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Shakespeare Society

CLASSES: 2015-2016

RUTH CARPENTER SEMINAR CLASS
Henry IV, Pt. 2 & Henry V
Taught by Richard McCoy

$175 Members

$200 Non-Members

When: Thursdays, February 11 & 18 and March 3 & 10 from 5-6:30 pm
Location: New York Junior League, 130 E. 80th St.

Following the seminar classes on Richard II and Henry IV, Part 1 last fall, Richard McCoy will complete his classes on the Henry history plays in anticipation of BAM's productions of the Henriad with the Royal Shakespeare Company this spring. 

The title page of Shakespeare's quarto edition of The Second Part of Henry IV promises to take us to the end of Henry IV's reign and Henry V's coronation. It also capitalizes on the popularity of "the humours of Sir John Falstaff" while introducing the "swaggering Pistol." The first class will focus on the antics of these unruly characters and their gulls and companions in Acts 1, 2, and 3. We'll also discuss Hal's growing distaste for playing "the fool with the time" and his banishment of Falstaff in the play's final scene. The second class will examine Henry IV's anxieties about his own authority as insurrection continues in Acts 3 and 4. The king complains, "Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown," and Hal addresses it as a "polished perturbation, golden care." After his father's death, the prince concedes that "this new and gorgeous garment, majesty / Sits not so easy on me." Nevertheless, he embraces his new role and authority, promising to "wear it in my heart," and we will explore how the newly crowned King Henry V manages this transition.
 
Shakespeare's Henry V depicts that king's brief but glorious reign, culminating in his victory at Agincourt against overwhelming odds and his marriage with Catherine of Valois. The third class will focus on the new king's sudden "reformation" and forceful rule as well as the lethal mistakes of those who underestimate him in Acts 1 and 2; we'll also consider the impact of Falstaff's offstage demise and the diminished camaraderie and vibrancy of the world he leaves behind. The fourth class will consider King Henry's role as warrior and commander in Acts 3 and 4, focusing on his grim threats to Harfleur, his execution of Bardolph, his private apprehensions and inspiring public courage before the more momentous battle of Agincourt, and his ambiguous interactions with his common soldiers, concluding with his courtship of the French princess in Act 5. In these final classes, we'll examine the extraordinary role of the Chorus throughout the play and his shift from apologizing for the inadequacies of Shakespeare's stage to doubts about lasting achievements and glory of "mighty men."

SPEAK THE VERSE
with
 CHUKWUDI IWUJI

$175 Members
$200 Non-Members

January 6, 13, 27, and February 3

Time: 6 - 7:30pm
Location: The Sheen Center, 18 Bleecker St.

Accomplished British actor, Chukwudi Iwuji (Royal Shakespeare Company, The National, Old Vic, The Public Theater, and Theatre for a New Audience) will lead a new incarnation of The Shakespeare Society's popular Speak the Verse program this winter. Speak the Verse is suitable for both ardent Shakespeare fans and for actors less experienced with classic texts. Chuk will guide you through Shakespeare's language, highlighting the textual cues that will permit you to speak the Bard's magnificent verse with confidence and emotion.  For non-actors, Chuk will help illuminate the plays by introducing you to the ways that actors approach Shakespeare's verse; for actors, he will encourage you to overcome any fear of Shakespeare and start to strengthen your fluency with his glorious language. The class will focus on The Winter's Tale and Twelfth Night.

Chukwudi Iwuji is an Associate Artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company.  His credits include Adeyemi Abudu, The Vote (Donmar Warehouse, London); Bajazeth, Tamburlaine (Theatre for a New Audience); Edgar, King Lear (Public/Delacourt Theatre); Enobarbus, Antony and Cleopatra (Public Theatre/RSC); Buckingham, Richard III (London Old Vic/BAM); The Misanthrope (Comedy Theatre, London); Playboy of the Western World (Abbey Theatre, Dublin); Welcome to Thebes, The Observer (National Theatre, London); and the titular role in Henry VI parts I, II, and III, for which he was a recipient of the Olivier Award in 2009 (Best ensemble/revival).  
His film credits include Tramps, A Woman A Part, NOW: In the Wings of a World Stage, the multi-award winning Exam, and Fall to Rise.  Television credits include Crossing Lines, Murder in Manhattan (ABC), Dr. Who, Wizards vs. Aliens, Casualty, The Slave Trade (BBC), The Three Kings (SKY), The Garden (Tiger Aspect), and Proof (RTE).