Shakespeare Soliloquy & Scene Study Class

This 10-week scene study class is a rigorous and imaginative exploration of playing Shakespeare with a focus on the relationship between the structure of verse, the intellectual argument and releasing a characters thoughts and emotions through text. Particular attention will be paid to “the word made flesh” and deepening the actor’s personal attachment to the work. Students will experience how the form, rhythm and meaning of Shakespeare’s verse can lead the actor to find specificity, impulsivity and expressivity in their work. The class will offer tools not rules; clues not constraints. Pleasure will be taken in tipping Shakespeare off of his proverbial pedestal and discovering how these plays can live through and speak to us in this moment in time.

I recognize that Black and Indigenous people are the most vulnerable among us. I acknowledge the racism and white supremacy of our culture, including Shakespeare, actor training and the theater industrial complex. I recognize that I have benefitted from these systems. I am committed to creating an anti-racist, inclusive classroom that creates community and fosters a brave, equitable, accessible space for students of racial, ethnic, gender, cultural, class, and other differences.

10 weeks
March 12th — May 14th
Friday mornings
11:30am - 4:00pm (1 hour lunch break)

$725

Class will take place via Zoom and is limited to 12 students.

Registration deadline: February 28th.

To inquire about registration and/or to set up an audition appointment please fill out the form below:

Brian McManamon is an actor, acting instructor, director and acting coach in New York City. He currently serves on the acting faculties of Syracuse University's Tepper Semester in New York City and the National Theater Institute (NTI) at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. He has taught and/or directed at the Juilliard School, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, New York University/Tisch School of the Arts, the MFA program at Columbia University, NYSF/Public Theater, Manhattanville College, Vassar College’s Powerhouse Apprentice Training Program in association with New York Stage and Film, CAP21 and Yale University’s Dwight-Edgewood Project. Brian served as Artistic Director of the Shakespeare Academy at Stratford from 2015-2018.

Brian has studied with some of the most respected teachers of acting in America and abroad including Ron Van Lieu, Evan Yionoulis, Mark Wing-Davey, Austin Pendleton, Peter Francis James, Andrew Wade and the late John Barton. He has an MFA in acting from the Yale School of Drama and a BFA in acting from the School for Theater at Boston University. Brian is a proud member of the Actors Center Workshop Company and the National Alliance of Acting Teachers.

As an acting coach, Brian works with beginning and established clients for film, television and theater. He specializes in preparing actors for graduate school auditions. Each year his clients go on to attend the top graduate acting schools in the country. Click here for student testimonials.

STUDENT TESTIMONIALS

"Taking class with Brian has completely revolutionized my approach to performance, my mindset as an actor, and my commitment to the craft. On the first day of our Shakespeare class I knew he was something special. He unpacked, unfolded, and revealed Shakespeare to me in an approachable and conquerable way. With him, I learned those little tips and tricks for getting out my own way of successes, the endless possibilities I have at my disposal, and various exercises to bring more of myself to the work. He radiates bravery and professionalism, trust and compassion from every pore on his body. I couldn't have asked for a better experience learning.” —Mel Golliday

"Brian's class creates a rare and spectacular opportunity to work with high caliber professional performers in a low stakes environment. Brian cultivates a place for experimentation and ultimately growth. His focus on the work allows you to wander into new discoveries about yourself and the character. I couldn't recommend his scene study course enough, especially for professionals looking for a safe place to play and grow.” —Doug Harris

"Brian's Shakespeare class is terrific and comes with my highest recommendation. I began the class with a significant amount of classical training and experience, but, as usual, Brian's teaching took my work to an entirely new level. I learned how to act Shakespeare anew, and gained an effective and rigorous approach I will now use for all of my work moving forward. I feel confident in approaching any role in the canon after taking the class, and feel a renewed sense of aliveness, authenticity, and artistry in my acting. Brian is a master teacher who takes your acting from a medium, dull gray to vibrant hues you didn't even know you had. Not to mention his wit, charm, and delightful combination of reverence and irreverence. Take this class; I can say with certitude that your acting will improve tremendously.” —Liz Kimball

“I felt high on Shakespeare, as though I had been invited to join a world previously unimagined to me and yet filled with truly limitless possibility. Brian has a unique talent for making Shakespeare come alive as though Shakespeare himself were a passionate collaborator in the room with you, goading you on and encouraging surprising and personal discoveries. Brian’s classroom holds a rare magic which feels akin to alchemy. I left every class transformed to the core by what I had learned.” — Michael DeFilippis

"Brian gave me the footing to trust myself again. He never makes you feel like there’s a “right” way, he ask questions. The trust is the most remarkable aspect of his teaching. He’s about the questions, not the answers. Because Brian is truly fascinated by the possibilities of your work, the element of intent to please disappears. He doesn’t make you feel like there’s a “right” answer. He opens doors and asks questions to help you walk through them yourself.” —Olivia Hoffman

"Brian was easily the best thing to happen to my acting this year. He's perfected the balance of tough love/supportive environment and used this to get me out of my head, break bad habits, focus on the character's task at hand, and lastly - to share who I am and what I uniquely bring to the table. Working with Brian was the best professional decision I've ever made. The time I spent working with him was full of creativity, dedication and detailed technique. I've taken other classes throughout NYC, and have never experienced working with someone as down to earth and real as Brian is. Not only did he genuinely care about me as an actor, he whole-heartedly cared about me as a human being. Best possible investment for my acting career." —Tatiana Pavela

Click here for ADDITIONAL TESTIMONIALS