Shakespeare Karaoke: Play Fast and Loose Workshop

Have you ever wanted to perform in a Shakespeare play but don’t have time to memorize lines or are too intimidated by the idea of learning to perform classic theatre?

What if performing in a Shakespeare play could be more like doing karaoke? Get together with a few of your friends and just wing it with the words in front of you, having a blast despite being tone-deaf?

The tone-deaf punks from Elsewhere Shakespeare have created just that opportunity with their “Shakespeare Karaoke” workshop.

You’ll learn about the ways in which Elizabethan acting was actually pretty similar to doing karaoke and how to pick up on performance clues in Shakespeare’s text. All while making a fool of yourself in front of a crowd!

Join at 6 p.m. for a crash course in Shakespearean acting. You’ll learn about how to perform using cue scripts (the kind of script an actor would’ve been given in 1600) and how to recognize and play with Shakespearean stage directions. The workshop will culminate in an unrehearsed public performance directly following the workshop at 7:30 p.m. All workshop attendees are invited to perform, but not required.

Beginners very welcome!

Like to watch? Come at 7:30 and cheer on your friends as they perform a 60-minute Shakespeare play with no rehearsal and the parts assigned at random! Separate registration required.

About the Artist:

Cole Metz is one of three actor-managers of Elsewhere Shakespeare. He is an actor, director, and theatre educator based in central Virginia. He holds an MFA in Shakespeare & Performance from Mary Baldwin University and a BFA in Theatre Performance from Virginia Commonwealth University. He's gluten-free.

Mac MacDaniel is one of three actor-managers of Elsewhere Shakespeare. He is a high school dropout and hairstylist originally from Richmond, VA. His favorite Avail album is Over the James.

Elsewhere Shakespeare is a punk band masquerading as a theatre company. They

believe in demystifying all aspects of Shakespearean theatre, trying to create

beginner-friendly, actionable tools to help artists produce and perform Shakespeare.

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Host or Publisher University Theatre