In this 10 week, 30 hour online class taught by Atlantic founding member, director and senior teacher Karen Kohlhaas, we will take a deep dive into the life and work of Tennessee Williams, one of the greatest playwrights of all time.
In addition to his most famous plays, such as THE GLASS MENAGERIE, A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, and CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, Williams wrote 34 other published full length plays, and many dozens of one acts. His characters are from the American South, and also New England, St. Louis, New York City, and elsewhere.
The class will include a virtual tour of the Tennessee Williams Rectory Museum, in the house where Williams once lived with his grandparents, in Clarksdale, Mississippi.
We expect these classes to fill quickly and space is limited.
Questions? Email admissions@atlantictheater.org.
Featuring the plays of Tennessee Williams
MONDAYS 7 PM – 10 PM EST
OCT 7 – DEC 16
NO CLASS OCT 14
THIS CLASS IS HELD ONLINE
(A Zoom Link will be provided upon registration)
Practical Aesthetics Throughline Script Analysis trains actors to take on entire roles. In class, we mimic the rehearsal process of a play. Pairs of partners work on a full length play by Williams. We start by making deeply felt choices about the forces that drive a character, which evolve as the actors get to know the plays. Those choices influence the work on individual scenes through intense study and experimentation. Actors learn to apply these tools while collaborating fully with a director’s vision: scene partners collaborate on the direction and staging of the scenes, with lots of input and guidance from Karen. Actors also build stamina, specificity and concentration by bringing in scenes of increasing length (5, 10, then 15-20 minutes) throughout the 10 weeks, culminating in an invited Zoom performance of 20 minute scenes. Every actor works in 6 out of the 10 classes.
Previous scene study training is required, but actors do not need previous experience with Practical Aesthetics or Tennessee Williams. To apply, please send in a current headshot and resume, and a brief statement about your interest in the class. Please apply only if you are willing to bring a professional-level commitment to your preparation, rehearsals, and classwork.
Tuition: $595
Interested in Auditing?
Audit: $295
Karen Kohlhaas
KAREN KOHLHAAS is a director, founding member and senior acting teacher at the Atlantic Theater Company. For many years, she developed and taught the Practical Aesthetics Script Analysis and Throughline curricula at the Atlantic Acting School. She has directed for Atlantic, The Public, Ars Nova, Ensemble Studio Theater, The Culture Project, Naked Angels, Primary Stages, The Kraine, New York Live Arts, Practical Aesthetics Australia, The Menagerie Theatre in Cambridge UK, The Alley Theater in Houston, and others. She is a Tennessee Williams scholar; curator of the Tennessee Williams Rectory Museum; and is currently finishing a documentary series on Williams set in the Mississippi Delta. She teaches in person in New York City and Seattle, and in residential scene study and monologue workshops in Clarksdale, Mississippi, and online. Classes include monologues, cold reading, throughline scene study, directing, and a class called Art+Life. She has guest taught at dozens of universities and conferences around the country. Her sites for actors are www.art-and-audition.com and www.monologueaudition.com.
Health & Safety
At this time we will no longer be requiring masks or proof of vaccination from Atlantic staff, faculty, or students. Click here for additional information.