Playing Shakespeare: Two-Day Intensive with Brian Bell

Saturday & Sunday, September 28-29 | 10:00 - 17:00 | €250
Schöneberger Ufer 59, Berlin-TIERGARTEN

Shakespeare’s language is gorgeous, poetic, and often . . . very difficult to understand, much less speak. Thankfully, there is a technique to understanding and speaking Shakespeare’s language, and the basics can be learned quickly. This intensive two-day workshop gives participants of all levels an opportunity to discover how to engage with, understand, speak, and embody Shakespeare’s language. It’s a playful introduction to demystifying the technique of analyzing the verse, making it understandable, and making yourself understood.

The workshop consists of physical exercises, monologues, and sonnets, geared to honing in on the basics of verse technique:  comprehension, clarity, and connecting with the text. Participants will learn how to recognize and utilize some of Shakespeare’s most powerful literary devices: similes, antithesis, and rhetorical builds. Armed with this new knowledge, each participant will prepare a Shakespearian speech to present on the final day of class. The workshop is designed to give beginners fundamental tools to expand their knowledge and comprehension of Shakespeare’s language. They will leave the workshop capable of analyzing and engaging with the text in a confident and meaningful way.

After an introduction to foundational verse principles, we will apply those principles to sonnets and short speeches to explore the wide range of creating connections within existing texts and activating the power of poetic language. Most importantly: we will engage deeply with Shakespeare’s work, in an atmosphere of mutual respect and exploration . . . and we will have a great time while doing it!

Specific exercises and activities will include:
Physical and Vocal Warmup
Exercises: What does it mean to “Be on voice”?
Textual Analysis: Why is the text constructed this way?
Discussion: How do we connect to this language in a personal and contemporary way?
Creating and Performing a Shakespearian text
Application: How can these techniques lead us to a deeper understanding of the text and ourselves?

Instructor: Brian Bell