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After completing this course students are able to:
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Read Shakespeare dramaturgically, that is, from a performance-oriented perspective and become familiar with the language of Shakespeare. You will be able to decode meanings and to read Shakespearean text by working from inside the poetry, rhythm and meter of the language.
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discuss critical debates that have surrounded Shakespeare in recent years and discuss such subjects as non-traditional casting (females play male roles, etc.) and theatrical structures (post-dramatic, expressionist, symbolic, etc.)
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Have an awareness of theatre as a junction of various art forms; – text, music, the art of narrative and storytelling, spatial design, costume and lighting, movement, acting, interpretation, creating an audience and public ceremony. Students should be able to discuss sound, lighting, and set design elements in conjunction with directorial and acting choices that are challenging, typical or specific to the production of Shakespeare’s plays.
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understand the value of collaboration skills in a theatrical context
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talk about performance in an articulate and knowledgeable manner
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demonstrate a basic knowledge of Shakespeare’s world and the historical context of his plays, particularly that of the chosen play of the semester.
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This course gives students the rare opportunity to learn about Shakespeare from a performance-oriented perspective and concurrently engage in critical discussion on the context of Shakespeare’s world and the relevance of his plays in our contemporary world. By staging a play, students have the opportunity to experience his language and dramaturgy as performers, musicians designers, and technicians. The production is directed by a professional director and performed for a public audience.
Seminars: There will be two or three contextual seminars held early in the rehearsal process to discuss the theoretical aspects of the production and guide your essay writing component. The play will be looked at as both an historical document as well as a blueprint for our contemporary ideas, themes and modes of adaptation. This combined approach enables students to learn about political, cultural, aesthetic, and technical influences on the production of Shakespeare’s plays across history and cultures.
Summer 2017: The Winter’s Tale
Director Madeleine Blackwell
Students will be given a hard copy of the script on the first day of rehearsal but you must have already read the play at least once.
The Winter’s Tale takes us deeply into human psychology as well as the irrationality of fairy tale and magic. It is rich with the cliches of both - the jealous husband who knows no limits to his own pathological narcissism; the royal babe banished then found and raised by commoners. And between these unlikely bookends, the poetry of Shakespeare's quotidian truths spill out as easily across time as the play’s most delightful device - that character of “time” passing sixteen years like a subtitle in a film.
We will have a challenge putting this play on the stage but it will be a delight. Shakespeare must first and foremost be delightful so be ready to enjoy yourselves.
Format
The Shakespeare Course is unusual in that it demands a full time commitment for five weeks. It is a course with specific learning objectives but it is also a full-scale theatre production open to the public and our process of production will approximate the rigorous disciplines of a professional theatre company.
Rehearsals commence immediately for five weeks 9.00 until 17.00 daily.
There will also be occasional evening rehearsals and students are expected to learn lines or hold small music rehearsals with Tjitze Vogel and contribute to production tasks outside of these hours. This course aims to give students the experience of working in a professional theatre company. You may choose to be involved in several areas of production, you may work as Stage Manager for example and not perform, or you may choose to perform and also work on publicity.
- Technical and Logistical - Stage Management, Publicity and Promotion, Lighting design and operation, Sound design and operation, Front of House, Set Design, costume, makeup
- Performance, musicians, actor/musicians
So, for these five weeks students are encouraged to organize their lives around the production, not to take on extra social engagements. (i.e. in Production week you can’t go to your cousin’s wedding in Scotland)! However, all performers and technicians will not be required in rehearsal all the time, so you will find you have spare time but must be prepared to be “on call” as daily/weekly rehearsal schedules will be made according to the needs of the production.
PERFORMANCES: Public performances dates TBC
VENUE: To be confirmed.
Participation
1. ATTENDANCE - Every rehearsal and production meeting for which you are called is vital and compulsory. Absence or lateness without prior arrangement will not be permissible.
2. PREPARATION - Advance preparation will be required, especially with the process of learning lines once casting has been set or musical parts. Your familiarity with reading materials prior and during the course should assist you to make relevant and creative contributions to the process.
3. PLAYFULNESS - The process of rehearsal, interpreting the script and characters and concept development are highly collaborative and are generated through structured play. You will be required to engage in physical and vocal exercises, theatre “games”, musical experiments and while the standard of your work will not be judged, the level of your engagement and commitment will be. The emphasis is on creative collaboration; you will learn how to work together in the space, to listen physically and aurally to what is happening in the space, to develop a readiness for imaginative play and develop a way of playing the text with musicality, rhythm and with each other. We will be working to develop these ensemble skills throughout rehearsals so you will not be expected to “produce” results without the nurturing and enjoyable process of rehearsal. However, “playing” and “acting” are highly disciplined skills and should be treated as such.
4. COLLABORATIVE SKILLS –Your ability to interact with the group, giving and taking, being supportive of and contributing to the work in development, being sensitive to the needs of other group members, problem-solving and planning ahead, acquitting technical and production tasks efficiently and successfully are vital components of the course and will be assessed.
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