Thieves of Shakespeare: The Art of Tragedy (Fall 2023) (Online)

Thieves of Shakespeare: The Art of Tragedy (Fall 2023) (Online)

7 Sundays
Oct 01 - Nov 12
10:00am - 1:00pm Central Time

Instructor: Ean Miles Kessler

The work of Shakespeare remains a deep well which writers continue to return to, time and again. This workshop based class will center on in depth explorations of Shakespeare’s major tragedies Hamlet, Romeo & Juliet, King Lear, and Macbeth. Writers will be asked to rework and adapt the scenes, motifs, and characters found in these plays, and are encouraged to reimagine the very plays themselves. Using these works as a starting point, specific focus will center on how to craft tragedy for the stage. This course is led by classically trained actor and Rutgers BFA Acting graduate, Ean Miles Kessler. During his time at Rutgers, Ean studied at Shakespeare’s Globe in England under Tony nominee Tim Carroll, where he performed the title role of Hamlet on the Globe Stage. A deep lover of Shakespeare, Ean has performed and directed a wide range of the Bard’s work, and has written several adaptations of Shakespeare’s work. This course will be an even mix of generating/workshopping student material, dissecting Shakespeare’s work, open discussion, and a variety of writing exercises and prompts. Students will have the option to bring in work they’ve developed previously to be workshopped within class, or can develop pieces during the course of the class itself. The course will culminate in a reading of student work, performed for the public by professional actors.

Ean Miles Kessler is a playwright, teacher, and horse trainer. His jobs have run the gamut: he’s processed poultry, worked briefly at Fedex loading trucks, bartended in New Orleans for Mardi Gras, and is currently a ranch hand in Montana, where he gentles mustangs. A Rutgers BFA Acting graduate, Ean studied at Shakespeare’s Globe in England under esteemed director and Tony nominee Tim Carroll. At the Globe, Ean performed the title role of Hamlet on the Globe Stage. His plays have been produced nationally and internationally, and his work has been published by Vintage Books. His plays have been developed with a variety of companies, including: The Playwrights' Center, Chicago Dramatists Saturday Series, and Naked Angels among others. Previously, Ean was the Network Director at Chicago Dramatists, where he taught Deconstructing the American West, and he is thrilled to be back working with his Chicago family.

Classes will be held via Zoom. Instructors will send out Zoom invites one day before class begins. We encourage students to setup a Zoom account for themselves before class if they have not already to ensure when class begins you are able to jump straight into the art!