Playing Shakespeare

Prerequisite: Intro to theTheater or Audition/Approval of Instructor
Shakespeare’s plays are considered, by many, to be the penultimate in dramatic literature. His plays have been abundantly produced and adapted all over the world for over four centuries. His language is a fantastic tool for all actors to connect vocally, physically and imaginatively. This class will focus on Acting Shakespeare and use John Barton’s text Playing Shakespeare and supplemental videos from the Royal Shakespeare Company to guide students through the processes of understanding and delivering his rich and complicated language. Several showcases of the work will be provided to give the actors opportunities to perform, an essential part of studying acting. Bringing realism into Shakespeare acting will also be of focus to separate the archaic “Shakespeare” voice melodrama out and make the characters more accessible to the actors and our audience in the 2020’s.