Our Team

Vagabond School is the only acting school in Chicago where former talent agents and casting professionals are at the helm. Our team has been on all sides of the industry and we bring that knowledge to everything we do.


Michael McCracken

Founder and Artistic Director

Michael (He/Him) has been in the professional entertainment industry for over 20 years. He is the Founder and Artistic Director of Vagabond School of the Arts. Before founding Vagabond School he was a tv/film, commercial and theatrical talent agent (Grossman & Jack Talent, Shirley Hamilton Talent) here in Chicago. As a teacher and coach, he brings his experience as a freelance casting session director (Simon Casting, The Cast Station), SAG-AFTRA Actor (Chicago MED, Hyundai, Lunchables), film director, film producer, and improviser. He has worked with thousands of actors at Vagabond School, using his on-camera technique and wide reaching business knowledge to push their careers forward.


Angela Morris

Managing Director

Angela Morris (She/Her) is a Voiceover Artist and Actor. As a VO artist, she has worked with DDB, Olgivy & Mather, Leo Burnett, Young & Rubicam, Havas, FCB, VTECH, Energy BBDO, among others, on everything from demos to multi-year national campaigns. She can be heard as Cassie (and other voices) in The Deep End Games' video game Perception, and will be popping up in the new game Romancelvania. As a stage actor, her favorite projects have included work with The Goodman, Court Theatre, The Gift Theatre, and Timeline Theatre. You can catch her TV work on Chicago Med, Shining Girls, and Chicago Fire. She is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA and an adjunct Voiceover teacher at Columbia College Chicago.


Sanaa Sayyed

Associate Director

Sanaa (She/Her) has been in the entertainment industry for 14 years. She has spent her entire career celebrating and supporting the amazing Chicago acting community. Whether as a talent agent (Shirley Hamilton), casting associate (Simon Casting, Second City, The Goodman), educator (Vagabond School, Green Room), or as a union representative (SAG-AFTRA Chicago). Sanaa is a lover of all things film and has a deep knowledge of the industry from many different sides of the table.