Shakespeare Acting Style
finding balance between passion and intellect

Teacher: Paul Dougherty
Discipline: Acting
Grade Level: High School
Play: Othello

Cuttings for purpose of the lesson: Act III, scene 3; Act III, scene 4

Introduction: These are GT acting students who have spent three years in an acting program. They will have read Othello and will be working on their cuttings, which will be approximately 10 minutes in length. These cuttings will have been analyzed and memorized.

The lesson has three objectives: To identify moments when the acting process moves from the head of the actor to the heart and soul; to identify the nature of Renaissance thinking as shown in Renaissance art that informs the work of Shakespeare; and to identify the qualities needed to move from realistic acting into Shakespearean acting.

1. Introduce the discussion of the different works of art used in John Guare’s Six Degrees of Separation. Focus the conversation on the Kandisky, two sided picture depicting Chaos and Control, and also focus on the scene where Ouissa “Slaps the hand of God!” on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. The issue here is to recognize that the Sistine Chapel shows the “Nobel Man” in control over the opposing forces of chaos and control.

2. Engage students in “Stick Activity” used in the acting session, as the activity grows in intensity have separate couples work in front of the others. Have each one of them use the line, “Where’s the handkerchief?” expressing their love, then their concern , other emotions until they finally come to jealousy, doubt, rage. This exercise moves into issues of the Meisner acting technique. This is an especially good opportunity to open the physical and vocal imaginations

3. Continue the exercise until all students have had a chance, in the discussion that follows have students identify the range of emotions they felt and discovered. Also, have them recognize that only through control could they reach any sort of conclusion. Some of the key acting issues being looked for are: “Where did the language make you move forward physically, emotionally and intellectually?” “When did the language force you to speak in order to engage, to solve and to confront?” “When did your work go from non-engagement to engagement?”

4. Ask students to state the Super-objective of Othello in terms that support their work with the sticks and handkerchief. Super-objective for Othello, The need to find a balance between passion and order. Just as Othello is trying to find balance between Iago and Desdamona.

5. Return the students to Act III, scene 3, lines 80 to 100. Ask the class to identify the clues to the need for balance here. Focus on the lines: “Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul, but I do love thee! And when I love thee not, Chaos is come again.”

6. Students will return to their cuttings to identify this aspect of passion and order and to focus on the one exchange of lines that supports the super-objective.

7. This one beat of their cutting is presented for critique.

8. Ask students to view the Renaissance paintings of the Venus Di Milo to see the view of women, and to explore the “Myth of the Virgin.”

Assessments: 1. A written analysis of their cutting in terms of the polarities of passion and control. 2. Critique of their scenes with this new information.

Sources:

Speaking Shakespeare, Patsy Rodenburg;
A Theatergoer’s Guide to Shakespeare, Robert Thomas Fallon
Six Degrees of Separation, John Guare – use the excellent film version