The Shakespeare Sessions

Available as

Online

Summary

This fascinating program brings viewers into a workshop run by John Barton, cofounder of the Royal Shakespeare Company, that demonstrates how vividly accessible Shakespeare's language can be when i...

This fascinating program brings viewers into a workshop run by John Barton, cofounder of the Royal Shakespeare Company, that demonstrates how vividly accessible Shakespeare's language can be when it is heard rather than read. Barton explains that Shakespeare's text gives subtle cues to actors about how a scene should be played, and that audiences can become immersed in the action by a verbal invitation to the imagination ("Think, when we talk of horses, that you see them..."). With commentary and rehearsal footage that features Kevin Kline, Patrick Stewart, Cynthia Nixon, Charles S. Dutton, Dustin Hoffman, Sir Peter Hall, and others, the film includes some of Shakespeare's most famous scenes in compelling new interpretations.

Show More