The Shakespeare Theatre Company

Master Acting Classes for Adults

Introductory Classes
Introductory Master Acting Classes provide ample opportunities for beginning students who have always wanted to try their hand at acting. Explore the fundamentals of acting and performance through improvisation, theatre games and basic scene-work while strengthening your skills in group collaboration and communication. No prior experience in acting or theatre is necessary, just a willingness to try something new.

"No matter who you are, you'll be edified and uplifted by these intense and exciting classes. Your classmates will be people of all ages and walks of life. The teachers, all of whom are theatre professionals, have a wonderful way of finding your personal level of ability and skill and taking you to the next level.…You'll never see the theatre the same way."
-Steve Pershing, Master Acting Class Student

Register for classes online now!

20th-Century American Drama
Instructor: Steven Scott Mazzola
Winter session (total of 8): Mondays, January 5 – March 2 from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. (no class February 16)
Tuition: $325
This class will focus on great American playwrights of the past 100 years. Miller, Mamet, Williams, Shepard, Kushner, O'Neill and many others will be used. Using monologues and scenes, this acting class will dive into the themes found in these plays and isolate a particular style for each writer.

Acting for Business Professionals
Instructor: Vanessa Buono
Fall session (total of 10): Mondays, September 8 – November 15 from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. (no class October 11)
Spring session (total of 10): Mondays, March 9 – May 11 from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
** Our spring session is full; please contact the Education department at 202.547.5688 for information about upcoming sessions.**
Tuition: $375
This course helps professionals become more relaxed, present and persuasive in public through the study of techniques used by actors and directors in the theatre. Exploring exercises and improvisations in a safe and relaxed atmosphere, participants will learn how to listen and communicate more effectively, whether speaking to a client, a supervisor or an employee, in a cubicle or conference hall.

Acting for Business Professionals: Part Two
Instructor: Vanessa Buono
Winter session (total of 8): Mondays, January 5 – March 2 from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. (no class February 16)
Tuition: $325
In this follow-up to Acting for Business Professionals, participants will embark on a deeper exploration of theatre techniques including elements of Stanislavski, continued character work and additional voice and relaxation exercises. Designed for business professionals looking to polish their communication and presentation skills, this course will culminate in performances of theatrical texts.

Audition Techniques
Instructor: David Muse
Winter session (total of 8): Saturdays, January 10 – March 7 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. (no class February 14)
Tuition: $325
Auditions approaching? Need fresh pieces and feedback? Audition Techniques covers all aspects of the audition process: monologue selection and preparation, audition etiquette, techniques for cold reading, and ways to get seen by casting professionals. Throughout, actors will receive individual coaching on classical and modern audition material. Participants should come prepared with a monologue they have used in prior auditions.

Exploring Classical Theatre Styles
Instructor: Wyckham Avery
Fall session (total of 10): Mondays, September 8 – November 17 from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. (no class October 13)
Tuition: $375
With its heavy emphasis on language, classical theatre requires performers to deliver dynamic physical and vocal performances to match the demanding text. Spanning across centuries to include monologues and scenes of ancient Greek tragedians, Shakespeare and Moliére, this class explores several styles of classical theatre performance through a combination of theatre history, movement, voice, speech and stage combat.

In the Moment
Instructor: Oran Sandel
Fall session (total of 8): Tuesdays, September 23 – November 18 from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. (no class November 11)
Spring session (total of 8): Tuesdays, March 10 – April 28 from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Tuition: $325
The art of improvisation is one we all practice every day, whether we are doctors, lawyers, artists or businesspeople. This class is offered as a way to add layers of mindfulness and technique to that skill set, thereby increasing confidence and communication skills, as well as enriching the quality of life. Through improvisational theatre experiences for the mind, body and voice, workshop participants will gain a deeper understanding of the role of imagination, playfulness and creativity in daily life. Anyone wishing to pursue improvisation and theatre performance will also find the skills taught in this class invaluable.

In the Moment: Part Two
Instructor: Oran Sandel
Winter session (total of 8): Tuesdays, January 6 – February 24 from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Tuition: $325
This follow-up to In the Moment provides students with multiple opportunities to deepen their exploration of improvisational theatre and ensemble work. These opportunities include deeper character and scene work, improving overall awareness and sensory, and a continued emphasis on physical expression and characterization. Students will also find opportunities in this class to create individualized performances and explore the creation of original work.

Introduction to Acting
Instructor: Andy English
Fall session (total of 10): Saturdays, September 6 – November 15 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. (no class October 11)
Spring session (total of 8): Saturdays, March 28 – May 16 from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Tuition: $375 for fall session; $325 for spring session
For students who have always wanted to try their hand at acting or have not graced the stage since high school, this class provides a foundation of acting skills from which one can pursue additional exploration and development. Students will explore improvisation, characterization, text analysis and other key acting skills using both contemporary and classical scenes and monologues.

Introduction to Shakespeare
Instructor: Audra Polk
Fall session (total of 10): Tuesdays, September 9 – November 18 from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. (no class November 11)
Tuition: $375
For those students just starting to explore the world and language of Shakespeare’s plays, this class will help to demystify his canon of work. Through a mixture of performance and text analysis, students will gain a strong understanding of verse, prose, meter, character and intent to prepare them for continuing study.

Playing Shakespeare’s Comedies
Instructor: Wyckham Avery
Winter session (total of 8): Saturdays, January 10 – March 7 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. (no class February 14)
Tuition: $325
This workshop will explore Shakespeare's text through comedy. Students will begin by learning the fundamentals of comedy through improvisation, wordplay, clowning and commedia dell'Arte. These techniques will then be applied to Shakespeare's plays through monologues and scene work.

Season’s Focus: Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night and King Lear
Instructor: Akiva Fox
Fall session (total of 4): Mondays and Tuesdays, September 8 – 16
from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Tuition: $275
The Shakespeare Theatre Company’s 2008-2009 season features three timeless classics by William Shakespeare, and all will be performed in startling new ways: Romeo and Juliet in a surprising all-male production directed by David Muse, Twelfth Night in Rebecca Bayla Taichman’s lyrical and impressionistic production, and King Lear in Robert Falls’ bracingly modern production. Join STC Literary Associate Akiva Fox to explore the plays as literary texts, as documents of Shakespeare’s artistic growth, and in performance.

Voice and Text
Instructor: Elizabeth Webster Duke
Fall session (total of 8): Tuesdays, September 23 – November 18
from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Tuition: $325
Explore the integration of voice and language while deepening your understanding of the creative power of your own voice. Through a broad range of exercises, students will explore the links between the body, voice, language and action and increase their ability to utilize safely and effectively an expressive, powerful and fully embodied voice either onstage or in daily life.