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John Barton's "Playing Shakespeare" is seriously excellent.
Rehearsals don’t start for another month or so, but we have some homework to do in the meantime.
We did Shakespeare in high school, and I remember enjoying it somewhat (we did Othello and Merchant of Venice), but I always felt like it was: difficult, something beyond my comprehension, not important because I’m going to be in musicals (seriously. Someone take a bat to my fifteen-year-old head).
So Shakespeare TERRIFIES me. I think it’s because I never understood it. And we’re all scared of what we don’t understand right? Especially when it’s pretentious learning type things.
Today I sat down to read through Speak the Speech. I think Aaron is ready to divorce me after today. I really struggled with it all. WHY IS THERE ALL THIS TERMINOLOGY?! WHO CARES? IT’S SO WANKY! JUST READ THE TEXT AND IT MAKES SENSE! (I really feel that if you read the text enough, the rhythm comes out naturally. It’s all THERE).
I’m pleased to say that after slaving through the Speak the Speech and, surprisingly, absolutely LOVING Part 1 of Playing Shakespeare, I understand scansion! And verse! And iambic pentameter! Ten syllables with a common pattern (da dum da dum da dum da dum), and when that pattern is broken, it usually means something significant. Was that so scary?!
I’ve also started working on my lines. Oh god. I feel like I will never get my mouth and tongue around the language. I’ll never have the words in my head. This. Is. Hard.
- Read a handout from “Speak the Speech”, which breaks down the Shakespearean language and shows how to approach it.
- Watch the RSC series Playing Shakespeare.
We did Shakespeare in high school, and I remember enjoying it somewhat (we did Othello and Merchant of Venice), but I always felt like it was: difficult, something beyond my comprehension, not important because I’m going to be in musicals (seriously. Someone take a bat to my fifteen-year-old head).
So Shakespeare TERRIFIES me. I think it’s because I never understood it. And we’re all scared of what we don’t understand right? Especially when it’s pretentious learning type things.
Today I sat down to read through Speak the Speech. I think Aaron is ready to divorce me after today. I really struggled with it all. WHY IS THERE ALL THIS TERMINOLOGY?! WHO CARES? IT’S SO WANKY! JUST READ THE TEXT AND IT MAKES SENSE! (I really feel that if you read the text enough, the rhythm comes out naturally. It’s all THERE).
I’m pleased to say that after slaving through the Speak the Speech and, surprisingly, absolutely LOVING Part 1 of Playing Shakespeare, I understand scansion! And verse! And iambic pentameter! Ten syllables with a common pattern (da dum da dum da dum da dum), and when that pattern is broken, it usually means something significant. Was that so scary?!
I’ve also started working on my lines. Oh god. I feel like I will never get my mouth and tongue around the language. I’ll never have the words in my head. This. Is. Hard.
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