A Showcase of Process

July 22, 2010

Tonight we perform on stage following The Globe production. It’s a packed schedule through til tonight’s performance, which is really the culminating event of the course. It is called Teaching Shakespeare Through Performance. While I don’t want to reflect too much now as I want tonight to be fresh, clear, specific and energized, I can say with all certainty that the way to truly understand Shakespeare is through performance. The practitioners have engaged us with various performance explorations throughout these three weeks that are very similar to theatre games and exercises that I use regularly both with students in class in the rehearsal process. While there’s certainly a bit more “table work” to understanding Shakespeare the process we’ve engaged with has interspersed doing and experiencing with thinking about and it works. I’ve discovered new things about Macbeth and am enjoying every minute of playing with this guy – this guy who while at first would undo what he has done – lives his life fully, powerfully and ambitiously – with a huge nod to his wife though he continues to cleave on without her!