Scurvy Companions

New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts houses multiple drama studios, each of which teach their own technique for acting. One of them, the Classical Studio, was developed more than 20 years ago to use Shakespeare as the basis for acting education. The studio is a training ground for both classical and contemporary work, and has produced alums who have used their Shakespeare training to work in both classical productions, in musicals on Broadway, and more.

We are joined today by the studio’s director, Daniel Spector, who was once a student in the program himself. He is a member of the Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab and an alumnus of the Broadway Theatre Project. He has served as a consultant to PBS on matters Shakespearean, moderated Artist Talks at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, led workshops for numerous arts organizations, produced many readings of new plays, and spoken at conferences around the world (British Shakespeare Association, Offensive Shakespeare, BritGrad, Shakespeare Theatre Conference).

Today he will talk with us about how Shakespeare’s verse can be used to train actors, what kind of classes are taught in a small Shakespeare conservatory ensemble, how Shakespeare acting education transferred online during the pandemic, and more.

Listen to episode 6 now:

Listened to this episode? Be sure to follow or subscribe and give us a five-star rating, and let us know what you think in the comments section below!