Shakespeare: Reader’s Theatre
Reader’s Theater: Shakespeare on Your Feet
Reading William Shakespeare’s plays aloud, standing with text in hand, wearing a hat or other item of apparel identifying you as a character is to interact personally with some of the greatest writing in the English language. This approach to reading Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice, The Taming of the Shrew,or Hamlet will develop your understanding of Shakespheare’s language and Elizabethan theater. It will also deepen your understanding of the power of language to express the full spectrum of human emotion and thought. The series will require each participant to purchase a paperback copy of the play being read, and to make a commitment to reading aloud. No memorization will be required, only a willingness to create theater by reading the play together with a cast of readers. Estimated time to read a five-act play in this manner is six one-hour sessions.