A group of actors and Shakespeare enthusiasts sat on the edge of their seats as Dennis Krausnick, director of training for Shakespeare & Company in Lenox Massachusetts, explained the Bard had salted his texts with clues on how to perform - and enjoy - his plays.
The workshop was sponsored by Collaborative Arts Theatre, the producing company for the Charlotte Shakespeare Festival and by an Arts and Science Council theatre education grant funded by the Charlotte law firm, Parker Poe.
Helping the Actors
Dennis explained Elizabethan actors had little or no time to rehearse and had to learn their parts quickly. Back then, too, there were no directors to help them interpret the lovesick musings of Juliet, understand Richard's evil intentions or untangle the confusion caused by two sets of identical twins in Comedy of Errors. To guide the actors, Shakespeare filled the text with tips and tools.
Dennis explained that the crazy capital letters, strange spellings, unusual punctuation signaled which words the actors should emphasize. Shakespeare even indicated when the actors should breathe - at the end of each line.
The Authoritative First Folio
Seven years after Shakespeare died; two of his partners collected and published the authoritative version of 36 Shakespeare plays in the First Folio.
Over the last 400 years, editors have tweaked the Shakespeare texts - sometimes carefully and thoughtfully, but often completely clouding Shakespeare’s original intent. That’s why, Dennis said, you have to go to the First Folio for the most accurate representation of the plays.
The three hours went by too quickly. For many in attendance, though, it was like getting a Ph.D. in Shakespeare.
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