The Shakespeare Workout

Context

It has become apparent that, after the workshops Discovering Presence and Voice and Delivering Shakespeare, most participants need to work with more vigour and skill in minting words, thoughts and images clearly as they speak them before they can work on Shakespeare Scenes and the Classical Ensemble.

This is not to blame any actor but it is me recognising that the availability of spaces where actors can practice delivering a scene with other actors is diminishing.

As soon a you do a scene, as opposed to a speech, you are responsible for each other, and one actor’s inability to effortlessly work the words, form and specificity of the text harms their scene partner.

I want to raise the bar in the work, so feel that I have to develop regular opportunities for talented actors who don’t get to work on stage with other actors.

The Repetiteur

In my early career I worked in opera as a text Repetiteur. My job was to work the singer through the text to enable them to sing the words with meaning so that they could marry text with music. You can find the Repetiteur in different worlds and forms when craft is being embedded, for instance in the dancer, the athlete, the musician.

The work is not about directing and not about interpreting the text, but it is about delivery through Presence body breath voice and speech muscles and it involves using the imagination to meet the ideas and images in the text.

The Repetiteur needs all the PRA delivery skills and a rich experience and knowledge of poetic texts; teachers who have professional knowledge of speaking Shakespeare.

The Shakespeare Workout

Each session has a duration of 3 hours with no more than 10 participants, and the whole workout consists of 3 sessions.

A warm up of delivery then a vigorous speaking of a Shakespeare text aiming at clarity, form and specific connection to every word spoken.

Not emoting; not doing character or directing.

This does not mean that the speaker does not discover character or feeling but that the focus of the work is forensically on the concrete delivery of words. This prepares each actor to move onto Shakespeare Scenes and delivering a play through the Classical Ensemble.

I imagine that the actors’ skill will develop over three sessions, but they may want to stretch themselves further with additional sessions and more advanced texts.

It is particularly useful as a tool to hone delivery skills just before a specific role, and Paula can tailor the texts to a specific role that you may want to audition for.

Led by Associate Faculty Member, Paula Stephens, in each session you’ll go through a warm up, to be followed by individual work on a specific Shakespeare text.

The workout sessions are delivered online via Zoom.

Duration: 3 x 3 hours sessions

Prerequisite: These workouts are only open to those who have completed Discovering Presence and Voice followed by Delivering Shakespeare.

Upcoming Dates