ONLINE ACTING INTENSIVE
PERFORMING SHAKESPEARE
4 Tuesday Afternoons | August 8 - August 29
2:00 PM - 5:00 PM EDT
ZOOM ONLY
With Red Bull Theater Associate Artistic Director
Nathan Winkelstein
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Concluding with a special opportunity to mock audition and receive feedback from Jeffrey Dreisbach of McCorkle Casting.
“Speak the speech as I pronounced it to you, trippingly on the tongue.”
For four hundred years, Shakespeare’s immortal words have had us rolling in the aisles, crying into our drinks, or contemplating life's great mysteries. Learn how to make Shakespeare’s language jump off the page and invoke delight or dole with Red Bull Theater's Associate Artistic Director Nathan Winkelstein.
Essential Question:
How do you approach Shakespeare’s text with knowledge and confidence, utilizing the clues and tools in the verse to find the dynamic truth of your character and situation? What aspects of an actor’s preparation are most essential when approaching Shakespearian performance? How do you engage honestly with Shakespeare’s text in high-stress environments such as auditions or self-tapes?
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Course Objectives:
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Demystify Shakespeare’s words
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Learn how to use Shakespeare’s verse, text, and rhetoric to find clues about your character
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Prepare one monologue that you are confident and excited to use in audition settings
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Clarify the perceived difference between "acting for the camera" and "acting for the stage"
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Enduring Understandings:
Actors will learn that Shakespeare’s language is not an archaic fortress that requires a knowledge of the rules to enter but rather an intensely honest heightened text with a multitude of tools that can aid and assist an actor on their journey to the truth. In this class, actors will learn how to demystify Shakespeare and his verse and find the internal truth of the character. By the end of the class, actors will have secured a Shakespearean monologue ready for NYC auditions and beyond.
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For those who are steeped in Shakespeare but wary of the camera, this class can bridge that gap by showing that there was never a gap to begin with. For actors who have never tackled Shakespeare before, this class will help them dive into the power of his language and the deep emotional truths of his characters.
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Instructor:
NATHAN WINKELSTEIN has been the Associate Artistic Director with Red Bull Theater for six years. He is the Producing Director of The Revelation Reading Series as well as the host of "Remarkabull Podversations". He also serves as casting director for Red Bull. Dubbed 'The Pied Piper of Shakespeare' by world-renowned director Des McAnuff, Nathan has acted or directed for numerous companies around the country, including The Alley, NYU Grad, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Shakespeare Theater Company, LCT, The Folger, American Shakespeare Center, and others. He has taught for Red Bull, STC, LCT, TGS, Maggie Flanagan Studio and more. Nathan received his BA in Theater from the University at Buffalo and his MFA in Classical Acting from the prestigious Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in the UK. Nathan is a proud member of Actors Equity.
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JEFFREY DREISBACH, Casting Partner
Jeffrey received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Wayne State University with additional performance study from Roger Williams College (London) and California Institute of the Arts (Disney University). Upon graduation, Jeffrey worked as an actor in New York for over 20 years accruing theatre, film and television credits. On Broadway, he performed over 500 performances as Lt. Kenrick in Aaron Sorkin’s, A Few Good Men (Original Cast). Jeffrey soon transitioned into performing arts administration and became Executive Director of the nation’s oldest and largest broadcast training Schools, served as faculty in a performing arts High School, Interim Director of an actors training institute and guest faculty at several universities. He began his role as Casting Partner with McCorkle Casting in 2010. His is the author of, “Conversation Pieces out of the Studio (Voice-over workbook) and his podcast, “Casting Actors Cast” is heard weekly worldwide with 100K downloads. Jeffrey enjoys teaching actors at colleges, universities and conservatories throughout the country.
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Schedule:
Class 1: ‘SUIT THE ACTION TO THE WORD’
Nathan will breakdown his methodology on performing Shakespeare and making a piece your own by finding clues in the text to deliver your best version of the speech. Student monologue choices will be discussed within this context
Class 2: ‘WORDS WORDS WORDS’
Students will table work the text of their monologues with Nathan. Students will learn how to examine text and excavate truth utilizing verse tools.
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Class 3: ‘SPEAK THE SPEECH’
Students get on their feet and work their monologues, putting what they have learned into practice
Class 4: ‘THE READINESS IS ALL’
Actors will present their monologues to Nathan and Jeffrey Dreisbach of McCorkle Casting for feedback.
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Preparation:
You should have a classical monologue you wish to work on. You can also bring options of multiple pieces to work on. Ideally the piece will be one you are already familiar with.
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Technical needs:
You will need a computer that can support Zoom as well as a decent webcam and microphone (built-in are acceptable). You will need a steady internet that can support video conferencing. Front light is recommended as well as a quiet space.
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Concerns? Questions?
Contact Nathan Winkelstein.
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