*** the book club for Bard lovers ***

Austin Shakespeare invites you to a Shakespeare reading group called "Shakespeare Aloud!". It's open to all ages, and non-actors are most welcome. $5.00 per session. 

THE BASICS:

TIME: 5PM - 7PM, EVERY SUNDAY

LOCATION: 701 Tillery Street, 5 min from downtown! Directions: east on 7th St.; left at Pleasant Valley, right at Prado, it ends at 701 Tillery.

PARKING: Street parking and parking lot spaces free!  And plenty of 'em, so no parking worries.

MODERATOR: Jill Swanson, swan [at] austinshakespeare [dot] org, feel free to email with questions!

MOST COMMON SOUND HEARD: laughter

Only $5 !

FAQ is here..........        WHAT WE'RE READING NOW is here....

At "Shakespeare Aloud" we read the entire play aloud (approximately an act each week) and stop often to talk about the images, the characters, the story--whatever we find interesting.  Our diverse backgrounds make for lively discussion as we mine each scene for all its gold.  This is a cold reading, no preparation is expected.  Please bring your own copy of the play.  For more details on the group and how it works, please see our FAQ in our Forum page.

To be clear-- THIS ISN'T ABOUT PERFORMANCE AT ALL.  THIS IS ABOUT READING FOR SENSE, LEARNING, UNDERSTANDING EVERY WORD, DISCUSSING WHAT IT ALL MEANS, STUDYING HOW SHAKESPEARE PUT IT ALL TOGETHER.  We will not go on to a new section until everyone is satisfied that they've asked their questions and contributed their ideas.  This is about FINALLY GETTING IT.  So if you're at all nervous that you're stumbly when you read, or worried that you don't understand the text, THIS IS THE GROUP MADE FOR YOU because we are here to understand and grok in fullness.

We meet every Sunday from 5pm-7pm at our office inside ACOT (details above).  We don't meet on major holiday weekends. 

For more details, please see our "What's Up This Week?" thread on our Forum Page.

Moderator: Jill K. Swanson

Email Jill for more info: swan [at] austinshakespeare [dot] org.

About the Moderator: Jill K. Swanson is an actor, director, writer, and teacher who has worked in Austin theatre for the past 12 years, including a longstanding relationship with Austin Shakespeare. She recently assistant-directed Romeo & Juliet in Zilker Park. Past performances with AS include Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, Desdemona in Othello, Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Portia in Julius Caesar. Most recently, Austin audiences saw her in Twelfth Night (2008) and As You Like It (2009) at the Scottish Rite Theatre.  Other notable local performances include Lady in The Incubus Archives, and Vernon Lee in Ann Ciccollela's Madame X. She is a contributor and co-editor of 111 Shakespeare Monologues and 60 Shakespeare Scenes, and is currently assisting Austin Shakespeare with Education/Outreach, teaching scansion technique, and administration. Ms. Swanson studied Shakespeare at Florida State University with Jean McDaniel-Lickson, and acting with Richard G. Fallon; at Texas State University she studied directing with Dr. Charles Ney and Michael Costello. 2002 Best Supporting Actress, Austin Critic's Table, for Ann Ciccollela's Madame X; nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress, 2000 B. Iden Payne Awards, for Othello.