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Shakespeare and the Age of Elizabeth - 1990
Workshop: Shakespeare - Text, Play, Film
by Don Finkel and Nancy Taylor

You have now read five of Shakespeare's plays, viewed film versions of four of them, and attended one staged production. This workshop is designed to explore the qualities of these three media (written text, film, performance).

PART I. (40 minutes) Form groups of six. Title three pieces of paper Text, Film, and Performance, respectively.

A. (30 minutes) Brainstorm and develop a list of the qualities of each medium. You might want to consider, for example: staging, audience, temporality (the use of time), the role of the director, actors.

Then extend the list for each medium with a list of the limitations of each.

B. (10 minutes). Read your three lists over. Star (*) the three most important qualities and three most important limitations of each medium. Circle the qualities and limitations unique to that medium. Save your 3 sheets for PART III.

PART II. (60 minutes). Divide your group of six into two groups of three. Each group of three will consider either film or performance.

A. (50 minutes) Imagine that you have been asked to direct As You Like It on film/stage. Remaining mindful of the qualities and limitations of the medium you've developed above, what will you do? Be sure to consider casting, point of view (thematic questions), sets, costumes, audience. How can you take advantage of the medium? Prepare notes for the proposal you will make to the producer for your production.

B. (10 minutes) Meet in your original group of six and compare your production notes.

PART III. (20 minutes). Meet in the whole program in CAB 110. Bring your three sheets from PART I.