When people think of performing Shakespeare, they often imagine something grand, stuffy, and overly intellectual. We’re told we need to think, to analyze, to perfect every line.
I’m here to tell you to stop.
Stop overthinking. Stop trying to make Shakespeare something it’s not.
Shakespeare wasn’t written for high society or royalty. It was written for the people—for the groundlings packed into the Globe Theatre. It was written to be visceral, immediate, and alive. And guess what? Modern improv is a direct descendant of that same spirit. The same rules of a great improv performance apply to a great Shakespearean one: get out of your own way.
The Words Do the Heavy Lifting
As actors, we’re often trained to “fill in the blanks” a writer leaves behind. We create backstories, invent subtext, and make choices to bring a character to life. But with Shakespeare, you can actually do less because the words themselves do the work.
Shakespeare’s language is a masterclass in imagery and emotion. It’s designed to be spoken and felt. Your job isn’t to intellectualize the words but to become a vessel for them. Let the poetry, the rhythm, and the raw power of the text flow through you.
Every Choice Your Character Makes is Never Wrong
One of the most valuable lessons from improv is that a character’s choice is never wrong. An actor’s choice, however, can be.
When an actor tries to be “good,” “clever,” or “funny,” it’s often a choice born of insecurity or ego. You’re trying to prove something, and that gets in the way of the character’s genuine needs and desires.
But a character’s choices are always based on their truth—their loves, their hates, their fears. Whether you’re playing the comedic Dromio of Syracuse or the vengeance-filled Titus Andronicus, your only job is to inhabit that person completely. Breathe in their world, speak their words, and let their motivations guide you.
Put Aside Your Ego and Insecurity
The biggest enemy of a great performance is your own judgment. The moment you start thinking, “Is this good?” or “Am I doing this right?” you poison the well. You’re no longer in the moment.
The true goal is vulnerability—to allow a personality other than your own to come through you. It’s not about “putting on a performance”; it’s about becoming this other person. Your American accent is closer to Shakespeare’s than a forced British one, so speak with your own voice. Trust the words. Trust the character. And most importantly, trust that you are enough to let the genius of Shakespeare shine through.
So, the next time you step on stage to perform Shakespeare, don’t think. Don’t judge. Just be. Be the character, speak the words, and give the audience the raw, human performance that Shakespeare intended.
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