A Week at Ten Chimneys

Each class of Fellows spends a week in close collaboration with their Master Teacher at Ten Chimneys, the Wisconsin home of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne.

What happens during the Fellowship week?

INTENSIVE MASTER CLASS: The content and structure of the daily master class activities are shaped by the expertise of the Master Teacher. This exciting and challenging work will take place at the historic Ten Chimneys estate and in the state-of-the-art Lunt-Fontanne Program Center.

INSPIRATIONAL RETREAT: Significant time is set aside for Lunt-Fontanne Fellows to explore the historic estate and grounds, rest, rejuvenate, work with each other between master class “sessions,” and take in the extraordinary spirit and inspiration of Ten Chimneys.

HOSPITALITY: Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne were passionate about their hospitality. For them, it was about more than “good manners”; making guests feel truly comfortable and sincerely welcome was the foundation for meaningful rejuvenation, inspiration, and substantive work. Ten Chimneys Foundation offers the same care to Lunt-Fontanne Fellows that the Lunts did for their illustrious guests: first-rate air travel, deluxe accommodations near Ten Chimneys, delicious and ample meals, comfortable local transportation, and other amenities – all included as part of the Fellowship.

Why Ten Chimneys?

This one-of-a-kind program, so much more than a workshop or conference, takes place within the rooms of Ten Chimneys, a National Historic Landmark that has been widely hailed as one of the most inspirational historic sites in the country.

This special home is particularly inspirational for actors. Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne constructed their Ten Chimneys estate to be the perfect working retreat for themselves and for their peers, the greats of the theatre: Laurence Olivier, Helen Hayes, Noël Coward. Beyond inspiring peers, the Lunts were also known for their dedication to the next generation of actors. Legends such as Uta Hagen, Montgomery Clift, and Julie Harris proudly considered themselves protégés of the Lunts. The Lunt-Fontanne Fellowship Program continues that tradition of mentorship at Ten Chimneys. This historic context, and the inherent inspiration of Ten Chimneys, is why Lynn Redgrave said that “this program simply couldn’t happen anywhere else,” and why participating Fellows have all talked about the experience being "transformative."