I had missed the initial audition for Unitec. Yet, fate intervened. Local theatre luminary Raymond Hawthorne promised to pull some strings, and soon I was auditioning before artistic director Murray Hutchinson and voice tutor Linda Cartwright. With little time to prepare, I chose a Harold Pinter monologue, betting that any memory lapse could be disguised as a Pinteresque pause. For my second piece, I reluctantly tackled Shakespeare.
Shakespeare was foreign to my upbringing in South Auckland. My ambitions lay with characters like Travis Bickle from “Taxi Driver” or Terry Malloy from “On The Waterfront.” Early American cinema fascinated me, and I was obsessed with method actors like Marlon Brando and John Garfield. However, the classical curriculum at Unitec demanded a thorough engagement with Shakespeare, much to my initial chagrin.
What ultimately made Shakespeare accessible was the dedication of our tutors, seasoned actors who understood the bard intimately. Shakespeare’s works demanded a grandeur which in turn demanded breath, which required rigorous physical training. Our daily regimen included two hours of voice exercises to enhance resonance and clarity, turning us into vocal athletes.
But I soon realized that to truly honor Shakespeare’s text, I had to expand not just physically but spiritually. Often, I arrived hours before my peers to practice various speeches and sonnets. I was drawn to the complex characters of Macbeth and Othello. My portrayal of Macbeth in my second-year production marked a turning point in my acting and also in my life. After an extended run, Murray remarked, “You weren’t an actor before Macbeth, but you are an actor now.” And yet, this was not the greatest gift performing Shakespeare gave me. It deepened my soul, increasing my capacity for empathy and understanding. The great Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel famously said “Search for G-d, find man, and search for man, find G-d”. I searched for craft with Shakespeare and likewise left with a far deeper understanding of humanity.
Performing Shakespeare was akin to surfing; his words were waves. A technically proficient actor rides these waves, making the language resonate with the audience effortlessly. Though I’ve transitioned into writing, which offers a similar immersion into characters, I still miss the singular experience of acting Shakespeare. It’s an art form apart from all others, a unique challenge and joy.
Yet, despite Shakespeare’s unparalleled brilliance, some educators dismiss him as inaccessible or irrelevant. This view, to me, is a tragic underestimation of both the teacher’s potential and the student’s capabilities.
Shakespeare’s unparalleled artistry offers timeless insights into the human condition, prefiguring modern psychology and capturing the depths of human nature with uncanny accuracy. For instance, Macbeth’s descent mirrors the maniacal defiance of dictators throughout history, eerily prefiguring the final days of leaders like Hitler.
Denying students access to such greatness is not only a disservice, but a tragedy and the fact Shakespeare’s presence warrants an argument explains much as to the sorry state of our education system. Shakespeare’s works not only refine interpretive skills but also provide a historical continuum, illustrating that human emotions and conflicts remain largely unchanged over centuries. His characters’ struggles and triumphs will always reflect our own.
Unlocking meaning and tips for performing of Shakespeare is easy when you know what to look for. Take for example this piece of text from Othello – The Moor of Venice (Act 3, Scene 3).
Shakespeare was foreign to my upbringing in South Auckland. My ambitions lay with characters like Travis Bickle from “Taxi Driver” or Terry Malloy from “On The Waterfront.” Early American cinema fascinated me, and I was obsessed with method actors like Marlon Brando and John Garfield. However, the classical curriculum at Unitec demanded a thorough engagement with Shakespeare, much to my initial chagrin.
What ultimately made Shakespeare accessible was the dedication of our tutors, seasoned actors who understood the bard intimately. Shakespeare’s works demanded a grandeur which in turn demanded breath, which required rigorous physical training. Our daily regimen included two hours of voice exercises to enhance resonance and clarity, turning us into vocal athletes.
But I soon realized that to truly honor Shakespeare’s text, I had to expand not just physically but spiritually. Often, I arrived hours before my peers to practice various speeches and sonnets. I was drawn to the complex characters of Macbeth and Othello. My portrayal of Macbeth in my second-year production marked a turning point in my acting and also in my life. After an extended run, Murray remarked, “You weren’t an actor before Macbeth, but you are an actor now.” And yet, this was not the greatest gift performing Shakespeare gave me. It deepened my soul, increasing my capacity for empathy and understanding. The great Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel famously said “Search for G-d, find man, and search for man, find G-d”. I searched for craft with Shakespeare and likewise left with a far deeper understanding of humanity.
Performing Shakespeare was akin to surfing; his words were waves. A technically proficient actor rides these waves, making the language resonate with the audience effortlessly. Though I’ve transitioned into writing, which offers a similar immersion into characters, I still miss the singular experience of acting Shakespeare. It’s an art form apart from all others, a unique challenge and joy.
Yet, despite Shakespeare’s unparalleled brilliance, some educators dismiss him as inaccessible or irrelevant. This view, to me, is a tragic underestimation of both the teacher’s potential and the student’s capabilities.
Shakespeare’s unparalleled artistry offers timeless insights into the human condition, prefiguring modern psychology and capturing the depths of human nature with uncanny accuracy. For instance, Macbeth’s descent mirrors the maniacal defiance of dictators throughout history, eerily prefiguring the final days of leaders like Hitler.
Denying students access to such greatness is not only a disservice, but a tragedy and the fact Shakespeare’s presence warrants an argument explains much as to the sorry state of our education system. Shakespeare’s works not only refine interpretive skills but also provide a historical continuum, illustrating that human emotions and conflicts remain largely unchanged over centuries. His characters’ struggles and triumphs will always reflect our own.
Unlocking meaning and tips for performing of Shakespeare is easy when you know what to look for. Take for example this piece of text from Othello – The Moor of Venice (Act 3, Scene 3).
Never, Iago: Like to the Pontic sea,
Whose icy current and compulsive course
Ne’er feels retiring ebb, but keeps due on
To the Propontic and the Hellespont,
Even so my bloody thoughts, with violent pace,
Shall ne’er look back, ne’er ebb to humble love,
Till that a capable and wide revenge
Swallow them up.
Othello’s jealousy and rage are like a body of water – compulsive – unforgiving and uncompromising to anything in its path. So, how best to perform it? Like this unstoppable sea. Recite from Like through to Hellespont in a single, sustained breath (we tend to have no problem filling our lungs when enraged).What a rich afternoon would be spent as students try to outdo each other to prove who has the greatest lung capacity! And who can best sell rage!
Regrettably, some educators propagate mediocrity, preferring contemporary, facile literature over the challenging richness of Shakespeare. This trend not only impoverishes our curriculum but also underestimates students’ intellectual capacities. Greatness, such as that embodied in Shakespeare, is an essential part of education. It challenges, inspires, and elevates.
To dismiss Shakespeare on the grounds of his ethnicity is equally absurd. Such arguments are intellectually vacuous, unworthy of serious consideration. Shakespeare’s contributions to literature and our understanding of human nature transcend such reductive critiques. He is, unequivocally, the greatest writer in the English language—a fact, not an opinion. We shouldn’t give an ear to this reactionary garbage.
My fervent admiration for Shakespeare is matched by my faith in young minds’ capacity to engage with his work. Students are naturally drawn to the magic of his storytelling. If educators feel inadequate in teaching Shakespeare, they should seek to improve their skills rather than deprive students of this literary treasure. There are ample resources and experts (actors of a certain generation) willing to aid in this endeavor, ensuring that both teachers and students can experience the profound impact of Shakespeare’s work.
In conclusion, the magic of Shakespeare lies not just in the stories he tells but in the eternal truths he uncovers. His works challenge us, enrich our understanding, and remind us of our shared humanity. As an actor turned writer, I cherish the profound impact Shakespeare has had on my life and advocate for his rightful place at the heart of our education system.
Dane Giraud is a comedy writer and a member of the NZ Jewish community. This article was first published HERE
8 comments:
Almost everyone would agree with what is written, but what's the issue here? Who is canceling Shakespeare?
In 2022 Creative NZ and the Arts Counsel refused to fund a program for Shakespeare in schools because it "did not demonstrate the relevance to the contemporary art context of Aotearoa in this time and place and landscape”. At the same time they generously funded things like The Savage Colonizer, which is less than mediocre. It should be Creative NZ who get defunded, if this government had any spine.
How else is Shakespeare at risk?
Like the rest of my generation, Shakespeare was on my mandatory reading list from Form 3 (age 13) through to Form 7 (with English being my best Bursaries subject). I am well above average in terms of IQ points and general literacy and had a devil of a time engaging with Shakespeare. I was well aware of the self-evident fact that most of my contemporaries couldn't get a handle on The Bard at all.
In days when many teenagers are functionally illiterate and can't spell the word 'literature' let alone engage with it, I see no place for Shakespeare in the high school curriculum except perhaps at Form 6/7 level and then only for those who want it. Forcing kids to 'read' stuff they can't work out hide nor hair of may well be counterproductive in that it brings about resentment and a negative attitude towards literature in general.
There are plenty of 19th century authors that many of today's teenagers can engage with meaningfully. Dickens, Hardy and Austen to name just three should be on a school student's reading list for sure. But leave The Bard to those who delight in the esoteric.
Nonsense Barend. Today's children and young people relish the opportunity to perform Shakespeare. You munter. Shakespeare was a PLAYWRIGHT. Shakespeare is about performance . The way you were taught was a turn off. The fact that they are engaging with literature rarely occurs to young people. If they read a script as they move about the stage or rehearsal room they are acting / performing they know that is what they are doing. They are learning to become the character. Dane is right and i taught Shakespeare for many years to children from poor and often illiterate households. You simply do not know what you are talking about. Austen was not a playwright neither was Dickens. Your comparison is poppycock.
Young people have more than books to learn literature from. A committed passionate teacher of the Bard always finds a way to convey his magical brilliance.
I wish you had taught me, Orowhana!
I was taught Shakespeare as literature rather than as theatre. It was certainly literature rather than theatre that seemed foremost in the minds of the Bursaries English examiners.
Even as theatre, though, much of the language is incomprehensible to a 21st century teenager........
Literature becomes comprehensible when you get to inhabit a character with the costume and props. There is a story there is time-frame. Shakespeare is a pathway to History and Politics. That is why he is dangerous. His understanding of humanity is profound .And modern educators definitely do not want to encourage a questioning level of understanding do they? They prefer it if we blunder through life and reject History.
"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts.
The problem with Shakespeare is the teachers who in my experience usually make it as boring as humanly possible. [ as an aside this was done too, to Pygmalion and to this day both the play and the move known as My Fair Lady fill me with horror.]
Shakespeare was not only a playwright and commentator on life but also had a profound influence on the English language itself.
However given the educational abandonment of the three Rs standards of education, then clearly there is no place for Shakespeare the more so given the huge global explorations during Elizabethan times and nascent colonialism.
I am sure NZ will find a maori/ vitriolic anti colonial playwright/ writer of equal brilliance who will be far more relevant to young NZers. We should start a poll as to who that might be.
I agree with many of the comments above.
Its not the subject matter, its the teachers lack of enthusiasm & skill.
I was fortunate to have excellent English teachers at both Intermediate & High School & Comprehension was top of the list after Grammar & Vocab. We had a list of books we had to read, then more often than not went to see the movie & wrote a comparison essay. We read everything from the Bard to Steinbeck, Hemingway to Huxley, including some books that were considered controversial in the 70s. I'm glad I could pass my love of reading on to my kids & despair for kids these days whose only reading is done off a computer screen.
Bring back Classical pre Bavarian education with a focus on Grammar, Logic, Rhetoric & Critical Thinking !!!
sorry - i had to stop at 'G-d'. what does that mean? God, Good, Grand, Ground?
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