Creating a Musical Role: Man of La Mancha
Day
Tuesdays, Thursdays, and SaturdaysDates
Feb 18 - May 18Time
See course descriptionInstructor
Deb Gottesman$810
This double-session course takes students through the entire process of rehearsing and performing a major musical and culminates in a full production in the Undercroft Theatre (home of Washington Stage Guild and The Theatre Lab). The course replicates a typical professional production experience, from learning the notes through taking the bow.
Issues explored include vocal production, how to act a song, how to sing a scene, defining the arc of a character, and all other aspects of singing and acting a musical role. No experience is necessary, but major roles will be cast through auditions in January. Chorus roles will not require auditions, but prospective students will have to demonstrate that they can carry a tune. This year’s show is Man of La Mancha, the classic musicalization of Don Quixote. Casting will be diverse and non-traditional, with roles for many students at all levels.
At over 100 hours of training plus live performance, this is one of our most cost-effective courses.
Tuesdays 7-10pm; Thursdays 7-10:30pm; Saturdays 10am-1pm
Additional or longer rehearsals:
- Saturday, May 10: 10am-3pm
- Sunday, May 11: 2-6pm
- Tuesday, May 13, and Wednesday, May 14: 6-11pm
Performance evenings: May 15, 16, 17, and 18
Auditions will be held at the Theatre Lab at these times:
- Tuesday, Jan 7, 6:00 PM–8:00 PM
- Thursday, Jan 9, 6:00 PM–8:30 PM
- Saturday, Jan 11, 10:00 AM–11:00 AM
To schedule an audition, please fill out this brief form.
Instructor
Deb Gottesman
Co-Founder, Co-Executive Director, Board Member, & FacultyDeb 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 as well as at Arena Stage, Signature Theatre, Keegan Theatre, Theater 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, The Grapes of Wrath and Jane Eyre, as well as productions for National Geographic and Catholic University’s Musical Theatre Department. Deb 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. Along with Buzz Mauro, she has co-authored three books on applied acting, all published by Penguin Putnam.
Training
Catholic University, M.F.A.
More about Deb