Masterclass: Playing Complicated Characters
Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center
Moderated by Emily Chase
6:00-10:00pm
$150 for two 4-hour sessions
This Academy Class is designed for professional actors at every stage of their career, from those just starting out to seasoned performers looking to refine their craft.
Masterclass: Playing Complicated Characters
In our current tense, turbulent era, we’ve seen the rise of “unlikable” protagonists in theater and on screen — complex characters who act by their own sets of rules. In this masterclass, actors will explore roles from the classics (eg. Hedda Gabler, Iago) and from great modern plays (by writers like Theresa Rebeck, Lynn Nottage, and Branden Jacobs-Jenkins), and reveal the intricate psychology of imperfect people.
For class, please bring in a memorized monologue of a psychologically complicated, perhaps unlikeable character you’d like to play.
*Please note, students under 18 require permission from the moderator to take this academy class. If you’re in this category, please reach out to us at academy@antaeus.org.
About Emily Chase
At Antaeus, Emily directed Eight Nights, which garnered 2 Ovation Awards (Best Actress, Best Playwright), and 9 nominations (including Best Production and Best Director). She also directed Love and Information and Dakin Matthews’ Divorce Court Hell at Antaeus, as well as numerous workshops and readings. As an actress at Antaeus, Emily appeared in Patience, Trial By Jury, The Liar, Peace In Our Time, As You Like It, and Tonight at 8:30. Emily has acted, directed, and/or taught at South Coast Repertory, The Pasadena Playhouse, A Noise Within, The Road Theatre, USC, UCLA, UC Riverside, and AMDA. She earned an MFA in Theater Arts from UCLA, and was the Director of the Antaeus Playwrights Lab.
