Shakespeare Scene Study

A four-week class in which each actor will explore a scene from a play either by Shakespeare, by another playwright of the time (i.e., Mary Wroth, Thomas Middleton, Mary Sidney, and Ben Jonson), or a play of any era which uses heightened text, direct address/audience interaction, and creating the world of the play through imagery and action as much or more than through technical design (i.e., the plays of Moliere, the plays of the Spanish Comedia, as well as contemporary plays like Nell Gwynn by Jessica Swale, Emilia by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, or The Lehman Trilogy by Stefano Massini).

Each scene will come into class 3 times:

• Week 1: All scenes will work, either in table work and initial staging or building from a Cue Script playthrough of the scene, depending on each individual pair’s experience and goals.
  
• Weeks 2 & 3: After out-of-class rehearsal and continued individual exploration by the actors, each scene comes back in for one dedicated hour of rehearsal.
  
• Week 4: Final showing of scenes, next steps for each actor, and ensemble wrap-up.
  

Participants will:

• have prior experience with Shakespeare or heightened text (a virtual audition may be required)
  
• choose or be assigned a scene and partner for the first class, and bring the scene in prepared for tablework (specific requirements may vary and will be discussed in advance with the instructor)
  
• rehearse with their scene partner for a minimum of 2 hours per week

Please come dressed to move, with a notebook and pen, and a physical copy of the play you're working on.