The 2010
Summer Acting
Institute
for Teens

We are no longer accepting applications for summer 2010. Check back soon for 2011 information.

Washington's Comprehensive Acting Conservatory
for Young Adults

An intensive four-week training program for 13-19 year olds
culminating in a full production of

Ghetto
by Joshua Sobol

A play about the Holocaust

Monday-Friday, 1-6pm
July 6-July 30
with evening performance on July 29

 

ABOUT THE SUMMER ACTING INSTITUTE

The Theatre Lab’s Summer Acting Institute for Teens is designed to immerse young adults in the art of acting—from mastering the essential principles of the craft to participating in a public performance of Ghetto at the end of the four weeks.

The curriculum includes audition seminars, improvisational workshops, voice and speech training, movement training, and scene study, as well as special programs designed to give interested students insight into the workings of the professional theatre community.  In addition to the daily training, students will present a full production of Ghetto by Joshua Sobol.

Ghetto is a powerful Holocaust drama about the experiences of the Jews of the Vilna Ghetto during Nazi occupation in World War II. Under the constant threat of removal to the death camps, the residents of the Vilna Ghetto create an unlikely theatre company, and manage to find hope and the will to survive through their art.  Based on a true story, Ghetto asks the big questions about why we need to express ourselves, how we persevere in the face of cruelty, and where we can find love and humanity when all seems lost.  Winner of multiple international theatre awards, Ghetto will provide students an unparalleled acting and learning experience.   There are many wonderful roles for all types.

All institute classes are taught by professional actors and directors.  The summer program is directed by actor Deb Gottesman, a founder and co-director of The Theatre Lab, and includes a staff of highly trained instructors and specialists.

 

ACTING CLASSES

Summer Acting Institute participants take all of the following courses:

The Drama Workshop: An improvisational workshop designed to explore core acting skills, including: creating a character, activating needs, developing spontaneity and focus, and communicating effectively with others on stage.  Students will be challenged to discover new ways of thinking, expressing themselves, and creating.

Auditioning:  A two-day seminar designed to prepare students to perform monologues in an audition setting, this course focuses on developing confidence, rechanneling nervous energy into creative energy, and using the body and voice effectively to tell a story.  At the conclusion of the seminar, students use their monologues to audition for The Laramie Project.  All students who audition for the Showcase receive substantial and interesting roles.

Stage Movement:  Designed to increase the actor’s range of movement and physical expressiveness, this course incorporateselements of mime, dance, and improvisation, as well as training in relaxation and posture development, in order to maximize the potential of the body on stage.

Voice and Speech:  Designed to give students the skills they need for clear, effective speech on stage,this course focuses on developing proper breath control, improving diction and projection, dialect, and maximizing the flexibility and range of the voice.

Scene Study:  An intensive exploration of scripted work, this course focuses on developing the actor’s process through the introduction of powerful rehearsal techniques.  Course culminates in a free, public performance of The Laramie Project. 

In addition to the above classes, students participate in a variety of special workshops—such as acting for film and TV, mask work, and stage combat—led by guest artists from the Washington theatre community.

 

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DIRECTOR

Deb Gottesman is a founder and Co-Director of The Theatre Lab.  She is also a professional actress who has performed frequently at Woolly Mammoth Theatre (where she recently appeared in Current Nobody), Arena Stage, Signature Theatre, Source Theatre, Theatre Alliance, and with the Washington Shakespeare Company, among many others. She has directed more than fifteen productions at The Theatre Lab, including Ragtime, The Crucible, Grapes of Wrath and Once on This Island, as well as productions for National Geographic. Deb received her M.F.A. from Catholic University and has taught drama at the Round House Theatre, Woolly Mammoth and American University.  She is a 2003 recipient of the prestigious Linowes Leadership Award for her contributions to arts education and has also served as Director of Afterschool Activities for the Sidwell Friends Lower School. Along with Buzz Mauro, she has co-authored three books on applied acting, all published by Penguin Putnam.

OTHER FACULTY

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ADMISSION

The Theatre Lab is dedicated to providing affordable, accessible training forstudents seriously interested in learning about the acting process. 

All applicants must complete a written essay expressing their interest in the program. Applicants must also prepare a 90-second monologue for an audition that will be scheduled upon receipt of completed application.

Please note: Due to the limited nature of our enrollment, admission is competitive. After we receive your application, you will be contacted to schedule an audition.

 

TUITION

Tuition for the Summer Acting Institute is $625. Partial financial aid is available through our Work Study program. In addition, two full scholarships will be awarded annually. (Criteria: exceptional community involvement and financial need.)

Auditions will be scheduled upon receipt of completed application.

 

Apply Online

or

Download Application to Mail

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COMMENTS FROM THEATRE LAB PARTICIPANTS

"The Theatre Lab pushed me to greater heights. I needed motivation and it gave it to me."

“The program is amazing! I have grown as an actor in ways I never could have imagined and I was able to more personally connect to the characters I portrayed.”

"The people were incredible. I made friends I'll never forget."

"This was what I was looking for. The program challenged me and gave me upgraded acting techniques along with less self-consciousness.”

"I can honestly say that this is the most fun I have had in anything I have done."

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WHAT MAKES THE SUMMER ACTING INSTITUTE UNIQUE?

The Summer Acting Institute was founded by people who believe that acting is the most FUN thing you could ever do. We therefore create an atmosphere that encourages students to have a great time and develop strong friendships with others who share this special interest.

We not only offer young actors the opportunity to study with working theatre PROFESSIONALS, but we also treat our students like the serious artists we know they are.

Our focus is on TRAINING, not performance. Our classes are designed to give students an exciting, intensive acting experience that will prepare them to work in any theatre setting—not just ours.

We believe that every student who has a committed interest in learning to act should be given a chance to do so. We guarantee that everyone who participates in the program will have CHALLENGING ROLES to play. In other words, no one will be "third person from the left in the chorus"!

We also care about our students as people—not merely as actors. We understand that theatre is a means through which individuals make DISCOVERIES about themselves and their lives, and we look forward to seeing our students take this creative journey.