BART 97A87 - At the heart of Betrayal in Shakespeare's work (Hamlet/Macbeth/Richard III)

William Shakespeare is an explorer of human nature. His theatre is timeless, and his imprint has endured across the ages.

He continues to fascinate, having inspired painters, poets, musicians, and filmmakers alike.

He is a source poet, a bearer of hope, and a fighter against absurdity.

His writing stimulates the imagination. To encounter his work is to experience emancipation: he crafted his language not only for the audience but above all for the actor.

This workshop is a collective exploration of his work as a vehicle for political wisdom — a deep dive into a profoundly human and contradictory world, where power, love, death, ambition, fate, and free will coexist.

Through theatrical practice, we will discover how the texts of this existential playwright shape the body and guide us to the character.

We will learn to inhabit the stage space — and to let it inhabit us.

Using a range of tools — training, improvisation, games, and shared experience — we will establish a personal and unique connection with his theatre, in an atmosphere of kindness and play.

Finally, we will build a connection with the other — the audience — without whom theatre cannot exist.

An honest, powerful, and unembellished link that brings us back to ourselves.

A craftsman’s work in pursuit of truth.

Academic expectations:

To awaken Shakespeare’s words so they resonate here and now, as if they were springing from our own mouths.

The text is not a museum piece — it’s a battlefield where meaning and body clash and reconcile.

By the end of the semester, the student will have:

Gained confidence on stage.

Developed a strong, personal voice in performance.

Acquired tools for analyzing Shakespearean texts — transferable to other works.

Learned to harness their imagination in service of the stage, through conscious artistic choices.

Session 1:Getting to Know Each Other / Building a Collective. Introduce yourself through a story that belongs to you.

Session 2: Presenting Oneself Through Narrative .Exploring Shakespeare’s Sonnets.

Session 3:Finding One’s Body / Voice. How can we make ourselves available to access a more intimate form of speech? Opening up to different possibilities of performance. Understanding the mechanisms at play.

How can we transform body, voice, and presence?

Which character would you like to play in Shakespeare — and why?

Session 4:The Chair Exercise. Selection of monologues/soliloquies. Exploring different translations.

Session 5: Textual Preparation: Deconstruction and Reconstruction . Introduction to caesuras, beats, and clusters. Making a choice is already staging.

Shakespeare’s words are our own. I am the one speaking.

Session 6: First Presentation of Monologues. Each piece will be shared, discussed, and collectively analyzed. Through constructive feedback, we will nurture and develop each personal proposal.

First encounter with an audience.

What connections can we draw to our contemporary world?

Grading criteria:

Two Written Assignments:

An inner monologue: Personal appropriation of Shakespeare

Writing in the style of Shakespeare 30%

Performance Work:

Participation — 10% (Including feedback and constructive exchange with peers)

Students will be assessed based on:

Engagement and commitment to the work

Research and memorization of texts

Clarity of speech and articulation

Progress and development over the semester

Availability and attentiveness within the group

Punctuality is essential in a collaborative setting.

We will keep our phones — and ChatGPT — tucked away in a drawer during sessions.

Late work policy:

Late work is not welcome as participation is key, 2 overdue dates are a maximum.

Late arrival policy:

Late arrivals are not welcome as participation is key and it is disruptive for the group.

2 late arrivals are a maximum

Readings:

Zen in the Art of Archery – Eugen Herrigel

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (with a particular focus on Macbeth, Hamlet, and Richard III)

With Shakespeare – Peter Brook

The Empty Space – Peter Brook

Play and the Theory of the Duende – Federico García Lorca

Notes on the Melody of Things – Rainer Maria Rilke

Macbeth after Shakespeare – Heiner Müller

Actors and Their Dreams – Krystian Lupa

The Floating Actor – Yoshi Oida

Towards a Poor Theatre – Jerzy Grotowski

Films:

Throne of Blood – Akira Kurosawa

Macbeth – directed by Justin Kurzel

Hamlet – staged by Thomas Ostermeier

Looking for Richard – directed by Al Pacino