Acting Shakes II (Classical Acting)

I have never taken a Shakespeare class before, but my Acting Shakespeare II class is blowing my mind. We are studying all of these tiny and seemingly insignificant things that are changing the meanings behind the passages. Shakespeare was a genius!

We have been studying the importance of punctuation by reading a passage as a class while walking around the room. Then, when ever we get to punctuation we change directions. It is amazing how many passages then turn out to mimic pacing or the back and forth of an argument in your own brain.

We also did this really awesome exercise with the opening scene from Hamlet, the one between all the guards, but we did it with  most of the lights turned off. Then, two of us in the class were each assigned to those who were reading the scene and every time they started to talk we had to follow behind them. It was a seriously spooky exercise. What a powerful way to instill the heightened and nervous energy to the beginning of the show. Immediately the audience would know that something is going on and it would pull them in from the very start. I honestly wish that I had taken a Shakespeare class before now because I feel like I understand the language and the speaking SOOO much better.

We've also been talking about the "minimum effort" that is required to speak Shakespeare and I don't think I have ever enunciated or articulated that much in my entire life! And I always thought that I had great enunciation. But as we've worked through these pieces of text and as we have taken the care to really go over how to properly pronounce each sound of the words, it is like new doors have opened to me. Shakespeare takes a TON of work. But the beauty is: if you rely on the text, Shakespeare has already given you everything you need. He has literally written in to the text the sounds that you would hear from certain people or objects; the emotion the character is feeling; even some of the blocking is written right into the text. How much more innovative could you get!?

I am also a little embarrassed because I think back on the very minimal experience that I have with Shakespeare and the few monologues that I may have done and I just want to crawl under a rock because boy did I not understand what Shakespeare was all about. But now, I feel armed to tackle a Shakespeare show/scene/monologue and actually come out sort of on top. I feel like I understand, at least the very basics, and that makes me feel very well-rounded.

Not to mention it is always a boost to the ego when your professor tells you that you have a very good grasp of the language and enunciation. So that was pretty great=]