Shakespeare Theatre Company

Fall Classes for Public, Actors Set to Launch

The educational arm of the Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) in Washington, D.C., has two programs coming up for the general public, one intensive (literally), the other fashioned on the traditional assemblage of notable intellectuals for comfortable, cozy, educational discussions.

A new slate of Professional Development Intensives begins November 1 at the company's Sidney Harmon Hall. These sessions, with business meetings in mind, are intended to help participants capture their audience's attention and deliver an effective message that will resonate long after the meeting is over. In this fast-paced, interactive workshop, participants will explore physical communication, vocal performance, objectives, and text analysis as they apply to engaging any audience.

Workshops run from 9 a.m.–1 p.m., and participants can add an hour of private coaching for a personalized experience. Workshops are scheduled for November 1, December 5, January 24, February 13, March 13, April 23, and June 5. For more information and to register, click here.

Acting for Business Professionals runs on Monday evenings November 6–December 11. In a fun, comfortable environment, participants learn how to listen and communicate more effectively and become more relaxed, present, and persuasive in public through the study of techniques used by actors and directors in the theater. For more information and to register, click here .

STC's Shakespeare Salon is an adult education series that provides theater novices and experts alike an in-depth perspective on the company's shows. Each session is filled with in-depth looks at the language, themes, and context of the plays and a chance to build a deeper understand of the production. Taught by STC Audience Enrichment Manager Hannah Hessel Ratner, each session also features special guests from production artists to company staff members.

The five-week seminar for the theater's upcoming production of William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night will run from 1–3 p.m. on Tuesdays, November 14–December 12 at Sidney Harman Hall. Salons also are scheduled for Hamlet (January 26–February 23), Heather Raffo's Noura (March 2–16), Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot (May 4–18), and Lerner and Lowe's Camelot (June 8–22). As salon on Theatre Criticism is scheduled for April 3–17. The two Shakespeare salons cost $250, the rest are $150. For more information and to register, click here.

STC is also about to launch its fall courses for theater professionals (click on the titles for more information):

• Audition Techniques, Tuesdays, October 31–December 5, with STC Artistic Associate Craig Baldwin, who directed the company's annual gala and assistant- directed Harold Pinter's The Lover and The Collection. Prior experience recommended, but not required.
• Playwriting, Wednesdays, November 1–December 13, 2017 (except November 22), with Ratner. No prior experience required.
• Fundamentals of Scene Study, Wednesdays, November 1–December 13 (except November 22), with STC Teaching Artist Eva Wilhelm. Prior experience required: Prior participation in Introduction to Acting or equivalent.
• Introduction to Acting, Thursdays, November 2–December 14 (except November 23), with Brent Stansell, STC teaching artist and training programs manager. No prior experience required.
• Voice and Speech, Thursdays, November 2–December 14 (except November 23), with STC Teaching Artist Tonya Beckman. No prior experience required.
• Clowning, Mondays, November 6–December 11, with STC Teaching Artist Wyckham Avery. No prior experience required.
• Advanced Scene Study, Mondays, November 6–December 11 with Nancy Robinette. Fresh off her Broadway run in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,  Robinette will plunge her students into scene work using in-depth text analysis that focuses on contemporary text. Prior experience required: Fundamentals of Scene Study or equivalent.
• Introduction to Dramaturgy, Tuesdays, November 14–December 19, with Drew Lichtenberg, STC literary manager and resident dramaturg. Covers how to approach everything from Shakespeare to working with a playwright on a new play. No prior dramaturgy experience required. 

Additionally, Bruce Dow, cast to play Sir Toby Belch in STC's production of Twelfth Night (he did a memorable Bottom in the company's 2012 A Midsummer Night's Dream and starred in STC's A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum), will conduct a workshop 7–9 p.m. on Monday, December 4, at Sidney Harman Hall. His workshop, open to anyone age 13 and older, will explore Shakespeare's larger-than-life characters through physical exploration, improvisation, and play. Tuition is $30, but non-refundable. For more information, click here.

October 30, 2017

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