How to Perform Shakespeare
Performing in a Shakespeare play is like performing no other work of literature. His plays evoke a certain feeling in the heart of the audience before the first line is spoken. An actor who performs Shakespeare must take into account the public expectation for Shakespeare, the true meaning of his original words, the character himself, the dialog and actions, gestures, and the rhythm and flow of the play.
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Instructions
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Practice your vocal control over Shakespeare. You must speak loudly and be heard in an articulate manner through otherwise confusing language to modern audiences. Your vocal interpretation of a sentence can be the key to understanding Shakespeare for an audience member. Taping yourself and playing it back can help you master the task and hear improvement in your own voice.
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Translate your own dialog into how you would speak this in contemporary language. This is, of course, in your own private notebook. You never want to re-phrase Shakespeare on the stage. Avoid practicing your lines with the modern interpretation. You are simply doing this translation so that you can better understood how each line should be delivered. Use the tone, emotions and attitude with each line that you would if it were a modern sentence.
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Break down the rhythm. Shakespeare should be broken down to its iambic pentameter. Tackle this one bit of dialog at a time. Break it down according to rhythm instead of ideas. Meaning can be discovered and infused into your dialog in this manner. See the link in our Resources section for more information.
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Use wide gestures that engage your whole body. Arms should be in motion, torsos pushed out in emphasis. Shakespeare was written for actors to perform in a very active way in a time when entertainment was done through greatly active performances. Do this in rehearsal, explaining your reasoning with the director. Remember, the director is ultimately in charge, but a great director of Shakespeare will be thrilled that you've done the legwork, too.
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Rehearse with the director as often as possible. While the actor rarely controls this, you can engage the director in conversation during rehearsal. When he sees your knowledge and general interest, he will probably be more than happy to work with you until you feel you've mastered this play. It is the director that can take the final bow for a well-received play, and your mastery of Shakespeare helps him in many ways. Someone who has studied and performed Shakespeare previously can help fill in any of the blanks for a first-time Bard performer.
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Read more than one of Shakespeare's plays. Although it may tempting to simply read the one you are performing, you will gain insight into Shakespeare--and perhaps realize something about your own play--in reading his other works.
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Tips & Warnings
Stop studying the lines at least a couple of days before performance. Work hard enough prior to this that dropping them won't be a problem. Focus then on the truth of the character for each scene.
Don't jump right into performing Shakespeare as if it's simply a play by another playwright. His plays are special to his time and place, yet are still among the most popular plays to be performed and bought. Take the time to truly study both the play and the writer in order to give the best performance.
