Thanks to Katelyn Manfre, CCAS MFA '16, and Michael Thomas, CCAS MFA '16, for sharing their story!
Where did you meet?
We met our first day at the Academy for Classical Acting. You may not know the program—or the building itself—exists! It’s a one-year Shakespeare-focused master's program offered in partnership with the Shakespeare Theatre Company. All of our classes took place in a cute building, set back a bit on G Street NW, just behind the famous deli. Participants spend 11 months studying the language, craft, and historical context of Shakespeare and his contemporaries. We got to take classes like stage combat, pilates, clown, and comedy—it barely feels like school. We both had a blast and learned a ton.
What were your first impressions of each other?
We’re both originally from New England and somehow had to go all the way to D.C. just to find another Yankee. The two of us ended up on a lot of “accidental dates” during our first few weeks of school and, over drinks and tacos and play tickets, learned that we have so much in common. Both of us went to acting undergrad programs and went on to start our own theater companies. We both hate mushrooms (it’s a texture thing), and have younger sisters named Emily. We also have very similar values, senses of humor, and long-term goals. Plus acting school is a truly insane way to break the ice—if someone has watched you physically act out “fire” or do vocal exercises or be a literal red-nose clown and they still want to hang out with you all the time, then you’re set for a while.
Do you have an #onlyatGW moment that you shared as a couple?
The very first scene assignment we got was as Hamlet and Ophelia. We spent a lot of evenings staging the scene and working on our lines. It was so awkward—both of us trying to figure out the nebulous relationship dynamics of this famous Shakespearean pair, while pointedly avoiding talking about our nebulous relationship dynamic. It did make for a great performance though!
As the year—and our relationship—progressed, we chose to pair up a few more times; most notably for a stage combat scene where we fought with broadswords and staged a really brutal death for Mike.
We also just want to take a moment to celebrate Tonic, a bar whose tater tots and happy hour specials kept us sane all year. Every time Kate would cry in class (a common occurrence in acting school), Mike would sponsor a post-class date where we could knock back some totchos, unwind, and leave feeling recharged enough to do it all again next week.
Tell us about your last visit to campus, or how the school has remained important in your life.
The program we participated in was really unique, and helped us make some wonderful friends and connections in the larger D.C. theater community. It’s a big reason we both decided to stay here after graduating. Because it’s a one-year cohort, it’s hard to get to know previous participants in any formal way, but as we work with new actors and directors, we’ve found so many alums in unlikely places! Mike did a production of Twelfth Night last summer with the Alchemical Theatre in Wilmington, North Carolina with a handful of alums from our program that he’d never met. He was cast by the director, Christopher Marino, CCAS MFA '02, without an audition. He had an inherent trust that we all have a common vocabulary. As we grow our careers here in D.C., it’s exciting to know that there are so many of us working and creating together. If you’ve seen a play in the DMV, chances are you’ve seen a graduate of the Academy for Classical Acting at work!