“Bringing together our unique talents to inspire action and assist local and national organizations that need our support.”

SAVE THE DATE: January 22nd, 2024

Fundraiser for World Central Kitchen

Our first event for 2024 is to raise money for José Andreas’s World Central Kitchen who work on the frontlines of conflicts and disasters to provide fresh, nutritious food to those in need.

Our event features Michael Kingston, Chuck Larkin, Donica Lynn, Miriam Plotkin and Lee Wichman. We’re at Uncommon Ground, Lakeview; 3800 N Clark St. Doors open at 6:30 for a 7PM show. Book tickets from Uncommon Ground here…

Line up announced for our Special Urgent Appeal & Fundraiser for Women’s Rights

Special guest MC is Laura T Fisher, and the performers include CACTA regular supremos, Lynne Jordan and Donica Lynn — also starring the talents of Miriam Plotkin, Isabel Quintero, Rengin Altay and Maia Madison. More about them and the event to follow. All ticket sales and donation go directly to the essential work of The Chicago Abortion Fund.

CHICAGO ABORTION FUND

URGENT APPEAL —NEW EVENT SAVE THE DATE

Abortion rights under threat — help those on the front line – Donate… participate

Sunday September 18th, Uncommon Ground Edgewater, 6:30pm


With the recent Supreme Court rulings women’s rights are being taken away in states all across the country. The Chicago Abortion Fund provides urgent financial, logistical and emotional support to people seeking abortion care in Chicago, in Illinois and since the ruling across the Midwest and beyond.

We are having a special event at our usual venue Uncommon Ground on Devon Avenue to raise funds, awareness and call our community to action to provide urgent help and resources to those affected by new legislation being enacted at state level.

Please donate, buy advance tickets and read more about the work of the Chicago Action Fund and see how you can help.


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Three weeks left! There is something you can do…

CACTA are teaming up with Indivisible Chicago to get on the phones and see if we can help convince people to come out and vote in the critical midwestern states that will decide the election.

We are in the final stretch of a very difficult Presidential term that has caused harm to so many. On October 31, Halloween, I am inviting you to join me and Indivisible Chicago for Phone Banking from your home for Michigan votes! I've been phone banking every Sunday with Vote Save America and Indivisible Chicago is much the same process. This is how October 31 would roll out: 

  • 9:15 - 10am (training) Sign up here

  • The training takes us right into the calling...

  • 10am - 12pm (making calls) Sign up here

Who's with us! Please email me at anne@cacta.group by October 16 and let me know if you plan to participate. We want to be able to share the number of CACTA volunteers participating in this activist event. It has been a productive way to relieve some of the anxiety of this election and fun too. As actors we are kind of set up for this.

Let's do this together!

Anne Smith

Mental Health fundraiser now cancelled! But you can still donate…

Due to circumstances beyond our control we have had to cancel this Sunday’s event at short notice. We are so sorry that you won’t be able to join us and hear Doncia Lynn blow up the internet, but we will reschedule for later in the year, there is even talk of a holiday special!

We are also planning a pre-election live ‘virtual’ event so make sure to keep checking in on our facebook and twitter feeds for more information.

Stay safe and if you would like to donate to great work of PsiAN, please click here for more information.



February 17th, stand with us to Step Up for Mental Health

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Our first event for 2020 is going to be a blazing one! We have Diva and long time CACTA Ambassador Lynne Jordan headlining with a host of extra-ordinary musicians, legends of Chicago Blues.

Joining Lynne are Toronzo Cannon, Lil ‘Ed, Deitra Farr, Liz Mandeville, Margot Murphy-Webb, Corky Siegel and Matthew Skoller. We have a super special guest Janet Ulrich Brooks to Emcee the event for us and you can get advanced tickets now at $10 off from here: chicagoactorscta.org.

Amazing night raises $1,000 for BUILD Chicago

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A packed house gathered at Uncommon Ground last night to celebrate the youth in this city and to raise money and awareness for the 50-year work of BUILD Chicago.

Some of Chicago’s most fierce and fabulous performers gave their talents along with the staff of Build to create an unforgettable evening of stories and songs to raise $1,000.

Thanks to all who came out to support us and all the performers who gave their time for free for a wonderful cause, thanks to our super Emcee Sandra Marquez, singers Donica Lynn, Lynne Jordan, Jordan Dell Harris, BUILD alumni Shruti Sekhri and BUILD’s own team of Aaron Williams, Ricardo Miranda, Angela Bowmman, Juan Villalobos & Benjy Wax as well as their Chief Executive Director Adam Alonso.

We are still taking donations for BUILD all through the holiday season, so please consider them in your end of year gift giving. You can donate here. And watch this space for more about our plans for next year.


SANDRA MARQUEZ

SANDRA MARQUEZ

Benefit for Peace focuses on “Build”ing a future for youth in Chicago

We have our date fixed for our final event of the year — November 4th, back at Uncommon Ground in Edgewater. We are teaming up with BUILD Chicago in their 50th year of protecting lives and building a non-violent future for our children (read about their work here). And we are delighted to announce Sandra Marquez as our esteemed Emcee for the evening. Pre-sale early-bird tickets available from here.


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Our September event raises $1,800 for women and trans people’s health in Chicago!

We gathered together a top line up of talent and stories for our September event and raised nearly $1,800 for the Chicago Women’s Health Center.

more to follow…

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Our Spring Event—fighting for Immigrants and Refugees

We are delighted to announce our next event is partnering with ICIRR, the Illinois Co-alition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights fighting for the rights of our immigrant and refugee communities.

It is taking place on Monday June 10th at Theater Wit 1229 Belmont Avenue, starting at 7:30pm.

Advance tickets are available for $20 from here.

More information to follow shortly…


What is CACTA?

Chicago’s acting community reaches across all demographics and areas, both geographically and socially. Our skills are to communicate, tell stories, engage and interact – and our reach is broad. We feel that there must be something we can all do together (in addition to our shows and readings) that utilizes our unique talents to help those that need our support.

If you work for an organization or know of one that would like to work with us, get in touch with our beneficiaries manager James here.

NEXT EVENT JUNE 4th

Teaming up to help fight child abuse

We have assembled a rather special line up, even by our standards, for our next event. Here they are, more details to follow, but they are giving their time for free to help us raise money for Fractured Childhood (info here) a non-profit humanities-based human rights initiative centered on using contemporary art to prevent the sexual abuse and exploitation of children.

EMCEES CORRBETTE PASKO & SARA SEVIGNY and starring DARWYN JONES, DEB LEWIS, MIRIAM PLOTKIN, MAYA KUPER & PAUL McCOMAS, SHARRIESE HAMILTON, SARA REINECKE, BECCA BROWN and MATTHEW HUSTON

EMCEES CORRBETTE PASKO & SARA SEVIGNY and starring DARWYN JONES, DEB LEWIS, MIRIAM PLOTKIN, MAYA KUPER & PAUL McCOMAS, SHARRIESE HAMILTON, SARA REINECKE, BECCA BROWN and MATTHEW HUSTON

April 9th for CAIR CHICAGO

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Our next event is to benefit the vital work of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CHICAGO). They advocate for Muslims' rights in the Chicago area — fighting for representation and justice. 

The event will be on Monday April 9th, 7:30pm and we’ll be announcing more information in the coming days.  Tickets are now on sale from here and find out more about the great work of CAIR Chicago here.

 BREAKING NEWS:

CACTA Benefit raises $2,000 for CAIR CHICAGO!

At an extraordinary night at Uncommon Ground in Edgewater, our guests and stars raised an astonishing $2,000 to help the work of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. A full report to follow. But a big thank you to all who came, all who bought tickets and didn't come, all who donated on the night and all our beautiful performers who not only gave their time for free but put their heart, souls and minds into their performances.

Pictures from the night on our event round up page here.

Our first event for 2018, Feb 12th - The Trevor Project Helping save LGBTQ+ lives 

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Our first event of 2018 is to raise awareness and cash for The Trevor Project. Founded in 1998 by the creators of the Academy Award®-winning short film TREVOR, The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people ages 13-24.

And we have a wonderful event planned at Uncommon Ground on Devon, with a stellar line up of comedy, songs and performance hosted by Scott Duff, host of Out Chicago. Advance tickets are $20 ($25 on the door) use the code EARLYBIRD and buy your ticket here.

Nov 13th—join with us to help make homelessness history

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At this time of year the plight of the city's homeless becomes ever-more pressing as the nights grow shorter and the weather grows, colder and wetter. There are by most conservative estimates over 5,000 people who live on our streets, and ten times that number who do not have permanent housing. On November 13th we are joining up with AllChicago who work with over 80 agencies and groups to help make homelessness history.

The event is back at Uncommon Ground and we will be featuring singers and performers from all across the city to raise awareness and funds to help fight homelessness. Please grab your tickets now.

We are holding events every month across Chicago, each one focusing on a particular cause and organization. We are aiming to work with groups involved with the environment, LBGT issues, minority groups, women’s health, immigration, refugees, education, civil rights and other issues. 

If you’d like to be kept up-to-date with our events and action ideas please sign up for our newsletter here.