WORKSHOPS

 4 hour Shakespeare Verse and Movement Workshop

by Colin David Reese

Shakespearean verse presents many problems for actors both in comprehension and performance.  By applying a few simple techniques, the actor can make the verse work for him/her. 

There is a tendency to separate the verbal from the corporal. The unique aspect of this workshop is how, when approaching interpretation, the actor can combine the physical techniques of Jacques Lecoq with a linguistic analysis based on an understanding of the verse structure.

The techniques that will be acquired in this workshop include:

       Textual and verse analysis, related to performance;

Mr. Reese’s extensive research into Shakespeare’s verse has shown that there are techniques which allow the verse to control the characterisation. 

The use, and more importantly Shakespeare’s misuse, of iambic pentameter gives the actor many indications of how to create character. The working practices of the Elizabethan/Jacobean playhouses fundamentally affected the writing structure, and the workshop will show how they can be used by the modern actor when creating the character. 

A facsimile of the First Folio will be available, showing how various editors have, in many instances, changed the verse format and consequently hidden the original intentions from modern readers.  The First Folio will be used to return to the original texts, thereby avoiding the accumulated literary and cultural baggage of centuries. The participants will also have access to a copy of a cue script of the period and a “Plot Sheet” which will give a further indication of how the working practices affected the writing. 
     Corporal control, expression and breathing.

Jacques Lecoq’s techniques of movement and breathing analysis demonstrate how people use various parts of the body differently and how by appropriating a certain movement and breathing pattern, a character will emerge.   

Sanford Meisner said “acting is not what you do, but what happens”.  Lecoq taught that why and how you move and breathe has as much an influence on what happens as what you say.  The fusion of literary/verse analysis with the movement techniques developed by Lecoq creates an unusual approach to character building. 

The rhythm and music of the verse, combined with an awareness of movement lead to a characterisation which is complete.


Some comments from professional actors who have participated;

“The technique is different … and it works”
“ The workshop gave me an understanding of how to use the tools in the text and my speech felt so different afterwards” 
“A great tutor and actor sharing his skills” 
“The extensive research and knowledge make for a fascinating workshop”