Shakespeare: From the Page to the Stage - Romeo and Juliet Edition

The Journey:

The first class opens with an open question - why are we still reading and seeing Shakespeare? In the guided debate that follows, the group will explore the elements of his life and work that have helped it persist for the last 400 years, and examine the very real objections people have to the continuing dominance of it. 

From there, we'll leap into action, learning the tools that actors have used for over 400 years to take them off the page and get them in front of an audience. Using these tools, we'll tackle Romeo and Juliet as if we are actors who want to put this play up and get people to spend money to see it. Ultimately, the class builds to a final presentation of a monologue of each student's choice, demonstrating their deep understanding of Shakespeare's text. 

The class is designed to be fast-paced, interactive, and flexible. My role as teacher will be to facilitate dialogue and provide tools that each student can then use to turn text into performance. Learners of all styles and interests are welcome!

The Breakdown:

Class 1: Why Shakespeare?
 - Class Introductions
 - Syllabus
 - Guided Debate - Shakespeare's Life, Work, and Persistence
 - For Next Class:
          - Reading - Detailed Summary of R&J

Class 2: The Tools of the Trade - Scansion and the Verse Line
 - Instruction - What is Iambic Pentameter, and Why Should Anyone Care?
 - Scansion Practice and Presentations
 - Instruction - Why Write in Verse?
 - Verse Line Practice and Presenations
 - For Next Class:
          - Reading: Act 1 of R&J
          - Practice: Take 12 lines from any character in Act 1, scan them, and do the verse line exercise with them

Class 3: The Tools of the Trade - Punctuation and Structure
- Instruction - Why Do I Need Punctuation If I Have the Verse Line?
- Punctuation Exercises
- What the Heck Do I Do with A Giant Monologue?
- Structure Exercises
- For Next Class:
         - Reading: Act 2 of R&J
         - Practice: Take a large (20 or more lines) monologue from any character in Act 2, mark its structure, and use today's exercises.

Class 4: The Tools of the Trade - Antithesis and Verbs
- Instruction - What's With All the Opposites?
- Antithesis Exercises
- Instruction - Where's the Action?
- Verb Exercises
- For Next Class: 
         - Reading: Act 3 of R&J
         - Practice: Take 12 lines from any character in Act 3, mark the verbs and antitheses in them, and use today's exercises. 

Class 5: The Tools of the Trade - Key Words
- Instruction - How Do I Know Which Words are Important?
- Key Word Exercises
- For Next Class: 
         - Reading: Act 4 of R&J
         - Practice: Take 12 lines from any character in Act 4, mark the key words in them, and use today's exercises. 

Class 6: The Tools of the Trade - Action And Objective
- Instruction - I Understand It, But How Do I Act It?
- Action and Objective Exercises
- For Next Class: 
         - Reading: Act 5 of R&J
         - Practice: Take 12 lines from any character in Act 5, action them, decide on an objective, and use today's exercises. 

Class 7: Preparing for Performance
- Discussion - Recapping R&J
- Full Review of All Skills on One Speech
- For Next Class:
          - Find a speech from the play that you absolutely love. Use every skill we've learned on it. Make it entirely your own. 

Class 8: Rehearsal
- Rehearsal of speeches and feedback
- Instruction: What's Happening While I'm Talking?
- Given Circumstance Exercises
- For Next Class:
          - Continue rehearsing your speech, and develop clear given circumstances for it. 

Class 9: Final Performances
- Presentations of Speeches
- Capstone Discussion of R&J