Class: Building Character

September 9 2026,  7pm

Building a Character is a hands-on acting workshop on Tuesday, September 9 at 7pm. 

Playing one character well is a skill. Moving convincingly between characters in the same production — shedding one skin and stepping into another — is a different craft entirely.

This workshop digs into the specific mechanics of transformation: what actually changes when an actor shifts between characters, and how to make those changes fast, clear, and truthful. It's designed for actors who want to build a toolkit for shifting between roles with precision and confidence, whether in performance, rehearsal, or practice. This is a common skill used by many theatre companies in Chicago, and GreenMan Theatre has used it as well. Our past productions such as Pride and Prejudice, The Laramie Project, and the Arabian Nights relied on this ensemble technique.

In this workshop, we'll explore:

• The physical vocabulary of transformation — how posture, gait, breath, and gesture shift from character to character, and how to build a distinct physical "signature" for each one.
• Vocal transformation — pitch, pace, rhythm, and placement as tools for signaling a new character without relying on caricature.
• How to identify the one or two defining traits that make a character legible and distinct, rather than trying to change everything at once.
• Techniques for resetting between characters quickly — clearing one physicality/voice before stepping into the next.
• The difference between external transformation (how you move and sound) and internal transformation (what you want, what you believe, how you see the world) — and how the two inform each other.
  

Our upcoming production of Midnight and Moll Flanders includes many ensemble roles demanding the ability to do these character shifts. We will be using some text from this script and other scripts in the workshop.

$20 Non Members
$15 Members
Register for the Class