History of the Theatre

Our lively and popular crash course in the history of the western theatre from its origins to the present. Readings, film excerpts and discussions will center on the major periods, playwrights, actors, and styles, with an eye to developing a firm grounding in the traditions and influences that are most important for actors and other theatre professionals working today. This is a required class for students of The Theatre Lab’s Honors Acting Conservatory.

Unless otherwise indicated below, there are no formal prerequisites for this class—students of all experience levels are welcome! 

Class Size*

6-12 

* Note: Small class sizes are a fundamental part of our training philosophy at The Theatre Lab. Classes are kept small to ensure every person receives extensive personalized feedback from instructors and meaningful collaboration with other students. If a class is full, we encourage you to join the waitlist, and we will contact you if a spot becomes available!

Tuition Discount

Theatre Lab members receive a 10% discount off of class tuition, automatically applied at checkout. Annual memberships cost only $70 per year and also include discounted tickets to all Theatre Lab performances. Read more about becoming a member here.

For our early bird specials and other exclusive discounts on class tuition, subscribe to our emails and follow us @theatrelabdc on social media for updates. 

Recommended Next Steps

Students who complete this class often continue with:

• The Play’s the Thing
• Beginning Scene Study or Intensive Scene Study
• Meisner Technique I
• The Stanislavski Method

Class availability varies by session. See our course catalog for current offerings.

Class Policies

We encourage all students to review our Adult Class Policies prior to enrolling.