ABSTRACT
A unique actor-training methodology arose out of the synergy of disciplines brought together in Tina Packer’s 1973 Ford Foundation experiment. It has evolved over the past four decades and manifested in a multitude of actor-training forums for Shakespeare & Company, most notably its Month-Long Intensive for mid-career professionals. Tracing the Intensive’s origins in 1978 as a ‘Linklater Workshop’ through to a multi-disciplinary training – largely under the auspices of Director of Training Dennis Krausnick – this chapter addresses its pedagogy. This includes its fundamental principles (which echo the mindfulness practices of curiosity, non-judgment and kindness); the basic structure; and the style of faculty engaged in the teaching. The chapter concludes with a brief overview of four influential contributors to the methodology: Neil Freeman (First Folio), Carol Gilligan (In A Different Voice), Bessel van der Kolk (The Body Keeps the Score), and James Gilligan (Violence). Questions posed include: how might actors take the extremes of Shakespeare’s narratives (including violence and intimacy) into their acting ‘instruments’ while remaining healthy, contributive storytellers? And how might we become more mindful of the narratives between and surrounding genders in our own society by exploring Shakespeare’s characters?
