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Performance Approaches to Shakespeare 101


Adult Classes and Activities / Gain Skills -
Fall 2025

Understanding that Shakespeare only wrote his plays to be seen and heard, not studied as literature, Swigart’s book “Performance Approaches to Shakespeare” contains information and strategies to uncover performance clues that he incorporated into his text to communicate how he wanted it to be performed. This course, based on the strategies of analysis contained in the book, will explore the Bard's use of language to inform performance with historical background, hands-on analysis methods of selections of text, and opportunities to practice what you have learned with monologues and short scenes. Optional: Laurie Swigart's book will be available for purchase at the first class.

Laurie Swigart

Laurie Swigart has a Masters of Arts in Shakespeare and Theatre from The University of Birmingham, Shakespeare Institute, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK, and a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts from the University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse, as well as a 36-year career doing all kinds of theatre with all kinds and ages of people. After attaining her MA in Shakespeare and Theatre, it has become her passion and mission to take the intimidation of doing Shakespeare out of the classrooms and rehearsal spaces of particularly middle and high school teachers and directors and anyone interested in gaining skills in using Shakespeare's language to decipher performance clues. Understanding that Shakespeare only wrote his plays to be seen and heard, not simply studied as literature, Swigart’s book “Performance Approaches to Shakespeare” contains information and strategies to uncover performance clues that he incorporated into his text to communicate how he wanted it to be performed.

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 November 2025 
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AD13751

  Laurie Swigart


East Ridge High School : 1013 Blue Center
Thu Oct 23, Thu Oct 30 & Thu Nov 6
6:30 - 8:30 PM

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Min Age   18 yr.

Price: $ 79 00