User:ActOut/The Antaeus Company

The Antaeus Company is located in North Hollywood, California.

The History
The Antaeus Company is named after the mythological Greek wrestler, Antaeus. He was unbeatable as long as his feet never left the ground. The Antaeus Company was founded in 1991 by renowned actor, scholar, translator, and playwright Dakin Matthews and the equally peripatetic Lillian Groag. Alongside them, The Company was developed with other professional actors, many of whom are also teachers and scholars who share a deep interest in performing classic drama and literature. Matthews says, "A city without a classical theater ensemble is potentially a city without masterpieces."

This project quickly got the attention and support of Los Angeles' venerable Center Theatre Group who gave a home to the company, and a space for its first full production.

The Company
The Antaeus Company is now an ensemble of over 100 classically trained actors whose purpose is to keep classical theater alive. Throughout the years, Antaeus has presented over 300 readings, workshops, and full productions of the classics. Antaeus productions have received numerous Ovation, LA Drama Critics, LA Weekly and Back Stage Garland Awards nominations and awards as well as critical acclaim in local, national, and international press. Antaeus’ acclaimed productions routinely sell to 100% capacity. Some of their past productions include The Wood Demon, Chekhov X 4, The Man Who Had All the Luck, Mother Courage and Her Children, Pera Palas, and Tonight at 8:30. They are known to have "an impressive cast [and] solid teamwork." They have trained scores of young and emerging professional actors in their Academy programs.

Membership
Criteria for Antaeus membership are stringent. Actors who are invited to join the ensemble are members of the Actors Equity Association, have resumes that show experience playing numerous and diverse classical theater roles at professional venues in New York, Los Angeles, and major regional theaters across the country. The Academy Company actors are a group of twenty or so younger actors who have studied in our training programs. They are the ensemble's first resource for casting younger roles.

The Antaeus Academy
The Antaeus Academy training program is for established professionals and upcoming, early-career actors. At Antaeus, it is a belief that mastering the acting challenges of great classics takes a lifetime - and wanting to take this on makes for great actors. Antaeus is constantly putting together young artists-in-training wish seasoned professionals, so that skills, work ethic, inspiration and professionalism are not just taught, but 'passed down.' Actors learn by osmosis along with being part of a program that makes the utmost demands on the voice, body, intellect, and talent.

The Antaeus Academy is dedicated to the concept that students benefit from multiple points-of-view. The Academy is dedicated to giving students the opportunity to explore complex texts in front of an exciting array of esteemed actors, directors, and instructors makes them unique among Los Angeles acting schools.

The Antaeus Academy believes that working on great material with a variety of experienced teachers is the best way to create rounded, dynamic actors who can excel, inspire, and amaze, whether they are working on stage, in film, on television, radio, or anywhere. Academy actors have an opportunity to become familiar and comfortable with a wide range of dramatic literature and acting styles. By mastering classical theater skills, Antaeus Academy actors develop the techniques that will serve them in any situation. The Antaeus Academy also hopes to create a community of artists who share a common artistic language as well as a dedication to a company spirit of working together to create vibrant, moving, entertaining theater.

The Antaeus Academy program is lead by Jeanie Hackett, with workshop sessions also moderated by an array of Los Angeles' finest actors, directors, and acting teachers. By incorporating the formidable collective knowledge of this artistic community, Antaeus can give students a chance to experience a wide range of viewpoints, techniques, and philosophies.

Thus, the class provides both a safe and supportive atmosphere and one that actually mirrors the realities of the professional world where actors are called upon to adapt to many different styles and ways of working over the course of a career.

There are two different classes offered in the Academy.

CLASSICAL STYLES is a series of master classes in classical scene work moderated by a variety of Antaeus members as well as other professional directors and actors. In the fall session, the focus is on Shakespeare, George Bernard Shaw / Noël Coward / Oscar Wilde, and The Greeks. In the spring session, the focus is on Anton Chekhov / Henrik Ibsen / August Strindberg, American Classics, and Restoration Comedy.

Sessions are moderated by Jeanie Hackett and Cindy Marie Jenkins, with an invited guest moderator every other week. Scheduling is based on moderators’ expertise and availability. Past moderators include Alfred Molina, Daniel J. Sullivan, Olympia Dukakis, Michael Hackett, Sabin Epstein, Tom Moore, Brian Cox, Stefan Novinski, Rowena Balos, Annette Bening, Stephanie Shroyer, Dakin Matthews, Andrew Robinson, Jessica Kubzansky, Geoffrey Wade, Kate Burton, Austin Pendleton, Sheldon Epps, Jeffrey Nordling, Art Manke, Mark Rucker and many others. The workshop culminates in a presentation of scene work for the membership of the Antaeus Company and invited guests. Twelve weeks of scene study, followed by two additional classes to focus solely on the workshop presentation. Open to actors ages 18 to 35ish, 24 - 26 actors per class. Admission by audition only. The Antaeus Academy seeks strong, classically trained actors, as well as younger actors who show genuine potential for meeting the challenges presented by working on classical texts.

SHAKESPEARE WORKOUT is a series that encourages actors to experience the challenges and rewards of playing Shakespeare in sessions moderated by a rotating group of L.A.'s top actors, directors, and acting teachers. Now an ongoing, year-round program, Shakespeare Workout features a different guest moderator every month. Actors new to the workshop commit to an initial 12-week session; returning actors may join the workshop on a by-the-month basis. Open to actors of all ages and levels of experience, the workout focuses on text analysis, monologue, and scene work. Shakespeare Workout meets on Wednesdays from 2 - 5 pm.

Shakes Alive! Arts, Education & Outreach
The Company is also extensively involved in educational outreach throughout Los Angeles Unified School District. The Company's distinctive mission and methodology is based on in-depth textual and historical analysis combined with careful performance and design preparation that makes its work easily adaptable to meeting not only the California content standards in the Visual and Performing Arts but is equally applicable to standards in Language Arts and Social Studies. The Company’s process in its own work is based on a rigorous academic approach examining dramatic literature, history, and acting styles, as well as based on design and production elements. The Company has recently acquired the services of an Arts Education Consultant to shape and adapt programs specifically to meet academic and VAPA standards and assure that teaching methods are in line with the best pedagogical practices.

The Antaeus Company is looking forward to the development of a permanent facility and a conservatory training program on par with Juilliard School and A.C.T.

Nominations and Awards
OVATION AWARDS

Awards

SET DESIGN INTIMATE THEATRE Tom Buderwitz, PERA PALAS, The Theatre @ Boston Court and The Antaeus Company

Nominations

COSTUME DESIGN INTIMATE THEATRE Ivy Chou, PERA PALAS, The Theatre @ Boston Court and The Antaeus Company

DIRECTION OF A PLAY Michael Michetti, PERA PALAS, The Theatre @ Boston Court and The Antaeus Company

ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN, The Antaeus Company

ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE PERA PALAS, The Theatre @ Boston Court and The Antaeus Company

PLAY INTIMATE THEATRE MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN, The Antaeus Company

PLAY INTIMATE THEATRE PERA PALAS The Theatre @ Boston Court and The Antaeus Company

LOS ANGELES DRAMA CRITICS CIRCLE AWARDS

Awards

DIRECTION Michael Michetti, PERA PALAS, The Theatre @ Boston Court & Antaeus Company

ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE PERA PALAS, The Theatre @ Boston Court & Antaeus Company

ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE CHEKHOV X 4, The Antaeus Company

PRODUCTION PERA PALAS, The Theatre @ Boston Court & Antaeus Company, The Theatre @ Boston Court

T.H. McCULLOH AWARD FOR REVIVAL MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN, Antaeus Theatre Company, NewPlace Theatre Center

SCENIC DESIGN Tom Buderwitz, PERA PALAS, The Theatre @ Boston Court & Antaeus Company

Nominations

ADAPTATION / TRANSLATION Nicholas Saunders & Frank Dwyer, CHEKHOV X 4, Antaeus Theatre Company, NewPlace Theatre Center

T.H. McCULLOH AWARD FOR REVIVAL TONIGHT AT 8:30, Parts 1 and 2, Antaeus Theatre Company

T.H. McCULLOH AWARD FOR REVIVAL CHEKHOV X 4, The Antaeus Company

GLAAD AWARD

Nomination

OUTSTANDING LOS ANGELES THEATER PERA PALAS by Sinan Ünel, The Antaues Company

BACK STAGE GARLAND AWARDS

ADAPTATION / TRANSLATION Nicholas Saunders & Frank Dwyer, CHEKHOV X 4, Antaeus Theatre Company, NewPlace Theatre Center

ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE MERCADET: THE NAPOLEON OF FINANCE, The Antaeus Company at the Ivy Substation

ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE CHEKHOV X 4, Antaeus Theatre Company, NewPlace Theatre Center

ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE PERA PALAS, Antaeus Theatre Company, NewPlace Theatre Center

SCENIC DESIGN John H. Binkley, PATIENCE, The Antaeus Company at The Ford

THE LA WEEKLY AWARDS

Awards

LEADING FEMALE PERFORMANCE Anne Gee Byrd, MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN, Antaeus Company at NewPlace Theater Center

LEADING-MALE PERFORMANCE (won award) Dakin Matthews, MERCADET: THE NAPOLEON OF FINANCE, Antaeus Company at the Ivy Substation

REVIVAL PRODUCTION OF THE YEAR THE MAN WHO HAD ALL THE LUCK, The Antaeus Company at the Ivy Substation

SET DESIGN Tom Buderwitz, PERA PALAS, Theater @ Boston Court and The Antaeus Company

Nominations

COSTUME DESIGN Ivy Y. Chou, PERA PALAS, Theater @ Boston Court and The Antaeus Company

ENSEMBLE AMERICAN TALES, The Antaeus Company

ENSEMBLE MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN, Antaeus Company at NewPlace Theater Center PERA PALAS, Theater @ Boston Court and The Antaeus Company

LEADING MALE PERFORMANCE Paul Gutrecht, THE MAN WHO HAD ALL THE LUCK, Antaeus Company, at the Ivy Substation

ONE ACT PERFORMANCE Arye Gross, CHEKHOV X 4 (The Proposal), Antaeus Company at NewPlace Theater Center

PRODUCTION DESIGN PERA PALAS, Theater @ Boston Court and The Antaeus Company

REVIVAL PRODUCTION OF THE YEAR TONIGHT AT 8:30, The Antaeus Company

SUPPORTING MALE PERFORMANCE Marcelo Tubert, THE MAN WHO HAD ALL THE LUCK, Antaeus Company, at the Ivy Substation

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS PRODUCTION, ORIGINAL PLAY PROOF OF THE PROMISE, Antaeus Theater Company

ROBBY AWARDS

Awards

SUPPORTING MALE PERFORMANCE Mark Doerr, THE MAN WHO HAD ALL THE LUCK, Antaeus Company, at the Ivy Substation

Nominations

BEST PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL PATIENCE, The Antaeus Company

BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL John Apicella, PATIENCE, The Antaeus Company

SUPPORTING MALE PERFORMANCE Terry Evans, THE MAN WHO HAD ALL THE LUCK, Antaeus Company, at the Ivy Substation