James and Sam Waterston Discuss Shakespeare with Grade VIII

Boys in grade VIII, who have been rehearsing A Midsummer Night’s Dream, were treated to a workshop with two actors with plenty of Shakespeare acting experience.  James Waterston '83 and his father, Sam Waterston, discussed their experience acting in Shakespeare plays and responded to two scenes performed by the boys.

The Waterstons discussed ways to analyze Shakespeare's text to search for meaning. Often, a break in the overarching iambic pentameter rhythm is a clue that something important is happening.  They explained how much of Shakespeare's poetry creates a binary vision of the world.  They encouraged the boys to pay attention to any antithesis in their scenes, as contradiction and conflict are the bread and butter of theater.  They also believe that truth lies in two contradictory ideas living together, and "when you're working on Shakespeare, you're near the truth." 

After watching the boys perform two scenes, they encouraged the boys to trust the character motivations they have found in the text, which will carry them far.  They reminded them that there is room for play.  There is time to live in the character and a chance to bring specificity to any role in the play.

Mr. Hager, the director of St. Bernard's A Midsummer Night’s Dream, was delighted that so much of what the Waterstons said fit in so well with their rehearsal process.  The rehearsal period consists of two categories: the technical and the dramatic.  During the technical period of the first few weeks, they focus on diction, understanding the meaning of the text, pronunciation, volume, and blocking the scenes.

Once the boys have a technical foundation, they start developing character.  Each character moves differently—one may be sluggish while another is graceful and light on his feet.  The boys are taught to push beyond the poetry and bring emotion to their words.  The personality of the character has to be accessible to the boys, so they work to find ways to relate to their characters.  The boys have seen firsthand that once the technical foundation is there, there is room for play.

Many thanks to James and Sam Waterston for sharing their expertise with the grade VIII boys.  We all look forward to the upcoming performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream in December.