Mastering Shakespeare: An Acting Class in Seven Scenes

Shattering the myth that only the British can act Shakespeare, a veteran acting coach presents a boldly American approach to the Bard. Written in the form of a play and set in an acting studio, this volume's "characters" include a master teacher and 16 acting students grappling with the challenges of acting Shakespeare. Readers will be intrigued as they learn to approach Elizabethan drama in the Method concepts of action, objective and obstacle familiar to American actors. Each of the book's seven scenes presents specific acting challenges and offers specific solutions: using operative words and punctuation to divide a speech into measures; establishing focal points and creating images within a speech; delivering spoken sub text; using physical actions and opposing physical movements to orchestrate a speech; and much more. Examining speeches from 32 of Shakespeare's plays, this useful tool presents a logical and cumulative progression of skills for actors of all levels of experience. This book is aimed at anyone wanting to illuminate each word of Shakespeare's speeches.