Shakespeare’s Secret Language
Taught by Jess Milewicz
Jess Milewicz recently moved to Brooklyn after graduating from the University of Tennessee Knoxville, where she earned her MFA in Acting. Jess has taught drama, music, and art to students of various ages and abilities ranging from Early Childhood Education to the graduate level. She has also travelled up and down the East Coast, working as a Behavioral Therapist for children with Autism and other related disorders. After using Classical text to help teach rhythm in language to non-verbal students, she returned to graduate school to pursue her love for the arts. Since then, she has worked as a coach to both actors and non-performers, specializing in Shakespearean text. As an actress, she has performed with Clarence Brown Theatre, Theatre Knoxville, Tennessee Stage Company, the Bijou Theatre (Knoxville, TN); Source Theatre, Vienna Theatre Company (Washington DC); Kentucky Shakespeare (Louisville, KY); Great River Shakespeare Festival (Winona, MN); Chautauqua Theater Company (NY), among others. Most recently Jess just wrapped a feature film entitled UP THE RIVER, which will be released in the early Spring. Currently she offers services in private coaching in acting, audition, text analysis, and character development. See jessmilewicz.com for further information.
What do all those doths and troths mean? Those words don’t make any sense! This is like another language...
If these statements sound familiar, then this class is for you. The good news is, if you’ve had trouble understanding Shakespeare, you’re not alone! It is a different language...literally. Whereas modern day actors have plenty of time to study his canonized works, looking up words and memorizing speeches, the contemporaries of William Shakespeare did not. In fact, sometimes actors would get new lines the night of the performance! **gasp** So how did they know what to say and how to say it? Enter the First Folio...
The Folio was the first (official) publication of Shakespeare’s works. It was released after his death, by two of the actors in the King’s Men. When you look at the text, you’ll see strange markings, funny looking letters, and punctuation in seemingly unique places. Some believe that the men (women being barred from the stage at the time) wrote the Folio in the way that they knew how to speak it on the stage. Today, many directors, actors, and text coaches use the Folio as a map of how the play was intended to be performed.
Want to crack the code? We’ve got the key!
No previous experience necessary. Whether you’re an actor, or just a literature enthusiast, or maybe you just want a peek into Shakespeare’s work-- come enjoy this non-threatening, welcoming, fun environment! We will be reading pieces and examining texts, but don't worry-- you only have to read aloud if you want to.
