CITY
SHAKESPEARE WORKOUTS
NEW YORK
"I've done a few workouts with Bard City and they were fabulous. So much better than other Shakespeare workshops I've done here in NYC. Looking forward to the next one! Highly recommend."
Our Shakespeare Workouts in New York started in October 2019 and have ran consistently. Since lockdown we have ran online workouts on zoom to great success. The workouts provide a drop in class for actors to flex their classical muscles. There is no pressure, no prep needed just a desire to explore Shakespeare's work in a physical and practical way - it is called a workout for a reason! Each workout looks at a particular theme and explores speeches and scenes connected to this. Past themes include - Love, Love nothing but Love, The green-eyed monster, Devouring time and Power and Politics.
Email itsbardcity@gmail.com if you would like to be added to the mailing list and hear about upcoming workouts.
$7 in advance
$10 on the door
Our workouts include -
BRING YOUR OWN BARD
Bring along your own piece of Shakespeare text that you would like to explore (monologue or sonnet). This can be a speech that you are already working on or something you've never worked on before - there is absolutely no expectation to be off-book, in fact it'll be important to have your script with you! We will explore your piece through text, language and character exercises individually as well as in groups. We will also be exploring the possibilities of Zoom Breakout rooms to allow smaller groups to work together on exercises.
This workshop is to help to open up or refresh a Shakespeare piece that you like and to help you find new perspectives and ideas as you continue working on your piece. There will be an opportunity to share our pieces with the group at the end (for those who want to). However, please note that this is not an audition monologue class - the aim is to find a deeper connection with your chosen text not to polish for a performance. Connection not perfection.
ONE PLAY WONDER
This workshop is a chance to focus on a selection of scenes and speeches all from the same play. Delving into different speeches and scenes, you will come away from this workshop knowing the play a little better and armed with some thoughts and techniques to help your approach the text next time you encounter it.
MATCH-A-DUO
Come along and we will match you with a Shakespeare duologue and a scene partner. Unlike our usual workouts where we play around with lots of text excerpts, this workshop will allow you to focus on just one scene to delve a bit deeper into it and to start to more fully inhabit your characters.
As with all of our workshops, we will be asking you to approach the work with a sense of playful curiosity, openness and generosity toward your fellow actors. We will be using breakout rooms to allow greater individual focus, and we will be guiding you through with technical exercises, games and some gentle direction along the way.