JOHN BASIL COACHING AND CONSULTATION
about.
John Basil was an accomplished actor, author, theatre director, and producer who taught at American Globe Theatre in NYC and Marymount Manhattan College.
Beloved by all those who worked with him, he is remembered as a brilliant teacher, a compassionate and thoughtful colleague, and a kind and inspiring mentor. He was a “steward and champion. Steadfast. Joyful and irreverent.” The “Yoda of Shakespeare.”
For more than 25 years, John served as the Producing Artistic Director of American Globe Theatre, (AGT) a professional theatre devoted to innovative productions of classical plays. His work at American Globe was also significant for his commitment to social service, as he developed an extensive program of touring and teaching in NYC public schools.
John directed over 30 productions for AGT, including Henry V, Titus Andronicus, Much Ado About Nothing, and Hamlet. He also directed for Riverside Shakespeare Company, Ensemble Studio Theatre, American Shakespeare Centre, American Stage Festival, and Sarasota Opera. His productions of Shakespeare throughout the decades consistently received high praise for his direction, which reviewers referred to as “bold,” “highly entertaining,” and “Shakespeare as it was meant to be performed.”
He was widely sought after for master classes, teaching at Drew University, Montclair University, Rutgers University, C.W. Post Long Island University, Penn State University, Asolo Conservatory, Bradley University, University of Colorado, University of Wyoming, Elon University, and Columbia Teachers College.
At Marymount Manhattan College, John was honored with the MMC Faculty Teaching Excellence Award and twice received the Outstanding Faculty Award in Fine and Performing Arts. He quickly developed a reputation as an inspirational instructor and mentor who had a gift for opening the worlds of Shakespeare and period acting styles, making them accessible, exciting, and engaging for students. At MMC, he also directed highly memorable productions of As You Like It, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Beaux’ Stratagem, and ’Tis Pity She’s a Whore. Additionally, John taught Shakespeare Workshops for MMC’s college program at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for women.
In the larger theatre community, John was well-known as a scholar and director of Shakespeare. His books, Will Power: How to Act Shakespeare in 21 Days and Building a Performance: An Actors Guide to Rehearsal, garnered glowing reviews and have been adopted by many college and university programs across the country. Even as he retired from teaching, he continued this work and finished his third book, Identity: Breathing Life into the Words, which will be released posthumously.
John Basil leaves behind a legacy of distinctive and creative pedagogy, extensive Shakespeare scholarship, masterful work as director and producer, and a deep and tireless commitment to nurturing and supporting the next generations of theatre artists.
The John Basil Memorial Scholarship Fund has been established to award Theatre Arts students with financial assistance.
online series.
CLICK HERE FOR A PREVIEW OF JOHN'S ONLINE "PLAYING SHAKESPEARE SERIES"
books.
"Read Will Power if you want every day's rehearsal, from Day 1 to Day 21,
to hold remarkable insights and activities."
- Olympia Dukakis, Academy Award-winning actress, Moonstruck
WILL POWER
How to Act Shakespeare in 21 Days
by JOHN BASIL with STEPHANIE GUNNING
Competition is fierce, how can an actor gain an edge? Prepared actors make bold, unique choices and impress casting directors, gaining the performance edge.
Will Power guides the seasoned, and novice actor alike, through a lively, goal-oriented 21-day rehearsal process leading up to the moment of audition or performance. Never again be confused about where to begin, and how to follow-through in development of your Shakespearean role.
In this book, the stepping-stones to character, coded into the work by Shakespeare himself, are clearly laid out, explained, and adapted to our modern rehearsal process. Now make bold, visceral choices rooted in the text, from staging to speech and actions, and incorporate this technique into your personal approach to not just classical works, but acting.
"Building a Performance gives fresh insights on the practical rehearsal techniques that translate the work into spontaneous, vulnerable, lively performances."
- Tom Fontana, Emmy Award-winning writer and producer, Homicide, Oz, Life on the Streets, City on the Hill
BUILDING A PERFORMANCE
An Actor's Guide to Rehearsal
by JOHN BASIL and DENNIS SCHEBETTA
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Congratulations! You got the part! Now what? Many actors of all levels find it challenging to apply classroom and studio techniques to the rehearsal process. Rehearsing for a class is vastly different than a professional situation, and a consistent, practical, and constructive method is needed to truly bring to life vibrant and intricate characters.
Building a Performance: An Actor's Guide to Rehearsal provides tools and techniques through different stages of the rehearsal process to enable actors to make more dynamic choices, craft complex characters, and find an engaging and powerful level of performance. John Basil and Dennis Schebetta bring decades of acting and teaching experience to help actors apply the skills they learned in the classroom directly to the professional rehearsal room or film/television set. They show how to glean distinct choices from early readings of the script, how to add dynamics to their physical and vocal decisions, how to explore interactions with other actors in rehearsal, and how to address specific challenges unique to each role.
While students will benefit from the practical applications and advice, intermediate and advanced actors will find exciting and new ways to engage with the material and with other actors at rehearsal. Actors of all levels will gain tips and techniques so that they can continue to discover more about their character. With these tools, actors will be inspired to dig into the text and build a dynamic performance.
collaborators.
Graphics
David Laundra
After co-founding and operating the Writers Theatre for 18 years with his wife, Linda, in NYC, David moved on to television and film. He has performed in numerous plays in New York City, acted in commercials, films and network daytime and primetime TV including, “St. Elsewhere”, “OZ”, “Homicide, Life on the Street”, “The Jury” and “The Beat”. He has also done many voice overs including "30 Rock" and “Sugarland” and voice work ranging from Books on Tape to commercials for Habitat for Humanity and more. He was Technical Director and principal camera, for “The New York Theatre Review” on PBS and served as DP for a variety of projects on film and the internet. His photographs have appeared in all the New York newspapers and his current work appears regularly online.
Editor
Linda Laundra
Linda was an Emmy nominated Producer and Director for 12 years, working for ABC, CBS and NBC. Her first film, “JEAN”, based on the final chapter of Mark Twain’s autobiography, won awards in the Festival Circuit. She has created 3 screenplays, including her first feature film of the play “MY OWN STRANGER”, from the work of Anne Sexton which she originally adapted for the stage with Marilyn Campbell. Her directing has been seen on “Homicide, Life on the Street”, the pilot of “M.O.N.Y”., “The Beat”, shortfilms and documentaries. She served on the Directors Council of the Directors Guild of America, where she created and chaired the first long-standing East Coast Women’s committee, Focus on Women. She co-founded and operated the Writer's Theater for 18 years with her husband, David, in NYC.
Editor
Erica Melhorn
Erica Melhorn is an artist and industry professional. She is a graduate of the BFA Acting Program at Marymount Manhattan College, with a minor in Media and Communication Arts. Erica has worked at Creative Artists Agency, A3 Artists Agency, and freelanced with Netflix, Disney+, and Apple TV. Her long term goal is to create opportunities for other artists. For questions, consultations, and networking, you can email her at melhornerica@gmail.com
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