Back to Skill-Fest Schedule
Back to Skill-Fest Main Page
Skill-Fest Registration Form

Skill-Fest Session Descriptions

Shakespeare Shoutout

Dates/Times: All three Thursdays at 9:00.
Repeats: Come to them all!
Description: Come and find out! A way to get to know each other and Shakespeare’s plays.
Led by: Various members of the Team.

Hamlet’s Advice to the Players

Dates/Times: Thurs, Sept 4 at 9:30 . May repeat: watch this space.
Repeats: See above line.
Description: What did Shakespeare think of “players,” as actors were called in his time? He tells us himself as Hamlet advises the Players. It will be a little wild.
Led by: Mary Kate Adami-Sampson and Liz Adams

Scansion: or Why knowing an iamb from a trochee can make you a better actor

Dates/Times: Thurs, Sept 4 at 10:00 and 11:00; Thurs, Sept 18 at 10:15.
Repeats: We suggest that you take at least one of these sessions, but more than one isn’t necessary.
Description: Most of Shakespeare is poetry. In this session, we’ll cover the language of scansion, which is how actors figure out how to read that poetry. We’ll pound the table in iambic pentameter, riff with Will, figure out metric stress and natural stress, slide some elisions, and see how using scansion can improve our communication with the audience.
Led by: Mary Kate Adami-Sampson

Blocking Is Not About Blocks: A Guide to Standing Around with Style, Walking Like You Mean It, and Not Crashing Into the Other Actors

Dates/Times: Thurs, Sept 4 at 10:00 and 11:00, Thurs, Sept 18 at 9:15.
Repeats: We suggest that you take at least one of these sessions, but more than one isn’t necessary.
Description: The people on a stage aren't there by accident. Where on the stage they are matters, even if it's just to avoid total pandemonium and make sure no one loses an eye. There are basic rules to how that works, and it's an actor's job to have some idea of how to work without making anyone else's job impossible. We'll play with stage directions, practice not being invisible, and get used to linking words and actions. We'll even look at how to be center stage and not draw focus when another actor is speaking.
Led by: Liz on Sept 4, Morgan on Sept 18

Will’s Youngest

Dates/Times: each Thurs: Sept 4 at 10:00, Sept 11 at 9:45 and Sept 18 at 10:15.
Repeats: You may take one or all of these sessions - they won’t repeat themselves. Description: Stories and games from Shakespeare for the youngest members of the company and for younger siblings of company members. Alysa will read both picture books about Shakespeare and at least one prose version of the story of The Tempest. Plus there will be Shakespeare games to play. And loads of other fun!
Led by: Alysa Dudley

Movement for Actors and Everyone

*Dates/Times: * Thurs: Sept 4 at 11:00, more may be scheduled.
Repeats: We suggest that you take at least one of these sessions. Doing the exercises multiple times can be useful and fun. 
Description: Improve your posture, and you become a better noble. Improve your balance, and you’ll be better at playing any part! Make a meaningful gesture with your arm, and you communicate with the audience more fully. In this session we’ll work on how to walk naturally across the stage, and how to be comfortable standing still. We’ll focus, focus, focus! Waking up your arms and legs and becoming aware of the full range of movement that is available to you can be both fun and freeing.
Led by: Marcia Coakley

Who’s Who Backstage

Dates/Times: Monday, Sept 8, at 4:15.
Repeats: Offered only once.
Description: When you go to the theatre, the results of the actors' preparation is obvious - out there, onstage for all to see.  Generally you can see the results of the designers' choices as well.  But who makes the show actually run backstage?  The scenery move?  The lights change?  Sound cues happen?  Come learn about the different ways a backstage crew is indispensable to the smooth running of a typical theatrical production, and whether there might be a "role" for you here!  Although we'll touch on design work, focus will center mostly on such luminaries as the stage manager, sound and lighting technicians, set/costume/running crew, props master or mistress and the like.  
  Led by: Morgan Henderson

Tempest in Time

Dates/Times: Monday, Sept 8, at 3:15.
Repeats: Offered only once.
Description: The Tempest is the last play that scholars think Will wrote all on his own. In this session, we’ll discuss the following questions. What makes The Tempest special? How is it connected to his other plays? What were Will’s sources for the story of Prospero’s island? How has The Tempest been performed over the years? Is Ariel a male or a female? (It depends on when the the play was performed, actually!)
Led by: Mary Kate Adami-Sampson

Script Preparation Practicum

Dates/Times: Monday, Sept 8, at 4:15.
Repeats: Offered only once.
Description: Why might you cut a Shakespearean play? How do you decide what to cut and what should probably never be cut? What characters might be combined together, or alternatively, what speeches could be allocated to multiple actors? This workshop will allow participants to discuss the creation of a working script of this fall’s (spring’s) production of The Tempest. While input from participants in the workshop will be considered for input in the actual working script that the Company uses, the final script will be prepared by the production team.
Preparation: After you’ve read The Tempest for the first time, read at least two acts of the play a second time with pencil in hand, making notes in the margins. You should consider which scenes seem slow to you, where judicious cutting might improve the pacing, which lines might be reallocated effectively to another character, and which characters have so many lines that cutting seems a good idea. On a separate piece of paper, list five changes you might make to the play, noting the act, scene, line numbers and page numbers. If you show up to the workshop without a marked book and list of five changes, expect to sit and listen to the discussion, not participate in it.
Led by: Mary Kate Adami-Sampson

Designing an Island

Dates/Times: Mon, Sept 8 at 4:15; Thurs: Sept 11, at 10:45.
Repeats: These sessions will be essentially the same, so plan on only taking one.
Description: How do you create an island out of our common room?  Sand on a concrete floor?  Tropical greenery against cement block walls?  A magician or a monster out of a kid?  A good designer supports the words and movements of an actor, and encourages an audience member's "willing suspension of disbelief".  Let's talk about the theories of design - how we create atmosphere with colors, character with costumes, and storms with sound.  Must our set be literally an island?  Is sunlight always created with bright light?  From a technical point of view, should the maiden wear white?  Does the audience hear what Caliban hears when he says "the isle is full of noises"?  Put on your designer's hat and let your imagination loose!
Led by: Morgan Henderson

Soliloquies

Dates/Times: Thurs: Sept 11, beginning at 9:15 - 10:30; 10:45 - 11:30. Mon, Sept 15 3:15 - 4:45.
Repeats: You may take one, some or all of these Soliloquy sessions. We suggest that you take the Sept 11 session before the Sept 15 session, but it certainly isn’t required.
Description: To be, or not to be..." Talking to yourself, Hamlet? Well, yes, he is. Characters do that a lot in theatre, and Shakespeare's characters did it better than almost anyone in history. Come find out what all the fuss is about (and even what Hamlet says next). Let's dig into some good-sized chunks of the best our language has to offer! We'll play with it, explore different technical approaches, and come out with a tool or two to add to any actor's bag of tricks. If there's a speech you've always wanted to try, come in and do it! If you have no idea which speeches are the famous ones or who exactly the Scottish guy is, come see! You will probably hear some of the speeches enough times to memorize big chunks of them, and will ever after impress friends and future employers with your awesome Shakespeare skilz. Texts to work from will be provided, and prior preparation is not required; it is, however, enthusiastically encouraged*, and if you have a particular piece you would like to work on (even if you've performed it before), bring it, and we'll play.
Led by: Liz Adams

*"enthusiastically encouraged" is not code for "it's really required;" it is code for "Liz will probably jump up and down and shout 'oooo!' and 'whoopee!'"

Prospero’s Books

Dates/Times: Thurs, Sept 11, 9:15 -11:20.
Repeats: This is a drop-in activity, open most of the day on Sept 11.
Description: We’ll be decorating Prospero’s books in this hands’ on activity. Some will turn into props, used by Prospero himself, or carried by Prospero’s spirits. Other books may be turned into set pieces - a chair made out of books for Prospero’s cell?
Led by: Kim Lueders

Does a Monster Wear Scales? A Tail? Or Jeans?

Dates/Times: Mon, Sept 15 at 3:15; If there is demand, may repeat Thurs, Sept 18.
Repeats: These sessions will be essentially the same, so plan on only taking one.
Description: For actors and designers both.  Costumes are often designed with both a designer's vision of a character and an actor's knowledge of the choices the character would make.  Particular clothes can assist an actor in creating a walk, appearing taller, and carrying props. We'll discuss various characters from The Tempest, and look at what actors have worn in those roles when others have staged it.  What costume pieces might work for our own production?  Is there one costume piece that might immediately represent a particular character to an audience?  A material that would provide information about what the character prefers?  Were you playing a particular role, what would you wear?  If you were the costume designer, what would you choose?  Although our choices will be theoretical, since the play won't yet be cast, your insights will provide design ideas for us to move forward with once rehearsals start.
Led by: Morgan Henderson

Propping Up Prospero

Dates/Times: Mon, Sept 15 at 4:15; If there is demand, may repeat Thurs, Sept 18.
Repeats: These sessions will be essentially the same, so plan on only taking one.
Description: Props are an interesting area of theatre, with both a creative and a practical side.  Some are called for in the text of the play, or in stage directions from the playwright.  Some are added by the director in order to supplement business.  A designer might add props as set dressing.  An actor might request a specific one as a way to flesh out a character.  The props master/mistress acquires or creates props that fit with  with period of the play, are sturdy enough to be reused, and can serve the specific purpose called for in the script or the blocking.  We'll start with a list of props noted in The Tempest text.  What might you add, or subtract?  How would you use a particular prop?  Would a staff for Caliban look different than a staff for Prospero?  Help us get a jump on decisions about props for our production.
Led by: Morgan Henderson

Voyage to the Island

Dates/Times: Monday, Sept 15, at 4:45, Thurs, Sept 18 at 11:15.
Repeats: We strongly recommend that you take one of these sessions, but not both. If you are going to be at Skill-Fest on Thurs, Sept 18, you may as well wait for that one.
Description: This session is designed to describe the changes we are making to the text for this production of The Tempest. What characters have had lines added to beef them up? What are the “new” characters? What will be the role of Prospero’s Spirits? What might you want to shoot for in Show Us What You’ve Got? While not only designed for company members, it will be most useful to them.
Led by: Mary Kate Adami-Sampson

Music: Range and Tone

Dates/Times: Monday, Sept 22, at 4:15
Repeats: More sessions available on Sept 25, during SUWYG.
Description: This session is designed to show us your vocal range and tone. All actors will be asked to do a simple note-matching exercise, sing a short song everyone knows (you'll have a choice of a few), and stretch your voice to its lowest and highest notes. If you play an instrument, we'd like to hear you briefly, even if think you don't want to play it during The Tempest. After all, we could record you, right? These listening sessions can be done privately, if you prefer, or in pairs of students for support. Your choice. For those who will be away at NBTSC on this day, we'll run some more Music: Range and Tone sessions during Show Us What You've Got on Thurs, Sept 25.
Run by: Mary Kate Adami-Sampson

Back to Skill-Fest Schedule
Back to Skill-Fest Main Page
Skill-Fest Registration Form