Green Shirt Studio, an acting and performance training center located at 4407 N. Clark St., is thrilled to announce two new initiatives designed to open the school up to the public – free workshops every Friday, as well as the addition of four on-going yoga classes every week. Both new programs begin Aug. 1.

“Building a sense of community is important to us, and we really wanted to give something back to the people in our neighborhood, as well as to the performers who currently take classes from us,” said Andrew Gallant, co-founder of Green Shirt Studio. “We want everyone to have a place to experience the joy of expressing themselves through art.”

Free Fridays will include a community yoga class at 2 p.m., a repetition workshop (part of the Meisner technique for actors) at 7 p.m., and a rotating workshop that will focus on an element of acting or performance technique at 8 p.m. All Free Friday events are first-come, first-served and donations are accepted.

“Free Fridays is our way of creating a laid-back atmosphere where everyone can learn more about acting, enhance their craft, meet new friends and just have fun,” Gallant says.

To kick off the Free Fridays events, Green Shirt will be hosting a launch party on Aug. 7 at 8 p.m. Guests will have the chance to meet many of Green Shirt Studio’s instructors, network with other actors, and enjoy free food, drinks and more.

The schedule for the August Free Fridays is as follows:

Aug. 7, 8 p.m.: Free Fridays Launch Party and Networking

Aug. 14, 8 p.m.: Cold-reading Audition Bootcamp

Aug. 21, 8 p.m.: “Behind the Scenes: Realities of the Casting Process” with Jason Teresi, Director of Regional Services for Breakdown Services

Aug. 28, 8 p.m.: Monologue Brush-up

In addition to the Free Fridays, Green Shirt is also offering four new on-going yoga classes. Yoga classes will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m., Fridays at 2 p.m. (part of Free Fridays), and Sundays at 7 p.m. All classes are one hour and cost $10.

The yoga schedule is as follows:

Slow Flow Yoga: Mondays at 10 a.m.

Power Vinyasa Flow: Wednesdays at 10 a.m. 

Community Yoga: Fridays at 2 p.m. (Pay as you wish)

Restorative Yoga by Candelight: Sundays at 7 p.m.

Green Shirt Studio is run by husband-and-wife acting teachers Andrew Gallant and Sommer Austin. They opened their first studio space in the Uptown neighborhood in September 2014.

For more information on Green Shirt Studio, please call 773-217-9565 or visit www.greenshirtstudio.com.