Meet Melon Wedick! They are teaching our next Magnetic U Class, Speak the Speech.
1. What made you interested in Shakespeare?
I had the standard American introduction to Shakespeare -- one play a year in high school, first Romeo & Juliet, then Macbeth, then Hamlet -- I actually flunked my first pop quiz on Hamlet because I hadn’t bothered to read any of it, I think I said Claudius was the dog -- and I liked it OK but it was basically “advanced reading.” I think what actually turned me on to the potential in Shakespeare was seeing Kenneth Branagh’s Much Ado About Nothing, which was probably the first time I saw Shakespeare performed conversationally, and it was a revelation, like -- woah, there are jokes?! I’m pretty sure I thought Branagh was some kind of god in 1996.
2. What is your favorite work of Shakespeare?
Unfair question. Next! Haha, just kidding. I’ve spent the most time with Hamlet (and anyone who saw the 2018 version at Montford knows I have lots of thoughts & feelings about it), but I have a big soft spot for Measure for Measure as well. And I just read Cymbeline for the first time and it is crazytown! So over the top and wild. But how can you not say Lear is your favorite? This question is rubbish! Let’s move on.
3. What can students hope to gain from your class?
Students will gain a step-by-step way to break down the syntax of any passage, understand its meaning, and figure out what information is most important to convey to the audience. They’ll also practice techniques for how to make sure the audience hears those most important bits & pieces. This is HUGE for cold read auditions! On the way, students will also learn how to better understand and appreciate the specificity and imagery in Shakespeare’s writing. No more just getting “the gist” of complicated passages or hitting whatever word your director tells you to; students will have the confidence to know what they are saying, the resources to find out what they are saying if they don’t know, and the ability to defend differing interpretations and acting choices. (Bonus: directors can spend less time giving line readings! Everybody wins!)
4. What do you wish every performer knew?
There are many things, but we’ll go with this: **Don’t!** **Practice!** **Line readings!!** (Or facial expressions. Please. Stop.)
5. How do the skills taught in your class translate to performing other works?
The skills I teach are mainly: how to be a more insightful reader, and how to communicate ideas more clearly. They’re applicable to nearly all performance contexts. (Disclaimer: they won’t make anyone better at dance.) Finding key ideas, exploring images, figuring out where the jokes are -- these are all things we do with every script we read. Practice your skills with me! It can only make you better. (No one has been harmed in the making of this class.)
6. Who is this class for?
This class is appropriate for actors of any level who want to spend some time improving their skills with Shakespeare, and learning a new way to approach his works. Interested non-actors (who don’t mind a little in-class performing) who want to enrich their appreciation for Shakespeare performance are also most welcome! It’s also highly recommended for anyone who wants to be in a Nemesis production -- and there just so happens to be one coming up in June! (Auditions are at the Magnetic Season Auditions, Jan 15-17!)
About Melon Wedick
Melon Wedick studied theatre (and philosophy!) at Oberlin College. She studied Shakespeare performance with Paul Moser and Hal Ryder, and was a founding member of the Certain Players (Randolph, VT) and founding co-director of the Greenville Shakespeare Festival (Greenville, NH). She has performed with the Certain Players, Greenville Shakespeare Festival (NH), Black River Theatre Company, Shakespeare NYC, and the Montford Park Players, among others, and has directed productions of Hamlet, Measure for Measure, and Coriolanus. Now the artistic director of Nemesis Theatre Company, Melon is passionate about clarity and comprehension in Shakespeare performance.
About Speak the Speech
Speak the Speech is an 8-week deep dive into the technical fundamentals that will allow you to speak Shakespeare with accuracy and clarity. Skills covered include:
Paraphrasing for accurate understanding
De-constructing and understanding Shakespeare’s grammar and syntax
Identifying operative phrases and keywords to unlock the audience’s understanding
Physical and vocal techniques for clarity
Developing and deepening imagery
Using scansion to discover hints to pacing, character, and unwritten stage directions
Memorizing meaning rather than speech patterns, for flexible, spontaneous, and responsive performance
The first four weeks of this course focus on tools for comprehension and speech, with an emphasis on prose. The second four weeks move on to verse, combining skills from the first half of class with scansion and deeper image work.
Register for Speak the Speech here: https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=132899