CHICAGO TALENT DIRECTORY®
Resources for Local Talent
Chicago Talent Directory® (this site) ⭐
Chicago Talent Directory® is an independent, location-driven, curated online platform exclusively focused on Chicago and Illinois professional talent, being built to feature free talent profiles for casting and hiring, career resources for talent, and curated industry resources supporting Chicago and Illinois film, television, theatre, and media. Established in print in 1985, Chicago Talent Directory® was “Officially Recognized by the Illinois Film Office” in 1991.
The Showplace of Chicago Talent
Looking for a neighborhood, suburb, city, or studio location?
Visit the Chicago Talent Directory® Reference Maps.
Talent Resources Hub
Talent Resources
Chicago Talent Directory® is building this page as a starting point for talent navigating the Illinois market. Resources will be added and updated over time. Resources are listed alphabetically within categories.
Updated: September 2026
Creative Worker, Legal & Theatre Support Resources
DCASE Creative Worker Resources
City of Chicago resource page for local artists, creative workers, and cultural organizations.
Legal resources for artists and arts organizations.
League Service Organization Directory
Technical service and support organizations for the Chicago performing arts community.
Artist Emergency & Financial Assistance
Chicago Theater Bike Ride Fund
Volunteer-run nonprofit providing emergency financial assistance to members of Chicago’s arts community facing medical emergencies, end-of-life and funeral expenses, family loss, and other unforeseen crises. Also offers medical-emergency and end-of-life planning resources for artists and their families. Hosts the annual Chicago Theater Bike Ride as a fundraiser.Season of Concern Chicago
Entertainment Community Fund — Central Region/Chicago
Financial, Career, Health & Social Services for Entertainment Professionals
The Entertainment Community Fund provides programs and services for professionals working throughout the performing arts and entertainment industries, including theatre, film, television, radio, music, dance, opera and circus. Resources include emergency financial assistance, health care and insurance counseling, career development, financial wellness, housing resources and other social services.
The Fund maintains its Central Region office in Chicago and provides services to entertainment professionals in the region.
Chicago/Central Region:
8 South Michigan Avenue, Suite 2700
Chicago, IL 60603
312-372-0989
Services & Programs: https://entertainmentcommunity.org/services-and-programs
Emergency Financial Assistance: https://entertainmentcommunity.org/am-i-eligible-help
Season of Concern Chicago
Chicago provides short-term emergency financial assistance to Chicagoland theatre practitioners, including both Equity and non-Equity artists and workers. Assistance is available to eligible members of the theatre community facing illness, injury, health-related circumstances or other emergency financial needs.
Get Help: https://seasonofconcern.org/get-help/
Be CAST! Be SEEN! Be HIRED!
See a broken, outdated, or incorrect link? Help keep Chicago Talent Directory® current by notifying us through our Contact page.
Audition & Opportunity Sources
League of Chicago Theatres — Chicago Theatre Auditions
Official Chicago theatre audition board brought to you by the League of Chicago Theatres. Searchable audition listings for theatre work across Chicago, including Equity and Non-Equity categories.
Theatre In Chicago — Auditions
Chicago audition notice board from Theatre In Chicago. Includes All Auditions, Equity, Non-Equity, and Film audition categories. Theatre companies and casting agencies may submit audition notices at no cost.
Unions
Actors’ Equity Association – Central Regional Office
Chicago
Union representing professional stage actors and stage managers.
Chicago
Union representing performers in film, television, commercials, voiceover, broadcast, and recorded media.
Community-Maintained Theatre Reference Links
Chicago Theater Wiki — Theaters in Chicago (Reddit)
Community-maintained reference list of Chicago-area theatres, theatre companies, and performance venues.
Chicago Theater Wiki — Theatre-Related Websites (Reddit)
Community-maintained collection of Chicago theatre websites and industry resources.
© 2026 Chicago Talent Directory®. All rights reserved.
Chicago Talent Directory® is a publication of Chicago Talent Enterprises Inc.
Chicago Talent Directory® is a federally registered trademark owned by Nanci T. Ponne'
Published by Nanci T. Ponné, Founder / Publisher.
Bookstores
The Understudy Coffee and Books
Edgewater
Theatre focused bookstore and café offering plays, acting books, readings, performances, and community events.
Professional Organizations & Creative Communities
Arts Alliance Illinois
Statewide advocacy and resource organization supporting Illinois artists, creative workers, arts organizations, and the broader creative sector through advocacy and connection to resources.
Black Arts & Culture Alliance of Chicago
Chicago organization supporting Black artists, arts organizations, and the Black arts and culture sector.
Chicago Acting in Film Meetup (CAFM) - NFP
Chicago film-acting organization supporting education, networking, and local film-acting resources.
Chicago Audiomakers Collective
A Chicago-area community for audio makers, producers, podcasters, voice/audio professionals, and related creatives, offering networking, events, and shared resources.
Chicago Film Events
Chicago film-community platform for discovering local screenings, festivals, workshops, networking opportunities, and industry activity.
Chicago Inclusion Project
Resources, programs, and audition opportunities supporting inclusive access within Chicago theatre.
Chicago Latino Theater Alliance
Organization supporting Latino theatre artists, companies, and theatre activity in Chicago.
Illinois Arts Council
State agency supporting the arts across Illinois. Their Local Arts Network maintains a statewide directory of local and regional arts councils.
Illinois Production Alliance
Industry organization supporting film, television, commercial, and media production in Illinois.
Illinois Theatre Association
Statewide theatre organization supporting theatre artists, educators, companies, and theatre activity across Illinois.
Independent Film Alliance Chicago
Organization supporting independent filmmakers and the Chicago independent film community.
League of Chicago Theatres
Service and advocacy organization for Chicago-area theatres and the broader theatre community, including audience development, professional development, jobs, auditions, and theatre resources.
See Chicago Dance
Chicago dance organization and resource for dance companies, artists, performances, and dance activity.
Women in Film Chicago
Professional organization supporting women and gender-diverse media makers in the Chicago production community.
Theatre Listings, News & Market Resources
Buzz Center Stage
Chicago theatre, dance, reviews, interviews, features, and performance coverage.
Theatre In Chicago
Chicago theatre listings, reviews, news, half-price tickets, opening-night calendar, restaurant guide, performance features, and theatre-market activity.
Performing Artist & Presenter Resources
Illinois Performing Artist Index
A statewide resource connecting Illinois performing artists with presenters, venues, organizations, and others seeking live performance programs. The index is useful for those looking for touring artists, ensembles, musicians, dance companies, cultural programs, storytellers, variety performers, and presenter-ready live entertainment.
The Illinois Performing Artist Index is a collaborative effort between the Illinois Arts Council and the Illinois Presenters Network.