ABSTRACT
What do 3" × 5" index cards have to do with performing Shakespeare? For author Louis Fantasia, notes scribbled on two index cards over 40 years ago formed the basis of his approach to teaching and directing Shakespeare, a journey that has covered most of his life. Long associated with the rebuilding of Shakespeare’s Globe in London, and with the Globe’s education efforts in the US, Fantasia developed a pragmatic and uniquely American performance technique from these early notes. Expanded and refined in performances and workshops throughout the world over 40 years of teaching and directing, this approach allows performers, directors, and teachers of all cultures and levels of experience to perform Shakespeare’s texts in ways that are clear, fresh, and unpretentious. The methods are solidly grounded in a rigorous analysis of the verse and structure of Shakespeare’s plays and is enriched by insight into Elizabethan performance practices gleaned from his association with the Globe. Brief exercise monologues, excerpted scenes, and tools for textual analysis (as well as a brief foray into the importance of breath in performance) illuminate his philosophy of training and performing Shakespeare today.
