ACTING SHAKESPEARE'S VERSE

taught by Deloss Brown     
--who has directed eight of Shakespeare's plays--yet Shakespeare is unharmed!
He taught Shakespearean acting in the Juilliard Drama Division for 11 years and
taught Shakespeare for Writers at NYU Tisch Dramatic Writing for 23 years.

New Classes:
LOVE'S LABOR'S LOST: Shakespeare wrote the play shortly after discovering that he liked women, after having believed himself exclusively gay until about the age of 35. He had hated and feared women--he thought. They reminded him of his mom, who was one tough cookie. His surprise and delight at discovering that women are wonderful human beings infuses this play.

OTHELLO: "Jealousy" is the first word out of everyone's mouth, and rightly so. But why does Othello get so jealous, and why does he so readily believe the evil Iago? Also: I've never seen a discussion that explains the strange feature of the lead characters' names, Othello and Desdemona:

ot-HELL-o
and
des-DEMON-a.

Characters' names are always important in a Shakespeare play, so we'll have that discussion. And there's all sorts of other things in the play, including a tour of Dante's hell, and you won't need an asbestos suit. I guarantee a lot of fun.

These rollicking good times begin Tuesday October 1st (LOVE'S LABOR'S LOST) and/or Saturday October 5th (OTHELLO)
--see the schedule.

 

Testimonials
"After training at Juilliard, and a 33 year career in theater and film, there is only one person I call when I begin working on Shakespeare or any of the classics, and that’s Deloss Brown. From the New York Shakespeare Festival to the Herrod Atticus Theater at the Parthenon, I have always relied on the technical proficiency and the expressive thought that Mr. Brown mines in the verse and prose of Shakespeare. A scholar, director, coach, and artist of extreme quality and efficiency, Deloss Brown provides the actor of Shakespeare the immediate connection to the humanity in the words and poetry that has touched us for centuries. His expertise is beyond any others I know and work with in the theater."
                                                   --Wendell Pierce (THE WIRE, SUITS, recently nominated for a Tony for Willy Lohman in DEATH OF A SALESMAN, soon to be seen as Perry White in the new film version of SUPERMAN).

"Thank you for an awesome class! I never thought I could somewhat understand Shakespeare, much less perform it! I heard back from four NJ theatres and have an audition on Saturday for one! It's all in the preparation and I can't thank you enough for working with me. I feel like I jumped a huge hurdle in successfully auditioning with a Shakes monologue!" --Melinda G.

"Great MFA news! I wanted to let you know that I have been accepted into A.R.T. at Harvard's incoming class of 2017!! I'm incredibly excited and happy!!! I am grateful to you for your keen guidance and knowledgeable insight." --Zonia E.

"I booked it! I'll be playing Lady MacDuff at the Public! Thank you so much for all your help! --Nicole L.

"Deloss Brown! I wanted to let you know that our play [a production of ALL'S WELL] won the second position. The first prize was bagged by Romeo and Juliet because it was much more appealing to the audience. However it was an amazing experience for my friends and I. We made a lot of memories and enjoyed ourselves. Thank-You so much for uploading
this [ALL'S WELL II.5], we found it really helpful." --Rhea (writing from India)

What is this class?

Acting Shakespeare's Verse is an acting class in Manhattan (actually, with Zoom, it goes as far as the Old Vic in Bristol, England) that concentrates on Shakespeare and Shakespearean technique. We study Shakespeare's verse techniques and how they can be used directly in your own acting. Mostly we work on monologues with the goal of teaching you to audition successfully, to get the part and then to be a success in it, so that you'll get hired back and other people will hire you, too. Of course we also work on auditions for graduate school. The class is not restricted to monologues by Shakespeare; you can bring in any monologue you want. And if there are people who want to do SCENES, of course we can do that, too.
The curriculum is designed for students at all levels, from absolute beginners to actors who have already performed Shakespeare.

What's in it for Me?

A really good understanding of Shakespeare's use of language, and confidence in speaking it, and how to project your own emotions through Shakespeare's verse. I teach techniques that work not just for Shakespeare, but for any monologue. I taught Shakespearean acting to Juilliard actors for 11 years, in addition to teaching Shakespeare's plays for 23 years at NYU.

Why should I take your class, as opposed to (X, Y or Z)?

"There are about six million acting classes advertised on the internet, and many of them say they specialize in Shakespeare. Why should I take your class?"

I have a lot of experience directing Shakespeare and even more experience teaching Shakespeare at the college, graduate school and conservatory level. You can examine my résumé. But that's not what's important to you. You take this class if you decide that my teaching techniques and knowledge suit you and that I can help you make progress.

You may audit a class at any time--you just have to let me know in advance.

You can also get some vague idea as to whether I know what I'm doing by checking out our You Tube videos, of which there is an index at ALL'S WELL. You can also look at my critical edition of All's Well, which is in progress.

"Will I learn anything?" Oh, very probably. See the Testimonials above.

Half the class is devoted to acting, not just Shakespeare acting. Acting technique is something not easily discussed on a web page.

How Much Does this Marvel Cost?

The condensed version is: $50/class, total for either class this cycle $400, payable in halves or all at once. If you're a former or current student you will get charged the old rate. See rates.

There is a curriculum for the class, and I will ask you to commit to the entire cycle.

Please make a reservation with me . . . (212) 865-1127 or delossbrown@prodigy.net either to audit a class or sign up, so that I can sent you the link and passsword. Also, I learned in a recent course that it doesn't make sense to have too many students. People don't get to participate often enough.

You'll have more fun if you've recently read the play being discussed. Um--I'm not fond of any of the Shakespeare movies. If you get a chance to see a Shakespeare play on stage, take it.


CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL CLASS SCHEDULE

I want you to commit to the whole cycle, unless I go rabid, drop to all fours and bite your ankles or otherwise behave objectionably. (Biting your ankles is unlikely on Zoom, but I may froth at the mouth.)



Actual class picture of teacher browbeating a student.
MORE INFORMATION: call me at (212) 865-1127 or EMAIL ME at delossbrown@prodigy.net.

 Deloss Brown taught Shakespearean acting at The Juilliard School     for 11 years and taught Shakespeare for Writers in the
Goldberg Department of Dramatic Writing of New York University for 23 years. Click his portrait (below left) to see his résumé.
 Mr. Brown, the distinguished instructor. Click here.

Mr. Brown, the distinguished instructor.
 

The first part of each class (about one and a half hours) is spent studying verse basics so that you will have the knowledge and confidence (and the practice) to handle any kind of Shakespeare challenge.  Some of the topics covered are scansion, feminine endings, inverted stresses (trochees), long lines, short lines, lists and antitheses.  Don't they sound boring?  But they all lead to skills that will help you bring the character to life.  If they don't, what good are they to you as an actor?

In the second hour and a half, actors work on scenes and monologues which can be from any Shakespeare play.  In fact they can be by any writer at all, so you can use the class to prepare any audition.  You should finish the cycle with at least one polished Shakespeare monologue.

In any cycle we always study the verse using one play--As You Like It or Henry IV Part 2--because Shakespeare used a different verse style for each play, matching the verse to the content.  So we'll also have to discuss the content, and such things as character, intention, subtext, even (horrors!) meaning. 

You may (I hope!) wind up with a better knowledge of what the plays are about, which won't hurt you. But mostly this class is meant to teach you how to prepare a Shakespearean audition, and how to prepare the part when you get cast. Most competent teachers are concerned that their students shall be commercial successes, and I hope I am at least competent.

If you would like more information, please call me at (212) 865-1127.  If you leave your phone number, I'll be glad to call you back, and you can ask me any questions you have (e.g., does the instructor have horns and a tail?--because obviously that picture has been retouched).   You can also E-mail me; see below.  When you come to class, please do not pull my tail.

I also coach privately, not just Shakespeare, any monologue. For more information about any of the above see rates, or please call (212) 865-1127 or

    E-mail me at delossbrown@prodigy.net

Thank you for your interest.

UNPAID COMMERCIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

KAREN KOHLHAAS


Here's the truth about Karen Kohlhaas. I went out to dinner with a friend and his protégée very recently. This actress has used up all the opportunities in her home state--she had a lengthy and impressive résumé--and she wants to come to the big city, and I was invited to advise her. The one class which I told her was essential was Karen's monologue class. Karen teaches you a way of approaching a monologue audition that is incredibly solid and reliable. You will never walk into an audition not knowing how to present yourself. Karen and I frequently work with the same students (though we don't teach the same stuff), and I try to make sure that any student who has had Karen's classes follows Karen's procedures. It's not like a Procrustean bed; it's simple, logical and reliable, like making sure your shoes are tied. If you click on her picture, you can find her impressive credentials in her bio. She's launched a new website, too, so you may have to look around, but I know she has frequent classes.

"Well, then, why should we study with you, if Karen has all the answers?"

Because Karen and I don't teach the same things. Ask her. We both give free classes from time to time, so that you can see the difference.

Karen has published several books, including How to Choose a Monologue for Any Audition, and the book is just as complete as the title suggests. You can buy a copy by clicking on the book's picture. I recommend it very highly.

Karen has far more regular cycles than I. Check her website for new cycles. I have seen Karen work with actors a couple of times, and she is very smart and very competent, and what she teaches is very useful. She's also nice to the actors.

OVERDONE SHAKESPEARE MONOLOGUES

Karen Kohlhaas maintains a horrid list of OVERDONE MONOLOGUES (including SHAKESPEARE). I say "horrid," because that one you were planning to work on may be on it. Don't worry about it. Will wrote a bunch more monologues besides the ones on the list, and better ones, too. (Helena in ALL'S WELL has much better monologues than the one on Karen's Dreaded List. "Like what?" "Like, 'Till I have no wife I have nothing in France.' " AWW III.2.97-127). Besides, a student of mine recently got three callbacks from a monologue on That Horrid List.

VOICE AND SPEECH

 I very frequently recommend that actors study voice and speech. Here are three teachers I know and trust (the first two below have taught in my private class). Why so many? Because they are all very busy, and you may have to try more than one. We all studied with Robert Neff Williams, privately, at Columbia or at Juilliard. I can't recommend Robert himself any more because he died March 23, 2015 at the age of 95. He left behind a large number of excellent students who teach what he taught, and here are three:

Susan Finch graduated from Juilliard. One of the best things about Juilliard was that the students got four years of excellent voice and speech training, and Susan now spends a lot of time teaching there. She is terrific!

Shane-Ann Younts was a colleague at Juilliard and is now on the faculty of NYU Grad Acting. She co-taught privately with Robert Williams for many years. She is terrific!

Jerome Butler, whom I got to work with at Juilliard (he played the MP officer who has to deal with the murders in STREAMERS) teaches dialects and accent modification. He has the Juilliard training in voice and speech so, though I have not coached with him, I'm pretty sure he knows what he's doing.

I wouldn't mention any of these people if I hadn't worked with them.

JESSICA MYHR


Jessica's expertise is in your look, starting with your headshot. She works to get you through the door and to make a strong first impression. In seminars, she points out some things you probably would never think of--at least I wouldn't--and some things that will make you slap your forehead and cry, "Of course!" Among the smart things she says are, "They will never forget the first impression you make," and "Often we dress for the role we are going to play, and forget about ourselves. Dress YOU first with a dash of the role!" Jessica is a very smart actress whom it has been my great good fortune to work with, but I myself could never help you in ways she can. When she puts her slides up, I can tell which one is Zooey Deschanel and which one is Will Smith, and that's it. Go to http://www.inherentstyle.com/ or click her picture.

My friend Marc Palmieri is producing his own web series The Thing. I'm in episode one, and critical acclaim for what I could convey in 12 seconds has been tremendous.

You can also see my friend Alexis Fedor in her own web series, Gray Matters.

My friend Amy Russ will build your own website for you. Visit her at Actor-Webs.com. Unlike me, she's competent. The result will not be messy, like this. My page was put together with rubber bands and Elmer's glue, with occasional advice from my son Lyman, a programmer, and a student, Brendan Kelly. See the bottom of this page.

Does the teacher have fangs?

If you really really really want to see what the Shakespeare teacher looks like and how long his fangs are, you can look at the BACK STAGE COVER for September 7, 2006. I'm on the right. As I just said, I'm also in The Thing, but it's hard to get a good impression of me in 12 seconds. You could rewind and watch me over and over again.
"If you think I come hither as a lion, it were pity of my life! No, I am no such thing; I am a man as other men are"--and there indeed let him name his name, and tell them plainly he is Snug the joiner. --Will Shakespeare, playwright

This page was created originally with Netscape Navigator and Macromedia Homesite.
Lyman Brown-Whitehill and Brendan Kelly helped a lot.
If you think it's tasteless now, you should have seen it before they got their hands on it.

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Mr. Brown--click! "Who, me? Click here to find out." The distinguished instructor. Click his nose for his resumé.
Pleased to meetcha!--Click!