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Mission

Ten Chimneys Foundation’s Mission

  • Preserve and Share the buildings, furnishings, collections, and grounds of a national treasure – Ten Chimneys, the estate created by Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne.
  • Serve as a continuing resource and powerful inspiration for theatre, the arts, and the art of living.
  • Offer public programs consistent with the Lunts’ varied interests and core values, while maintaining the integrity and intimacy of this extraordinary estate.

Ten Chimneys is a National Historic Landmark, a “Save America’s Treasures” project site, and is listed in the National Registry of Historic Places. Ten Chimneys is owned by the non-profit 501(C)3 organization Ten Chimneys Foundation, Inc.

Fellows Begin Powerful Theatrical Work During Day Two of the Lunt-Fontanne Fellowship Program

July 14, 2009

LFFP Photos by Jim Brozek Photography © Ten Chimneys Foundation

Notes from Sean Malone – President, Ten Chimneys Foundation
Tuesday, July 14, 10:37 p.m.

Today, the theatrical work of the Lunt-Fontanne Fellowship program started, with the first master class sessions with Lynn Redgrave and the ten Fellows selected from across the country. The morning was spent in the Lunt-Fontanne Program Center, where the actors dove right in to two layered and emotional Shakespeare scenes: Jon Gentry (Arizona Theatre Company) and Kim Staunton (Denver Center Theatre) worked with Lynn Redgrave on Richard III; and Mary Beth Fisher (Goodman Theatre), Lee Ernst (Milwaukee Repertory Theater), Jack Willis (American Conservatory Theater), and Suzanne Bouchard (Seattle Repertory Theatre) joined Lynn in exploring Henry VI, part 3.

After lunch on the Main House Terrace, prepared and hosted by six dedicated Ten Chimneys Volunteers, the group moved to the Lunts’ mural-filled Drawing Room for their afternoon session. Hamlet was the first scene of the afternoon, with Dan Donohue (Oregon Shakespeare Festival), Jack Willis, and Jon Gentry. Next came Antony & Cleopatra, with Naomi Jacobson (Arena Stage), Suzanne Bouchard, and Lee Ernst.

Heartfelt, thoughtful, focused, daring, and powerful – the first day of work together was truly filled with revelation and emotional poignancy. Lynn guided all of the work, actively bringing all of the fellows into the process, encouraging and nurturing the free flow of suggestions and questions, to explore the fullest possibilities of each scene. And the work being done was stunning. If you haven’t made reservations yet for Saturday, July 18 – when Lynn Redgrave and the Lunt-Fontanne Fellows will share their work and process with the public – don’t wait. Call today while there are still seats available. (262) 968-4110.

While most of the Fellows and Lynn Redgrave had a delicious dinner back at the Delafield Hotel, Mary Beth Fisher and Jon Gentry volunteered to stay at Ten Chimneys to bake pies for the group – in Alfred Lunt’s oven, directly across from Alfred Lunt’s diploma from the Cordon Bleu. The pies (blueberry and strawberry rhubarb), kicked off a lovely and unexpected evening.

After devouring the pies, the group spent a few hours together back in the Drawing Room. Don Griffin (Alliance Theatre) spontaneously shared a handful of powerful monologues, to everyone’s great delight and appreciation. Don encouraged everyone else to follow suit, and the evening evolved into an engaging and touching collection of stories, monologues, and other pieces, including Lynn sharing a short excerpt from her newest one-woman show – a piece about her mother call Rachel and Juliet.

As the evening came to a close, there was obvious camaraderie, comfort, and respect among the newly formed group – and a sincere enthusiasm for the next day of work together.

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