spring 2025
IV. The Ensemble: Flex Your Acting Muscle
Level: committed actors BY INVITATION
mondays & Thursdays, 19:30 - 20:30, march 18 - june 15
location: Schöneberger Ufer 59, Berlin-TIERGARTEN
Fee: €750 (20 rehearsals + 3 Performances at theaterforum kreuzberg)
Even actors at the top of their game understand that developing their craft is a lifelong journey. It requires passion, sweat, and the occasional tear. The Ensemble is a community where actors at all stages of their careers can continue perfecting their craft in a rigorous, supportive, and fun environment.
Rooted in the principle that actors of all levels can always learn from each other, our community is diverse. Some are classically trained and have established themselves in the acting profession. Others took their first classes at The Acting Muscle and are hungry to keep developing their craft. What all members of The Ensemble share is a desire to practice, grow as artists, and connect with a dynamic and supportive creative community.
The Ensemble offers participants an intensive rehearsal process that culminates in the fully realized production of a dramatic work. Ensemble members get to experience the thrill of stepping out under the lights and sharing their collaborative effort with a live audience. At this level, you are expected to apply the full range of tools learned in the foundational courses.
“ I went to a drama school that had a very naturalistic approach, so we always focused a lot on intention but not so much on the words themselves. Adam showed me that words—their sounds, their meaning—can already carry so much and it can be so delicious to explore that for a stage character. ”
You should know your script backwards and forwards, having mined it for clues about who your character is, what they want, and how they relate to other characters in the play. You will formulate your character’s super-objective in the play and their objectives in the scenes you are rehearsing. You will break your scenes down into beats and identify the actions you play to achieve your objective. Both independently and in class, you will develop your physical and vocal characterization and imagine the physical universe of the play and how you relate to it. In short, you will embody a trained actor in a professional rehearsal process, prepared to contribute insight, ingenuity, and playfulness to support the ensemble in working towards a shared goal.
“There are plenty of courses out there charging insane amounts of money for a one or two day workshop, and I doubt that they have a fraction of what you get in these classes. Namely, experience working intensively with other actors on real scenes, doing real work.”
The Ensemble consists of four to ten actors. You should expect to work at least three hours per week outside of scheduled rehearsals, and to notify the director of any planned absences before the course begins.
Check out all of our Projects so far.
Instructors: Adam Ludwig, Chiara Von Galli
The course will be conducted in English. Students are encouraged to contribute ideas or ask questions in German or French. Copies of readings, assigned scenes, and plays will be provided.