Playing Shakespeare, the 9 part television series hosted by John Barton, of the Royal Shakespeare Company, has just been released by Athena in a boxed 4 DVD set. It is something that every actor should watch and have on his or her bookshelf.
This examination of acting Shakespeare is set up as a class with Barton working with such students as Ian McKellen, Ben Kingsley, Judi Dench, Patrick Stewart and David Suchet. There are other wonderful actors but it is especially fun to watch these people, who have become so well known, working through material, trying different approaches, and talking about the craft of acting.
Now some might say, “It’s Shakespeare, I’m not interested in that stuff and I’ll never act in one.” All I can say is that in these DVD’s you will see acting examined and explained by some of the best people in your profession. And acting Shakespeare demands the best of you as an actor. It requires that your body, voice, emotions, and mind be sharp and working at every moment. Working with Shakespeare builds ‘muscles’ that will be used in any acting you do and it helps you see that even the most contemporary language must be worked and mined by the actor. This is actor training at its best and useful to every actor.
The 9 episodes are:
1. The Two Traditions. An examination of contemporary naturalistic acting and the more formal style demanded by Shakespeare’s heightened language.
2. Using the Verse. A marvelous lesson in verse and how to discover the clues embedded in it.
3. Language and Character. An examination of text and importance of ‘finding’ or ‘fresh minting’ the words as you speak them—whether they are Shakespeare’s or a contemporary writer’s.
4. Exploring Character. A look at creating textured characters with a remarkable example—Patrick Stewart and David Suchet discussing and showing how they each approached Shylock and what they brought to the character.
5. Set Speeches and Soliloquies. A class in handling monologues and soliloquies with important reminders to actors that they must be specific in the their thinking and emotions and avoid generalization.
6. Irony and Ambiguity. A lesson in how language reveals character and how to savor the words spoken by your character.
7. Passion and Coolness. This class examines emotions and how to keep them honest and interesting while revealing them through the words.
8. Rehearsing the Text. A great lesson for every actor on examining and working a text: finding the pauses, using the verbs, and discovering the nuances of language.
9. Poetry and Hidden Poetry. This final episode examines the multiple meanings of language and how the approach to speaking Shakespeare has changed over time.
This DVD set, Playing Shakespeare, is a must for every actor. Get it, watch it, study it. And watch for the re-release of the accompanying book, Playing Shakespeare. With the book in hand you can see exactly what pieces the actors are working from and you can make notes to yourself in the margin. These two items are a great investment and should be on your bookshelf.