From the article: Performing Shakespeare
Want to perform Shakespeare but don’t know where to begin? Shakespeare’s language can be daunting to the newbie actor and learning to speak those words aloud is a skill in itself.
Here, you can share top tips to help you perform Shakespeare for the first time.
Share Your Tipstudent
- to understand, write, read, speak and then teach Shakespeare fluently as Americans
- —Guest joseph daniel
Make Sure You Understand the Language
- Some people seem to think that just saying the lines beautifully with a mellifluous voice will produce a great performance, but you must understand them first. Many editions of Shakespeare have extensive notes to help out, and there are also many online resources, such as No Fear Shakespeare. Especially with a long speech, it helps to rewrite the lines as you might say them so you can really understand them deeply. Then bring your understanding back to the original line as written. Also, don't forget to ask yourself the same questions you ask when performing any role. What does this character want? How does this character feel about the other characters in the play? Though they speak in heightened language, it's important to remember that they are people like you and me with wants, needs and feelings like you and me.
- —Guest LadyG
