Directing Class with Karen Kohlhaas
April 14 - June 30, 2008

CONTENTS
  • Karen's Bio
  • Notes from past directing classes
  • Spring/Summer 2008 Dates, times and location
  • Directing class description and tuition
  • Levels of participation: "Full," "Audit," and "Guest class only"
  • What I'm looking for in participants
  • Quotes from past participants
  • Interview/Registration policies

KAREN'S BIO
Karen Kohlhaas (Director) is a founding member of the Atlantic Theater Company. She will be directing the world premiere of Annie Baker's play BODY AWARENESS for Atlantic in May/June 2008. She recently directed actress/comedienne Judy Gold in the Drama Desk Award nominated one woman show "25 QUESTIONS FOR A JEWISH MOTHER" by Kate Moira Ryan (written with and for Ms. Gold) which performed at the Montreal Comedy Festival, Ars Nova, ran 6 months Off-Broadway, and is now on a national tour. Off-Broadway and regional productions include Harold Pinter's THE HOTHOUSE (Atlantic), Keith Reddin’s SYNERGY (Alley Theatre, world premiere) and FRAME 312 (Atlantic, NY premiere); David Mamet's BOSTON MARRIAGE (Public Theater, NY premiere) and THE WATER ENGINE (Atlantic); three productions of AN ADULT EVENING OF SHEL SILVERSTEIN in New York and Sydney, and Kate Moira Ryan's OTMA (U.S. premiere). She has also directed at Naked Angels, New Dramatists, Ensemble Studio Theatre, and other New York theaters. She is a senior teacher at the Atlantic Acting School, and teaches her own directing, monologue, and audition workshops. She is the author of THE MONOLOGUE AUDITION: A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR ACTORS (Foreword by David Mamet), THE MONOLOGUE AUDITION TEACHER'S MANUAL, and the director, writer and producer of THE MONOLOGUE AUDITION VIDEO, available at www.monologueaudition.com.

NOTES FROM PAST DIRECTING CLASSES
All of the past workshops have been incredibly fulfilling to teach, and have fostered artistic relationships that have extended past the endings of the classes. Very valuable group dynamics are formed between the directors and the auditors that I hope to repeat in the upcoming class; people supportively discussed and questioned each other's work all the way through the process, and many are still interacting and going to see each other's projects and films that have been happening since the workshop.

The work by the "Full Participant" directors grew and deepened with each round of scenes, and the final presentations were very strong and well attended. Approximately 30 actors participated in each workshop, and their participation has led to future interactions, projects and even being cast in full productions of the directors' works!

We welcomed as guest speakers professionals from many parts of the industry: Directors, playwrights, designers, artistic directors, actors, stage managers, casting directors, and agents.

I very much look forward to the next Directing Workshop!

Karen Kohlhaas

SPRING/SUMMER DATES TIMES, AND LOCATION

DIRECTING CLASS DESCRIPTION
This is a 42+ hour class in directing designed to be as comprehensive, practical, and creatively stimulating as possible. There will be practical coursework and also a series of guest lectures with industry professionals including designers, directors, playwrights, agents, and stage managers. Fully-participating directors will be limited to 8; there is also an audit level and a guest-lecture only level (see below).

The coursework includes practical experience in designing and realizing your directorial vision with:
Script analysis for directors • Pre-production and research • Making choices and making those choices appear on stage! • Casting and auditions • Communicating effectively with actors • Staging: how to use structure, contrast and suspense in storytelling • Showmanship for directors • Rehearsal technique • Time management • Troubleshooting

And, lecture/discussion of:
Working with a playwright on a new play • Collaborating with designers • Working effectively with stage managers, casting directors, artistic directors and producers • Working with an agent • Directing careers in New York City and regional USA • Goals for and handling of previews/opening/run • Building your vision of the kind of director you want to be and taking steps to realize that vision.

GUEST CLASSES
The class will feature six hour-long guest speakers who will be invited from different facets of the industry. All will focus on the director's role and interaction with other artists and theater professionals. Past guests have included playwrights John Guare, Christoper Durang, Kate Moira Ryan, Keith Reddin,Tom Donaghy and Jerome Hairston; casting director/MCC Associate Director Will Cantler; Designer Walt Spangler; Directors Daniel Aukin, Michael Grief, Jo Bonney, Carl Forsman, and Neil Pepe; Actors Chris Bauer, Thomas Jay Ryan, Judy Gold and Mary McCann; Producer/Actor Laurie Williams, and director and playwright agent Beth Blickers of Abrams Artists. Guests will be announced as they are confirmed.

LEVELS OF PARTICIPATION
There are 3 levels of participation in this class:

FULL PARTICIPATION
8 people will take the full class, working on 2 different scenes with actors of their choice. The first scene is shorter and comes into class once; the 2nd scene comes into class 3 times, increasing the length each time. Directors will have a series of written work, research and casting/auditions to do outside of class as well as the scene work. Commitments for directors AND actors to show up and be prepared must be ironclad; if someone doesn't show up their class time is forfeited. These participants must have enough time in their schedules to prepare and to rehearse. If you are interested in this level, contact me for a schedule outline so that you can see what kind of time commitment will be needed.

The first scene (2 characters, 4 minutes) is an exercise that will focus on articulating a specific vision for a scene, staging, and communicating with actors, and will come into class once. This scene will be cast with actors of the director's choice (recommendations given if needed).

The second scene (3-4 characters, which starts at 5 minutes and will build to 15-20 minutes) will further develop the techinuques learned in the first scene, and also focus on more complex blocking and storytelling issues, design and conceptual considerations. This scene will come into class a total of 3 times, building toward performance level. There will be an invited performance of all of the 2nd scenes at the end of the session. This scene will be cast by auditions held by the directors, as part of the course.

The full-participation level will give each director the opportunity to make each part of his or her artistic process tangible, practical and specific in order to guarantee that the audience sees what is engaging, compelling, fascinating or humorous about the scene. While intuition and experimentation will play a part, the overall approach is designed to enable each director to clearly articulate and practically address his/her vision for each scene, get rid of "gray areas," understand and practice excellent showmanship, communicate well with a variety actors, and solve problems.

The full-participation level is for people who have some theater training and experience, such as actors and stage managers, directors who have never formally studied directing or those who want to focus on developing their skills in a concentrated setting. Ideally all will have studied acting at some time. Because of the amount of class time devoted to each director, enrollment is limited to 8. Tuition for the full-participation level is $875.

AUDIT PARTICIPATION
The class is available to audit, including the guest classes. The auditing level is ideal for people with directing interest or experience who do not have the time in their schedules to prepare and rehearse for the full participation level. Auditors are a valuable and vocal part of the directing class; their position as auditors allows them to respond to the work from an audience's perspective. Tuition for the audit level is $425

GUEST CLASS ONLY
6 of the 10 classes will begin with a 1 hour and 15 minute guest class. Guests will speak about directing, and the director's relationship to actors, playwrights, casting directors, agents, etc. It is possible to sign up to attend the guest classes only. See above for past guests.

Tuition is $25 per guest class, or $125 for all 6 guest classes. If you want to be put onto a special mailing list to be informed of the guests and their dates, please send an e:mail to DirectingClass@aol.com.

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR
For those interested in the Full Participation level: This class is for people with some theater or film experience (actors, playwrights, producers, filmmakers, stage managers welcome; contact me for discussion) who are interested in learning concrete, practical stage directing techniques, including staging and communicating with actors. I teach a very specific way of approaching a scene/play/work, and we go step by step through that approach in the class. I want those who take the class to be interested in learning that approach, open to taking feedback, supportive of others' work; professional in all interactions with their actors, organized, and willing and ready to devote the time outside the class that it will take to get their scenes ready. It is also very important to be willing to observe class guidelines like scene length, being on time to class and rehearsals, and meeting all class deadlines.

QUOTES FROM PAST PARTICIPANTS
"I've never taken a better organized and more productive class in any field. Karen maximizes the use of every minute in her 10-week master class on directing. My advice is become a full participant, if you can. You choose two plays, cast and direct two meaty scenes. With the first scene, we learned and applied Karen's technique of blueprinting a scene. As a director, you'll never come to work without ideas and a plan. Your second piece is a good chunk of a play that you develop as if you were directing a professional production. Your work culminates in a performance for an audience. Not too many classes give you that sense of accomplishment."
-- Elise Marenson, Writer and Director in Film & Theater

"I really loved the experience that we had in the class. The study of directing is so expansive that it's really a lifelong project - but I'm still amazed by just how much of it we were able to do in ten weeks. Everything we covered was extremely valuable, inspiring and, of course, practical. I really hope you'll continue teaching this class and other classes for directors in the future."
-- Mark Armstrong, Artistic Director of the Production Company

"The class is great. Really insightful techniques. I'm learning more in the four hours [of each class] than I have in all my previous classes put together."
-- Patty Mulcahy, Film writer and director

"As an actress I had always wanted to explore theater from the point of view of the director. I'd studied acting with Karen in the past and knew she would show us the essential techniques of directing while encouraging creativity and spontaneity. The entire experience exceeded my expectations and turned into, for me, one of the best acting classes I've ever had."
-- Margaret O'Connor, actor

"The class provided me with such powerful tools, as well as a real understanding of the director's role via a vis the other crafts of theatre and as a result, better insights into my own path. The insights we learned were practical as well as exalted; the proof came in watching the work grow stronger with each installment. I enjoyed the professional attitude and mutual respect you engendered in the class among classmates. And lastly and especially, I thank you for guiding me through the crises of my first job as director on the New York stage. Your class made that a much richer learning experience for me!"
-- Sarah Tuft, writer and director

"Thank you so much for offering this amazing Directing Workshop. Once again, you merge the practical with the creative making for an insightful, unique and highly effective approach to the craft of directing. The guest speakers and class discussions helped to illuminate all facets of directing. And the scene work was invaluable. The tools you have given me will serve me well as a director, as well as an actor, far into the future."
-- John Summerford, actor and director

INTERVIEW & REGISTRATION PROCESS
I have begun meeting with those interested in the full and audit levels of participation. Once you are accepted, preparation for the class will involve discussion of play choices and some initial research and planning. For questions, to schedule a meeting, or to receive a class outline that will give more info and a sense of the time required in and out of class, email DirectingClass@aol.com or call 212-252-4200.