For this assignment, you will be assigned a scene from a Shakespeare play that explores moments of heightened emotion and high-stakes given circumstances. These may include moments of verbal conflict, friendship, love, or kinship with some incorporation of physical violence, intimacy, or resistance as needed. Each scene presented must center around a clearly staged encounter that uses touch, proximity, or gesture as a primary mode of storytelling, while maintaining consent-based staging.

These scenes require heightened physicality, asking students to embody and communicate Shakespeare’s text through the body as much as through voice. In performing Shakespeare, it is not enough to know what you are saying; you must embody it. You will be expected to find your connection to the material and present it in an accessible way. Please consider the props, costumes, and scenic setup you may need for your scenes. Final presentations should demonstrate narrative progression, a dynamic emotional arc, and attention to tone, verse, and classical performance style, with physical and emotional choices that clarify the language, deepen relationships, and propel the story forward. You will have two rounds of in-class work on these scenes before the final presentation.

Students should use the ARDEN copy of the script. Students are expected to acquire their own copies and make all copies of their script.