The Life Stories® Institute

Applications are NOW OPEN for the Class of 2025!

Celebrating Over 10 Years of Building Communities Through Storytelling

April 3 – April 6, 2025

Full and partial scholarships are available.
Space is limited to no more than 16 participants.

The Life Stories Institute is an award-winning “train-the-trainer” program where you’ll learn how to harness the transformative power of theatre to strengthen individuals and communities. Offered only once a year, this virtual program is for anyone looking for mind-expanding ways to work with groups who might benefit from learning how to make their voices heard.

Life Stories® is The Theatre Lab’s award-winning program that teaches people to create and perform original works of dramatic art based on their lived experiences. Our programs have served seniors in assisted living facilities, justice-involved youth, DCPS students, college professors, military veterans and many more. Now you can learn how to facilitate Life Stories in your community!  

Over the course of four days, you’ll participate in a highly interactive online training course led by Theatre Lab Co-Founders and Co-Directors Buzz Mauro and Deb Gottesman, creators of Life Stories. They will guide you through demonstrations, discussions, interactive panels, and your own model teaching session to prepare you to start a program in your own organization or establish a new partnership with an organization in your community.

This course is for artists, educators, community-focused leaders, social service providers, and anyone who wants to learn how to teach The Theatre Lab’s Life Stories® curriculum in their own classroom, organization or community. 

2025 Schedule
April 3 – April 6, 2025
Thursday, April 3, 5:30-7:30 pm
Friday, April 4, 5:30-7:30 pm
Saturday, April 5, 1:30-5:30pm
Sunday, April 6, 1:30-5:30pm

Tuition: $395

Benefits of the Life Stories Institute

• Access to The Theatre Lab’s founding directors and renowned faculty 
• Workshops and breakout sessions that focus on the teaching process, improvisation, rehearsal, and live and film performance techniques
• Robust e-learning platform that will serve as a resource for years to come
• A digital copy of the Life Stories Toolkit
• Visits with past Life Stories program participants
• Professional networking
• Ongoing support and mentoring following the Life Stories Institute
• 24/7 Access to the online course textbook

Who Should Attend the Life Stories Institute?

The Life Stories Institute is for people of all ages, background, and skill sets. Acting or teaching experience is not required. Past participants have been graduate students, grandparents, volunteers, business owners, members of the clergy, actors, teachers, counselors, life coaches, artists, and more.

The Life Stories Institute may be a good fit for you if:

• you’d like to make a difference using the arts.
• you work with individuals from historically underrepresented populations.
• you want to inspire positive professional breakthroughs in your employees.
• you want to apply the work to guidance counseling.
• you’re a life coach or mental health counselor.
• you’re a teacher interested in incorporating the arts into your lesson plans.
• you’re an actor and want to expand your repertoire beyond just acting.
• you’re looking to connect with others creating meaningful work.
• you want to cultivate growth among your colleagues.
• you’re looking for ways to share your passion with others.

Please contact Deb Gottesman at deb@theatrelab.org or (202) 824-0449 for more details.

Hear from 2024 participants:

“Superior, professional, empathetic, constructive.”

“There are so many different applications for this training. Even if you aren’t sure that you’d ever teach a Life Stories course, the Institute has so many eye-opening ideas about how theatre and storytelling can have a place in your classroom. And if a storytelling-based theatrical experience is something you know want to bring to your group or classroom, then Life Stories is nothing short of essential.“

“The training was interesting and engaging, and presented in a way that was organized and structured efficiently. The course was well-adapted for the online platform; I didn’t feel like any instruction was lost through Zoom.“

“Both Deb and Buzz are consummate professionals. That is reflected in everything they do. Their depth of knowledge and skills coupled with humility and grace, make them a particularly engaging and effective pair in both their instruction and leadership.“

“My overall impression(s) is that the Life Stories Institute is one built on passion, expertise, and a desire to grow community. I was impressed with the format of the learning activities, the variety of activities, and the context for why they were important to growing students’ skills as facilitators of performing arts experiences.”

We also offer a self-directed, asynchronous e-learning version of the Life Stories Institute.