousing Vinny. Television credits include: Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Joan of Arcadia, Touched by an Angel, Oz, The West Wing, The Practice & Homicide: Life on the Streets. Stage credits include: Numerous On & Off Broadway productions, such as The Diary of Anne Frank, Hail Strawdyke, & Hamlet; numerous Steppenwolf productions such as Uncle Vanya & Valparaiso. Awards & nominations include: Tony Nomination for Direction of The Little Foxes Off-Broadway, LA Drama Critics Award - Best Writing for Orson's Shadow

K. Todd Freeman - Steppenwolf Theatre ensemble member for over 12 years and adjunct professor with The conservatory. Broadway credits include: The Song of Jacob Zulu (1993, Tony Nomination and Outer Critics Circle nominations for Best Actor), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (2001) Off-Broadway credits include: Drama Dept. (founding member): Uncle Tom’s Cabin; Public Theatre: Spunk; Lincoln Center: Ubu; Theatre Row Theatre: Freefall. Regional Theatre credits include: Alley Theatre - Topdog/Underdog, The Invention of Love, Of Mice and Men, A Christmas Carol, Art, Romeo and Juliet; Steppenwolf Theatre (Company member since 1993): Master Harold and the Boys (director - Steppenwolf for Young Adults), Topdog/Underdog (Black Theatre Alliance Award Best Actor), We All Went Down to Amsterdam, Libra, A Clockwork Orange; Mark Taper Forum: Angels in America; Baltimore Center Stage: Miss Evers’ Boys; Dallas Theatre Center & Hartford Stage: Topdog/Underdog

Nationally and internationally respected, award-winning actress, Rondi Reed, has had great success across all media. A long time Steppenwolf Ensemble member, (most recently "August: Osage County") (after a long Chicago run in "Wicked"), she received a Joseph Jefferson award for "The Fall to Earth," and took the company's "Side Man" to Australia & Ireland, "Picasso at the Lapin Agile" Off-Broadway and to Los Angeles & San Francisco and "The Rise and Fall of Little Voice" to Broadway.

Rondi has also directed at Steppenwolf, including "Lydie Breeze" which was also performed in Australia at the Festivals of Sydney and Perth. Her acting includes film ("The Astronaut's Wife:, "Eye for an Eye"), and TV (Fargo, Seinfeld, Normal, Grace Under Fire and many more). A stimulating and dedicated teacher, her students are always wowed by her generosity of spirit and depth of knowledge.

Annabel Armour makes time to share with student actors the depth of artistry and industry knowledge she has developed in her constantly busy career. She is a company member with Remy Bumpo Theatre (where she has appeared in "Heartbreak House", "Hapgood", "Top Girls", "A Delicate Balance", "Humble Boy", "Aren't We All", "Power", "Mrs. Warren's Profession" and others). In demand by other theatres some of her favorite work includes, "Angel's in America"(Journeymen), "Long Day's Journey" (Irish Rep and Galway Arts Festival), "Sunday in the Park with George" (Chicago Shakespeare),"Before My Eyes" (Victory Gardens), "Butcher of Baraboo " (Steppenwolf ), "Grapes of Wrath" (Ford's Theatre, DC), "The Suicide "(Goodman Theatre), "Glass Menagerie" (Cincinnati Playhouse), "Fallen Angels" (Writers Theatre).

This award-winning (multiple Jeff's, multiple After Darks) actress's film credits include "The Amityville Horror", "Lifelike", "Stolen Summer", "White Boyz", "Mercury Rising", and "Men Don't Leave," and on television you many have seen her in "Prison Break", "In the Company of Darkness", "Missing Persons", "The Untouchables", "What a Dummy" (series regular).

Act One Classes