Author Archives: Laurie Swigart

[Y]our creativity should never reduce a text to what you think or want it to mean but should instead strive towards inhabiting the world of the play and the character as created in the language. Finding what is in the language…is always more exciting and helpful than distorting a text into something that feels safe,Continue reading “Wednesday’s Wisdom”

This is a link to an online quiz featuring the first lines of ten of Shakespeare’s plays. How many can you identify? Please comment below, and don’t cheat! Participants will receive a free “Performance Approaches to Shakespeare” bookmark. (And thank you.)

Below are ten video examples of differing performance choices for Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” speech – some I like; some not so much. I’d love to have been in the rehearsal room for each of these interpretations to hear how and why they chose to use the language in the way theyContinue reading “Monday Movie & Monologue – Ten Hamlets”

I have in my hand the proof copy of the book. My wonderful family even had a book-opening party for me! It had a few things that needed to be edited, but I am very pleased with the finished product. In fact, I just placed my first BIG order! Print-on-demand is an amazing process, andContinue reading “It’s Here!”