About

Laura Sturm is a professional actor, director, teacher, movement and acting coach, and intimacy choreographer. She received an MFA from Northern Illinois University and has been working professionally in the Chicago area for over 20 years.

Laura teaches a variety of different classes and workshops, but specializes in Movement for Actors (Williamson/Laban), Meisner Technique, and she is certified to teach Michael Chekhov Technique of Acting. She also teaches Period Style, Audition Skills, Scene Study, Monologue, Intimacy and Voice classes, as well as classes combining different elements. Laura is on the Adjunct Faculty at Columbia College Chicago, and has also taught at Northern Illinois University, North Central College. Governors State University, Oakton Community College, and for many years at Chicago’s professional studios The Actors’ Center and Act One Studios.

Check out her Saturday morning Movement classes!

Hate finding and performing monologues? Talk to Laura about her proven (and fun!) methods for finding and loving a monologue.

As an actor, Laura has been performing in the Chicago area for over 20 years. She most recently appeared in Chicago, Titus Andronicus as Tamora, and Bottle Fly at Redtwist (where she is now a company member), and as Emma in Bluebird Arts’ production of Stupid Fucking Bird. Laura has been seen with Organic Theater Company in such roles as Emilie in Lauren Gunderson’s Emilie: La Marquise du Châtelet Defends Her Life Tonight and as Marie Antoinette in Gunderson’s The Revolutionists. Other roles include Blanche in Streetcar, Titania, Getrude, and many others. She has had the privilege of working with many Chicago other companies, including Northlight, New Colony, Victory Gardens, Remy Bumppo, Promethean, Mary Arrchie, Bailiwick, Signal, Raven, Quest, Chicago Danztheatre, and Polarity, as well as with the Texas Shakespeare Festival. Laura has also directed in Chicago for many years. She recently directed the world premiere of Melanie Coffey’s Deserted at Redtwist. With Organic, she directed a production of Sarah Ruhl’s Melancholy Play and the world premiere of Chicago playwright Barbara Lhota’s Phantom Pain. She has also directed Sheridan’s 18th Century period piece The Rivals, as well as the musical I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. Since 2021, Laura has become an Intimacy Choreographer, working in Chicago and with the Constructivists, a few years ago named the Best New Theater Company in Milwaukee by Milwaukee Magazine.

CURRENT PROJECTS:

Intimacy Director for Five Lesbians Eating a Quiche with the Constructivists in Milwaukee. “Set in 1956 at a breakfast meeting of the Susan B. Anthony Society for the Sisters of Gertrude Stein, 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche starts as a delightfully quirky community gathering and descends into hilarious, audience-participatory chaos when the outside world intervenes. Written by Evan Linder and Andrew Hobgood, with contributions from Beth Stelling, Mary Hollis Inboden, Meg Johns, Thea Lux, and Maari Suorsa, this wickedly funny dark comedy is a Milwaukee premiere directed by Joe Lino.” Playing October 8-24, 2026 at PATH (Pink's Accessible Theater Home), 1104 Historic W Mitchell St, Milwaukee.

UPCOMING PROJECTS:

Michael Chekhov and Laban Movement class at the Athenaeum starting 10/3!

Movement/Intimacy Director for Sap with The Front Theatre in Chicago. “A woman's lie to her girlfriend threatens to grow out of control when a man from her past uses it against her. A contemporary thriller with ancient roots, Sap is a poetic and timely new play about passion, power, bisexual erasure, domestic violence, and the danger of hiding who you are.” (From audition notice".) Rehearsing Jan - Feb 2027, performances at the Den, 2/26 - 3/25.