Classes
Explore, create and collaborate … online!
Our classes for adults and youth are designed for all interests and skill levels. If you’re looking to build on your previous stage or summer camp experience, dabble in theater just for fun or improve your communication skills at work, we’ve got just the thing.
We have transitioned our classes to a virtual format until further notice. We’ve been working hard to ensure each class continues to serve your creative and artistic goals.
We will add more virtual classes in the future, so check back often! If you have questions, please email classes@guthrietheater.org.
For adults (ages 18 and up)
Hello and welcome! Whether you’re a business professional looking to elevate your presentation skills or a theater artist wanting to expand your toolkit, we offer something for everyone through two sections of classes: Exploratory Classes and our Performance Pathway. Payment plans and scholarships are available. View our adult classes FAQs here.
Exploratory Classes (All Levels)
Our exploratory classes are for all experience levels and designed to support personal and professional growth through theater-inspired offerings focused on communication skills, playwriting, dance, voiceover and more. All summer classes have transitioned to a virtual format. Details and instructions will be shared in advance.
SLAY! WITH BRIAN BOSE
Feel sexy, fierce and powerful while learning fun choreography, grooving to music and dancing your way to empowerment. This class creates an open environment to get your cardio up, move your body and challenge yourself. Strip away fears and perfectionism while learning how to get out of your own way so you have no choice but to slay. No prerequisite or dance experience necessary. Capacity: 30 participants.
- Dates: Monday, August 10 | 6:30–8 p.m.
- Class Fee: The final summer session August 10 is pay what you can $0–$10.
- Instructor: Brian Bose
Brian Bose is a professional AEA actor/singer/dancer, rapper, choreographer, director, emcee and international teaching artist named one of the Faces to Watch in Arts by the San Diego Union-Tribune. He received a double B.A. in Theatre and Dance from the University of California, San Diego, and he trained at the British American Drama Academy, Steppenwolf West and CSULA Academy of the Dramatic Arts. He has acted in and choreographed productions at the Ordway, Children’s Theatre Company, Ten Thousand Things, Mixed Blood Theatre and Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, and he taught dance internationally with the Patricia Rincon Dance Collective in Germany from 2014 to 2017. In Minneapolis, he is a teaching artist for Upstream Arts and the Guthrie Theater. Learn more at www.brianbose.com.
VOICEOVER II
Serious about pursuing voiceover work? Learn about audition etiquette, copy analysis, handling anxiety and self-promotion from leading players in the industry. This class culminates with the opportunity to rehearse and record in the Guthrie’s recording studio. Previous guest speakers have included Mike Stalcar, engineer, Audio Ruckus Recording Studio; Holly Collison, vocal coach; and Kate Lawrence, voiceover talent agent, Moore Creative. Prerequisite: Voiceover I or equivalent experience. Capacity: 12 participants.
Insider tip: New to voiceover? Start with our Voiceover I class.
- Dates: Wednesdays, July 1 – August 5 | 6:30–8:30 p.m.
- Class Fee: $285
- Instructor: Jim Cada
PLAYWRITING I: ON THE SCENE
Have you ever imagined characters and been inspired to bring them to life on the page? What does it take to write an engaging scene and captivate an audience? Discover the key ingredients of a great drama or comedy, and use this six-week class as a building block toward creating your own masterpiece. No prerequisite. Capacity: 10 participants.
Insider tip: Whether you are starting from scratch or have a play in progress, this class adapts to whatever stage your project is at.
- Dates: Wednesdays, June 10 – July 22 | 6:30–8:30 p.m. (no class July 1)
- Class Fee: $225
- Instructor: Josh Tobiessen
Josh Tobiessen is a playwright whose work has been performed nationally at theaters including Alliance Theatre in Atlanta; Jungle Theater and Mixed Blood Theatre in Minneapolis; and Second Stage Theater and Crowded Outlet in New York City. Some of his plays are published by Samuel French and Dramatic Publishing. He teaches playwriting classes at schools and universities across the country, and he currently teaches classes at the Guthrie Theater. Learn more at www.joshtobiessen.com.
PRESENTATION AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Our bodies, faces and voices tell stories about who we are, communicating verbally and nonverbally in ways we don’t even realize. It’s time to take control of your story! Learn specific verbal and nonverbal skills that give you the confidence to be your best self and respond in authentic, spontaneous and mindful ways. This practical class covers interviewing, presentation skills, meeting management and networking. No prerequisite necessary. Capacity: 12 participants.
Insider tip: This class is ideal for business professionals or individuals who want to boost their networking and presentation skills.
- Dates: Tuesdays, July 14 – August 4 | 6:30–8:30 p.m.
- Class Fee: $200
- Instructors: Michelle Hutchison and Jim Robinson
Michelle Hutchison is a veteran of film, television and stage. She is a teaching artist at the Guthrie Theater and leads multiple acting workshops and professional communication courses to help open up the world of acting for both the novice and the experienced. Her passion for the craft extends to training actors in her on-camera training business and elevating the professional speaker to be more effective at the podium. Learn more at www.michellelhutchison.com and www.skilledexpressions.com.
Jim Robinson has a dual career as a performer and teacher. He is a Brave New Workshop alumnus, the former cast lead aboard the Disney Magic cruise ship and a co-founder of Table Salt Productions, a local theater company dedicated to producing original works by local artists. He has also taught psychology for over 20 years at St. Catherine University and the University of St. Thomas. Robinson combined these pursuits as a Fulbright Specialist in Pakistan where he taught classes on improvisation and mental health.
VOICEOVER I
Have you ever been curious about the world of radio and broadcasting? Discover your vocal range and explore the necessary skills required to deliver the copy, impress the client and sell the product. Learn the basics of choosing the right piece, reading commercial copy and more. All experience levels welcome. No prerequisite. Capacity: 12 participants.
Insider tip: We also offer Voiceover II and III so you can build on your skills.
- Dates: Tuesdays and Thursdays, June 2 – June 11 | 6:30–8:30 p.m.
- Class Fee: $185
- Instructor: Jim Cada
Performance Pathway
Build a foundation in voice, physicality and process in our introductory classes, and then expand your craft through our intermediate and advanced offerings. All summer classes have transitioned to a virtual format. Details and instructions will be shared in advance. To ask questions or discuss relevant experience, contact the Education Team at 612.225.6134.
CREATING A CHARACTER (INTERMEDIATE)
Strengthen your imagination, focus your concentration and hone your listening skills by delving into the creation of original and scripted characters. Building on the skills and concepts introduced in Theater Basics, this class will explore a variety of approaches for character development and empower actors to find their unique approach to character work. Prerequisite: Intro level acting class or equivalent experience. Capacity: 12 participants.
Insider tip: This class is a great follow-up to Theater Basics. Continue adding to your actor’s toolkit with our Acting From the Text class, which dives further into character development through script analysis. If you are getting serious about being cast, we recommend taking the three-day Monologue Prep workshop or the Auditioning and the Business of Acting: Getting Started class.
- Dates: Tuesdays, July 7 – August 11 | 6:30–8:30 p.m.
- Class Fee: $225
- Instructor: Laura Esping
Laura Esping is a Twin Cities actor and educator who has performed with many local companies, including the Guthrie Theater, Park Square Theatre, Pillsbury House Theatre, History Theatre, Old Log Theatre, Penumbra Theatre, Illusion Theater, Theatre de la Jeune Lune, In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre, and At the Foot of the Mountain Theater. As an educator, she works for the Guthrie, teaches library programs, special community request classes and acting classes, and offers private coaching. Esping holds a B.A. from The University of Iowa and an M.F.A. from the University of Minnesota.
AUDITIONING AND THE BUSINESS OF ACTING: GETTING STARTED (INTERMEDIATE)
Explore the skills and insight necessary to pursue a career in acting by working on a monologue audition piece based on your individual strengths, interests and passions. In addition to covering audition basics, you’ll explore your motivation and drive as an artist and gain tools to better prepare a resume, investigate headshot photographers and explore talent agencies for possible representation. If you are ready to take your practice to the stage and begin navigating your career as an artist, this is the class for you. Prerequisite: Theater Basics, Voice and Speech for the Actor or equivalent experience. Capacity: 12 participants.
Insider tip: The Monologue Prep workshop is a great complement to this class, as it focuses on the detailed work of preparing a monologue.
- Dates: TBA
- Class Fee: $225
- Instructor: Shirley Venard
This class has been postponed. To receive updates email classes@guthrietheater.org.
Shirley Venard-Diercks is a stage, film, radio and voice actor who has played many fascinating female roles written by playwrights from Shakespeare to Caryl Churchill. She has performed at various regional theaters, including the Guthrie Theater (under Garland Wright), Cricket Theatre, Mixed Blood Theatre and Chanhassen Dinner Theatres. As an educator, she does private coaching, teaches classes at the Guthrie and has been an adjunct professor of Theatre at the University of Minnesota for 20 years. Venard-Diercks is a graduate of the Theatre and Anthropology programs at the University of Minnesota and a proud member of the AEA and SAG-AFTRA unions.
THEATER BASICS (INTRODUCTORY)
Through a variety of theater exercises, you’ll explore the fundamentals of acting and create a foundation for continued training in improvising, building a theater vocabulary, performing in front of an audience and approaching text. All experience levels welcome. No prerequisite. Capacity: 12 participants.
Insider tip: Our Creating a Character class is a great follow-up to Theater Basics. We also recommend building your vocal foundation with Voice and Speech for the Actor, which will meet the prerequisite for many of our intermediate classes.
Option 1
- Dates: Sundays, June 7–28 | 3:30–5:30 p.m.
- Class Fee: $150
- Instructor: Suzanne Warmanen
Option 2
- Dates: Tuesdays and Thursdays, June 16–25 | 6:30–8:30 p.m.
- Class Fee: $150
- Instructor: Laura Esping
Suzanne Warmanen has been acting and teaching professionally since 1994. Most recently, she played the role of Dunya in the world premiere of Terrence McNally’s Immortal Longings at ZACH Theatre in Austin, Texas. She has performed at many regional theaters, including the Guthrie Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre Company, South Coast Repertory, Ten Thousand Things, The Moving Company, Theater Latté Da, Sod House Theater, Theatre de la Jeune Lune and Gremlin Theatre. Warmanen received her M.F.A. from the University of Minnesota and her B.F.A. from the University of Minnesota Duluth.
Laura Esping is a Twin Cities actor and educator who has performed with many local companies, including the Guthrie Theater, Park Square Theatre, Pillsbury House Theatre, History Theatre, Old Log Theatre, Penumbra Theatre, Illusion Theater, Theatre de la Jeune Lune, In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre, and At the Foot of the Mountain Theater. As an educator, she works for the Guthrie, teaches library programs, special community request classes and acting classes, and offers private coaching. Esping holds a B.A. from The University of Iowa and an M.F.A. from the University of Minnesota.
ACTING FROM THE TEXT (INTERMEDIATE)
Dive into the creative, complex and amazing world of the script — the starting place to prepare for roles in both contemporary and classic plays. This class will use the text as a starting place to develop characters and better understand the story being staged. You’ll also learn how to identify and activate textual clues to enhance storytelling, spark actions, build characters, define relationships and engage audiences. Prerequisite: Theater Basics, Voice and Speech for the Actor or equivalent experience. Creating a Character is recommended but not required. Capacity: 12 participants.
Insider tip: This class is a great follow-up to Creating a Character, as it dives deeper into the work an actor does with the text.
- Dates: Mondays, June 8 – July 13 | 6:30–8:30 p.m.
- Class Fee: $225
- Instructor: H. Adam Harris
H. Adam Harris is an actor, director, teaching artist and cultural equity consultant. He works at the intersection of theater, education, social justice and community engagement. Recent theatrical credits include directing the regional premiere of Redwood by Brittany K. Allen at the Jungle Theater in Minneapolis. Harris is the Education Coordinator at the Playwrights’ Center; a resident teaching artist with the Guthrie Theater and Children’s Theatre Company; a board member at Ten Thousand Things; and a freelance equity, diversity and inclusion consultant for various organizations.
MONOLOGUE PREP (INTERMEDIATE)
Join Twin Cities actor Suzanne Warmanen as she guides you through the practice of breaking down a text and presenting a more fully developed performance in the audition room. This is a three-day, pen-to-paper workshop with time to work individually and in online breakout groups. Participants will work in depth on a monologue of their choice and leave with tools and techniques to support future monologue prep. Prerequisite: Intro level acting class or equivalent experience. Capacity: 12 participants.
Insider tip: This workshop is a great complement to Auditioning and the Business of Acting: Getting Started.
What to prepare: Participants must bring one 60-second monologue from a script they have read completely. The monologue should be memorized by the first day of the workshop, but it does not need to be staged. Email the monologue to classes@guthrietheater.org in advance.
- Dates: Saturday and Sunday July 11–12 and Sunday, July 19 | noon – 2 p.m.
- Workshop Fee: $110
- Instructor: Suzanne Warmanen
Suzanne Warmanen has been acting and teaching professionally since 1994. Most recently, she played the role of Dunya in the world premiere of Terrence McNally’s Immortal Longings at ZACH Theatre in Austin, Texas. She has performed at many regional theaters, including the Guthrie Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre Company, South Coast Repertory, Ten Thousand Things, The Moving Company, Theater Latté Da, Sod House Theater, Theatre de la Jeune Lune and Gremlin Theatre. Warmanen received her M.F.A. from the University of Minnesota and her B.F.A. from the University of Minnesota Duluth.
VOICE AND SPEECH FOR THE ACTOR (INTRODUCTORY)
Learn the basic principles of voice and speech, including breath, resonance, range, articulation, projection, phrasing, expression and release of excessive tension. Through assigned readings, experiential exercises, class discussions and practical application of skills, you’ll build a strong foundation of vocal practice. Capacity: 12 participants. This is a prerequisite for several intermediate classes.
Insider tip: Building a strong vocal foundation is a necessary step for actors. Continue your vocal training with our intermediate Dialects class.
- Dates: Wednesdays and Sundays, June 3–14 | 6:30–8:30 p.m.
- Class Fee: $150
- Instructor: Mira Kehoe
Mira Kehoe has taught voice, speech and dialects at the Guthrie Theater and several universities, and she consults with individuals and corporations. In addition to coaching more than 200 productions at the Guthrie, the Minnesota Opera and others, Kehoe has worked as a dialect consultant on several films, including The Parent Trap and The Mighty Ducks. She teaches singing and performs jazz and Brazilian music with Tom Kehoe.
DIALECTS (INTERMEDIATE)
Discover the difference between dialects and accents, how to research and apply them to text and when and why to sing in dialect. You’ll explore standard British and Cockney and learn how to apply them to spoken text and song. Prerequisite: Voice and Speech for the Actor or equivalent experience. Theater Basics is recommended but not required. Capacity: 12 participants.
Insider tip: This class is a great follow-up to Voice and Speech for the Actor.
- Dates: Wednesdays and Sundays, June 24 – July 8 | 6:30–8:30 p.m. (no class on July 5)
- Class Fee: $150
- Instructor: Mira Kehoe
Mira Kehoe has taught voice, speech and dialects at the Guthrie Theater and several universities, and she consults with individuals and corporations. In addition to coaching more than 200 productions at the Guthrie, the Minnesota Opera and others, Kehoe has worked as a dialect consultant on several films, including The Parent Trap and The Mighty Ducks. She teaches singing and performs jazz and Brazilian music with Tom Kehoe.
THE ACTORS WORKOUT (ADVANCED)
The Actors Workout is an ongoing scene study class for working actors led by Nathan Keepers. Entrance is by audition only.
This class is postponed until further notice. To be notified when auditioning resumes, email classes@guthrietheater.org.
For youth (grades 6–12)
Our classes and workshops for youth are designed to empower theater-loving kids and teens to be artists and lifelong learners while exposing them to the professional practices and community of the Guthrie. Classes are introductory and have no prerequisite unless otherwise indicated. Payment plans and scholarships are available. View our youth classes FAQs here.
Youth classes will resume in July 2020 with our summer experiences. Stay tuned for details!
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