Rustic Mechanicals presents a workshop for middle and high school students (grades 6-12) at The Lyric Theatre! Registration is free and limited to 25 students. The workshop will be held Thursday, June 27 at 2:00 PM.
You probably know that Shakespeare wrote in iambic pentameter, but what does that mean – and why does it matter?
Some people describe it as a march, but we like to think of it as a heartbeat – the heartbeat that gives life to Shakespeare’s characters and words. This self-contained workshop offers students the chance to explore that heartbeat and find out what happens when it starts to beat a little bit harder than usual…or skips a beat…or even stops.
During our time together, we’ll define iambic pentameter (and maybe even try writing a little bit of our own), talk about why we like to think of it as a heartbeat rather than a march, and show you how it helps emphasize the most important words in every line, how it helps us take Shakespeare off the page and onto the stage, and how it can help you better understand the Shakespeare plays you read.
This workshop is sponsored by Virginia Tech and the Town of Blacksburg as part of the Summer Arts Festival.