Meet Our Coaches
Allison Grischow, Owner
What Brings Me Joy: Exploring places I’ve never been, Fountains, Rice Pudding, and Sunflowers
I Love to Teach: Animation and Commercial Voiceover, On Camera Acting and Scene Study, Piano and Voice, and helping people find the next steps to make their careers their own & follow their joy boldly
Pronouns: She/They
Hi! I'm Allison! I'm an actor, improviser, musician, voiceover artist, and aerialist. (As you can probably tell, I love to be creative in many, many ways.)
I have degrees in Theatre and Music from Valparaiso University as well as Second City’s Music Improv Conservatory. I've studied Contemporary British Theatre in the heart of London and the Stanislavsky tradition at the Moscow Art Theatre School. Recently you may have heard my voice on The Onion's podcast, "The Topical" or singing and running through fake snow in The Lilly Theater's production of The Magic Snowman.
I believe that creating should be a joyful experience. It can absolutely be hard work as well, but I believe that by following our joy as artists, so much more is possible.
Mathias Blake
What Brings Me Joy: Freshly Made Baked Goods, Fantasy/ Masquerade/ Costumed Balls, The Quiet of Freshly Fallen Snow, A Table Full of Friends Playing Dungeons & Dragons
I Love to Teach: Career Coaching, Voiceover (Animation/ Video Games), Clown & Mask, On-Camera & Audition Technique
Pronouns: They/Them
Hi I’m Mathias! To be an artist is to wear many hats... I've been a producer, director, actor, technician, casting intern... I've worked across multiple disciplines, ranging from clown work to voiceover, improv to stage and film, even video game capture! After graduating from The University of Iowa, I worked in Chicago for 8 years in film, industrials, voiceover, theatre, and television (background & stand-in work too)! Even created my own 12 episode web series, Life of Harold. Now, I'm a company member of EPIC Players Los Angeles, repped by BMG Talent, and work in both Los Angeles & Chicago.
Outside of the art scene, I teach rock climbing, geek out over Dungeons & Dragons, and host elaborate, immersive, fantasy-themed events!
Brenna DiStasio
What Brings Me Joy: Game Nights, Maple Scones, Puzzles, Spooky Movies/All Things Halloween
I Love to Teach: Technique (Stanislavski/Uta Hagen),
Commercial Auditioning,
Exploring Body and Voice with Play, and O
n Camera Technique.
Pronouns: She/Her
Hi, I'm Brenna! I absolutely adore being an actor and a teacher and I take playing pretend very seriously. I'm a full time actor, teacher, and I also run The Story Theatre with an amazing group of artists. I love working on commercial auditions, and digging into text analysis. Playing with the range of sounds our voices can make and exploring how we can tell stories with our bodies are some of my favorite things to do. I like to prescribe a healthy balance of books to help deepen your acting technique, and people watching/imagination to keep the joy in our work. Represented by Gray Talent Group, I work in theatre, television and commercials throughout Chicago.
Denzel Tsopnang
What Brings Me Joy: Reading, Teaching, Hosting Get Togethers
I Love to Teach: Any Audition Prep Classes (general or specific), Voice, Text and Music Analysis
Pronouns: He/Him
Raised in the Chicago suburbs, I’m a graduate of Millikin University with a BFA in Musical Theatre and a minor in Dance. I started off in Chicago with Griffin Theatre's Jeff Nominated Balm in Gilead and since then, have had the pleasure of working with many other regional theatres such as American Blues Theater, Peninsula Players, Chicago Dramatists, Court Theatre, Drury Lane Oakbrook and The Marriott Lincolnshire. I treasure getting to spend time with and cook for my friends and family and I aim to bring that same welcome and open environment into my classes!
Tamsen Glaser
What Brings Me Joy: Houseplants, Movie Nights, Peppermint Tea, Traveling by Train
I Love to Teach: Acting and Music Fundamentals, Beginning Piano and Voice, Commercial Voiceover, On Camera Technique, Shakespeare and Classical Text Analysis, Audition Coaching, Children’s Yoga, and Imaginative Play
Pronouns: She/Her
Hey, I’m Tamsen! I’m an actor, classically trained singer, commercial voiceover actor, writer, and cabaret performer.
I have a BFA in Acting and a BA in Vocal Performance from Western Michigan University, and a MFA in Acting from the University of Washington’s Professional Actor Training Program, and I am represented by DDO Chicago!
I’ve enjoyed working in a ton of different styles and mediums, from puppeteering to opera to a commercial voiceover to network television. I love to incorporate all of my experiences into my teaching to best meet my students where they’re at. Then we build our goals together!
My favorite thing is tailoring my curriculum to each student’s unique needs, incorporating imaginative work with our bodies and voices along with research and exploration into the topics that interest them most. My life’s goal is simply to do great work with great people. I proudly carry that philosophy into my teaching, so let’s do something great - and have some serious fun while we’re at it!
Casey Cross
What Brings Me Joy: Three things that bring me joy are walking my dog, cooking with friends, and great sci-fi novels.
Favorite Subjects to Teach: Music theory, Composition, and always improvising!
Hello! I’m Casey Cross, a dedicated music educator and professional pianist based in Chicago, with a robust performance career spanning over a decade. I hold a Master of Music from the University of Washington, and I have served as a pianist for prestigious institutions such as the Joffrey Ballet, Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre, and Roosevelt University. This extensive background in high-level performance, from ballet companies to dueling piano stages with Felix & Fingers, provides the real-world foundation for my teaching. My experience also includes music direction for theater and worship, serving as a Music Director for two university theater programs and the Episcopal church. I have worked extensively as a vocal coach and accompanist, supporting singers in a myriad of settings and helping everyone achieve a healthy sound.
At the heart of my teaching philosophy is a simple, powerful principle: it has to start with fun. I believe that joy is the essential engine for progress, as fun promotes consistent practice, which in turn builds technical capacity and musical confidence. This growing competence then produces even more enjoyment, creating a positive, self-reinforcing cycle of learning. It’s my foremost goal to guide each student with expertise, patience, and a shared sense of adventure, ensuring our journey of making music is always engaging and rewarding!