BWW News: The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts Announces New Location In Downtown DC

The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts, Washington's largest theatre school, announces that it has moved to a spacious, more modern location at 900 Massachusetts Avenue NW in downtown Washington, DC. Located several blocks from its former location on 8th Street NW, The Theatre Lab is now housed in the Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church building, across from the Apple Carnegie Library.

"The new space not only meets our existing needs, but provides many exciting upgrades," said Deb Gottesman, Co-Executive Director of The Theatre Lab. "Since we're still in a pandemic, we won't be teaching classes in person right away, but it's great to know we'll be in a recently renovated space that lends itself to safe and healthful practices when we return in person."

"And we're thrilled to be in the same building as our partners at Washington Stage Guild," added Co-Executive Director Buzz Mauro.

The Theatre Lab now has access to approximately 15,000 square feet of dedicated and shared space, including centralized offices, classrooms, and performance space to serve its annual student enrollment of more than 2,800 adults, teens, and children through acting classes, theatre camps, and Life Stories programs. The new space provides resident access to a professionally equipped 140-seat theatre where many Theatre Lab events have already been produced, including the annual Dramathon fundraiser. The theatre is home to longtime partner, the Washington Stage Guild.

"We are so very pleased that our two organizations will now be inhabiting the same campus," said Laura Giannarelli, Washington Stage Guild's Board President. "It's been so satisfying to partner with The Theatre Lab these past several years. We look forward eagerly to working together with The Theatre Lab going forward to afford more opportunities to its students and to expand the work that the Stage Guild might be able to develop with student participation in our professional productions."

The location is within walking distance of Mount Vernon Square and Gallery Place Metro stations and offers an entire floor of modern classrooms and Theatre Lab staff offices, a lounge space where students can socialize before classes, improved air filtration systems, and access to outdoor areas.

The Theatre Lab plans to offer socially-distanced, masked tours of the new space in spring 2021. If interested in a tour, please email contact@theatrelab.org. The school is currently enrolling children and teens in summer acting camps to take place in-person beginning in late June 2021. Early Bird rates are available through March 31 at https://theatrelab.org/camp and applications for teen performance institutes for students ages 13-19 are being accepted through March 15, 2021. Adult acting classes continue to meet virtually until further notice.

About The Theatre Lab

The Theatre Lab is Washington, D.C.'s largest and most comprehensive independent, nonprofit school for the dramatic arts. For nearly 30 years, The Theatre Lab's mission is to transform lives through theatre education. We work to make the real-life benefits of theatre training accessible to all regardless of age, income, or experience level. Through our courses, camps, and programs, The Theatre Lab enrolls over 2,800 kids, teens, and adults a year. Offerings target beginners and veteran actors alike through a wide range of classes designed to fit busy schedules-summer camps for kids, Saturday acting classes, acting or playwriting classes for rookies, public speaking for non-theatre professionals and more. For those 18 and older preparing for a theatre career, our intensive, year-long Honors Acting Conservatory is the closest thing to graduate-level training students can get without having to quit a job to attend school full-time. For more information visit theatrelab.org and follow @theatrelabdc on social media.

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