What Country, Friends, Is This?: Directing Shakespeare with Young Performers

Bringing Shakespeare to Life with Young Actors

A practical guide to directing youth Shakespeare productions

About the Ebook

A highly practical, comprehensive guide to exploring Shakespeare with young people – ideal for directors, youth theatre leaders, workshop facilitators and teachers. Experienced teacher, actor and director Max Hafler tackles the myths that Shakespeare's work is like a foreign country, not for the faint-hearted, or only for a privileged few. In this book, he shows how you can embrace the challenges of doing Shakespeare with young people, and make the plays accessible and exciting for all. Beginning with a series of workshops that introduce the skills and principles of voice and acting, he sets out, step by step, how to use devising, develop short scenes, explore soliloquies, and unlock the themes, characters, stories and language of the plays. The holistic approach includes dozens of exercises – many inspired by Michael Chekhov's innovative technique – which will help young actors explore their voice, imagination and body, and lead to performances that are richer, focused and more fulfilling. There is also useful advice on preparing for a production, editing and transposing the text, rehearsing scenes, and fostering an ensemble. Above all, this book will equip you to engage and empower young people, and to help them discover for themselves the joy of working with Shakespeare.

Why You'll Love This Ebook

• Learn how to make Shakespeare accessible and exciting for young performers
• Master directorial techniques specific to youth and educational theatre
• Discover how to build confidence and skill through classical work
• Train with Nick Hern Books' specialist guide to youth Shakespeare

Reviews

'This book makes you want to get up and do what it describes while you are reading it… it's suitable for session leaders who haven't tackled this kind of work before, but there is plenty of useful information and advice for more experienced teachers and directors as well… I will certainly be going back to it' British Theatre Guide

'A very practical book which will be an inspiring influence on teachers of Shakespeare for young people' Word Matters (Journal of the Society of Teachers of Speech and Drama)

About the Author

Max Hafler is a teacher, director, deviser, writer and lecturer, who trained and worked as a professional actor for many years. He was a resident voice teacher at Galway Youth Theatre for twelve years and taught voice in youth theatres all over Ireland for the National Association of Youth Drama. He has taught ensemble and directed productions including many notable young people's productions. A successful playwright and adapter, he has written several plays for young people, including Alien Nation, Battle Stations and This Means War! He teaches Voice and Chekhov Technique on the BA and MA programmes at the National University of Ireland, Galway. He has worked in many applied drama areas with disability groups, with medical students, business students, schoolteachers and lecturers, giving him a full understanding of the issues that are faced by a facilitator when working within a particular group. He is the author of Teaching Voice: Workshops for Young Performers and What Country, Friends, Is This?: Directing Shakespeare with Young Performers, both published by Nick Hern Books. He discusses his work extensively in his blog: www.maxhafler.wordpress.com.

Publication Details

ISBN (EPUB): 9781788503891
Publication Date: 05 August 2021
Pages: 336
Format: Ebook (EPUB)
Publisher: Nick Hern Books

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