Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays
See description.
Deb Gottesman
One of The Theatre Lab’s signature programs, Acting in a Professional Production takes students through the entire process of preparing, rehearsing, and performing in a professional staged reading, culminating in a series of public staged readings on the stage of the Washington Stage Guild, one of DC’s most respected theatrical venues.
Directed by Theatre Lab Co-Executive Director Deb Gottesman, students will work with professional directors and actors as part of a core company of students playing substantial roles. Issues explored in the class include the expectations involved in professional work, how to make strong acting choices within a compressed schedule, and the specific demands of staged readings versus full productions.
This year, Acting in a Professional Production takes on four great plays of modern theatre that explore different ways of “framing” human experience:
The Front Page by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur (Framing the News)
The History Boys by Alan Bennett (Framing the Past)
Museum by Tina Howe (Framing the Art)
Six Characters in Search of an Author by Luigi Pirandello (Framing the Self)
All roles are cast by video audition. Please click the link below to open and submit the audition form. Auditions are beginner-friendly, and many roles will exist for all types of performers.
Rehearsal Schedule: Saturdays, 1:30-5:30 PM
Class: Thursdays, 7-10 PM; Final class on Zoom on 10/15 from 7-8:30 PM
Performances: Tuesdays, 7:30 PM; Students must arrive at 6:30 PM
Students admitted to this class will form an ensemble of actors, each with one or more roles in the production. All students are guaranteed substantial stage time and attention from the director and/or instructor.
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.
Students who complete this class often continue with:
Class availability varies by session. See our course catalog for current offerings.
We encourage all students to review our Adult Class Policies prior to enrolling.
In Person
Fall I
Out of stock
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.
Catholic University, M.F.A.
