Actor workshops
Opportunities for all
The ISC is passionate about providing opportunities for local actors and audience members to further their artistic and intellectual explorations through exposure to global artists. Over the years we have brought many award-winning theatre practitioners and scholars to Santa Fe.
We also offer community workshops to audiences, readers, and teachers, such as How to Edit a Shakespeare Play, The Fun of Iambic Pentameter, The Darkness of a Midsummer Night’s Dream, historical lectures, discussions on upcoming plays, and events such as Shakespeare Jeopardy, Elizabeth dance lessons, sword fighting lessons, and much more!
Past Workshop: Acting Workshop with Ben Crystal • October 2019
ISC Santa Fe and the Upstart Crows hosted a unique opportunity for local actors: a workshop with British author, actor, and Passion Practice producer Ben Crystal. This workshop explored the original practice of the theatre company Shakespeare worked in—how well did they know each other, what was their performance space like, and their writer? How did they turn their short rehearsal time to their advantage? We workshopped the nature and tempo of an ensemble for a Shakespeare company, providing participants with take-away tools for future work on stage.
Past workshop: Acting Shakespeare Master Class from LAMDA • January 2018
ISC Santa Fe was delighted to welcome back Rodney Cottier, Head of Drama at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. This Shakespeare acting master class was interactive, stimulating, and a great deal of fun!
Comments from participants:
“Wow. You can’t imagine how reluctant I was to leave. Every moment was invaluable, let alone Rodney’s personable charm. Thank you so much.” —Paul
“Last night’s master class was really magnificent. Thank you to all involved in offering it.” —Eileen
“I was at the master class Thursday evening. Thank you for bringing him in. I was reminded of how much I’ve let lapse my training specifically with Shakespeare and generally with the vocal embodiment of action. This motivates me to re-figure my individual training as well as renew my relationships with people who also value the work.” —Sean
“It kills me to have to leave early to go back to work!” —Geoffrey
Past Workshop: Acting Workshop from the Stratford Shakespeare Festival: Shakespeare and Classical Text in Performance • December 2017
ISC Santa Fe was thrilled to welcome back Edward Daranyi, after his exciting workshops in previous years.
Comments from participants:
“Working with Edward Daranyi from the Stratford Shakespeare Festival both freed and focused my creative energy. Through exercises that incorporate an actor’s mind, body, and unique point of view, he challenged me to be ‘on the edge’ and live in spontaneity with the text. A great acting experience!” —Lynn Goodwin
“In Edward’s workshop, I gained invaluable insight into techniques for character development. Terrific experience.” —Paul Walsky
“The workshop with Edward was really wonderful! I have acted in and directed many of Shakespeare’s plays, and Edward gave me and the other students in the class new ways to look at the text—in a fun and inspiring environment.” —Barbara Hatch
This series of intensive workshops used active movement, vocal exercises, rehearsal techniques, and games to explore differences between Shakespeare’s verse and prose, rhetorical structure, punctuation, world picture, and historical relevance. Find the living thought the actor needs to bring Shakespeare “off the page” in an immersive exploration that will bind together the text of Shakespeare and the heightened awareness that brings the plays to life. Participants came prepared to be active and on their feet.
Past workshops: Acting Shakespeare’s Text • November 2016
Robin Williams collaborated with Wendy Chapin to offer a workshop on Acting Shakespeare’s Text to explore both the text and acting of Shakespeare.
Participants worked with Robin to discover what Shakespeare is telling you, the actor, in your chosen speech. Later, participants worked with Wendy on how to apply action and intention to Shakespeare’s text.
Past workshops: Improvisation, Voice, Movement • July 2016
The International Shakespeare Center sponsored PROFESSIONAL CLASSICAL / SHAKESPEAREAN ACTING WORKSHOPS with Masters graduates from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art: Ariana Karp and Will McKay.
The LAMDA conservatory approach offers a holistic perspective on practice, helping actors access classical text through physical engagement. The workshops featured vocal, physical, and group exercises for actors of all ages.
The first workshop featured an exploration of improvisation within the context of classical theater. The exercises were designed to facilitate listening and collaboratively working with your scene partner.
The second workshop included a series of vocal, physical, and group exercises to approach Shakespeare or other classical text from a holistic perspective and physical engagement.
Past workshops: LAMDA Faculty Masterclasses, ISC Visiting Artists • February 2016
During First Folio February 2016 the ISC brought faculty from LAMDA to Santa Fe to provide three well-attended workshops.
Judith Phillips and Joanna Read of LAMDA also provided a Romeo and Juliet workshop in February for students at Santa Fe High School, and Rodney Cottier repeated his masterclass in Albuquerque for UNM’s theater students.
Ariana Karp, LAMDA Masters graduate, also provided workshops locally for the Santa Fe University of Art and Design and the New Mexico School for the Arts in April 2016. In 2016, the ISC partnered with Santa Fe High School where Ms. Karp was a Visiting Artist working with Reed Meschefske on their fall production of Macbeth.