773-769-2056 Chicspeare Production Company - Shakespeare for Chicago
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Community Education

Programs for adults and book clubs

"Hamlet: The Method in the Madness" and "Hamlet: The Method in the Madness (with fight)"—lecture/demonstrations in which actors show how they work with the text to discover when Hamlet is "mad" and when he is using his apparent madness. The program with the fight includes the scene between Laertes and Hamlet at Ophelia's grave (Vi), showing how a fight is choreographed based on clues within the text.

"Julius Caesar: Constructing Conflict"—a lecture/demonstration on Brutus' and Cassius' argument prior to the Battle at Phillippi (IViii). The audience will have a chance to try some of the rehearsal techniques themselves, and are included in the final performance at the end of the presentation.

"The Macbeths: Characters Moving to Murder"—a lecture/demonstration of three scenes between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, showing how Shakespeare first creates their strong connection to one another (Iv, Ivii) and then de-constructs their relationship with Duncan's murder (IIii).

"Shakespearean Friends"—we all know Shakespeare was expert at portraying love; he also knew a lot about friendship. This lecture/demonstration uses scenes from As You Like It and Othello to explore not only Shakespeare's stagecraft in constructing the conversations between friends, but his psychological insights into the way they relate to one another.

"Speaking the Speech: How An Actor Prepares"—an actor shows how s/he prepares a soliloquoy or monologue for performance, searching for clues to characters within the text. Speeches are chosen in consultation with the teacher, and a performance of the speech concludes the presentation.

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