Back Room Shakespeare Project L.A.
Serious Actors. No Director. One Rehearsal. In a Bar. In L.A.
bar’s in front play’s in back
Shakespeare’s audience was an unruly bunch who came for the bear-baiting and stayed to check out the tragedy. Shakespeare’s actors had no director. They rehearsed only the fights and dances. They got their lines and their cues, they screwed their courage to the sticking place, and tried to tell the truth.
This is where we take our inspiration. We read the play aloud as a company once, we memorize our parts, and we have one company rehearsal. We are as recklessly playful with the text as we are deadly serious. We have no director and we perform in bars. For free. For you!
Coming April 24, 2023:
Join us for our first project of 2023! Featuring Stakeholders Delia Baseman (Captain), Katherine Bourne Taylor (Chief Engineer), and Patrick Arter along with past BRSP players Margaret Katch (First Mate), Robert Paterno, Becky Poole, Hadiyyah Noelle, Emme Perkings and several new faces!
Monday April 24, 2022 at Frogtown Brewery. MORE INFO COMING SOON! To stay up-to-date with our goings-on, follow us on Instagram or subscribe to our mailing list.
Our Values
We don’t have directors. We rely on the enthusiasm and discipline of the actors. But we do seek greatness. We seek after the heart of Shakespeare’s text: hot blooded, reckless, light hearted and generous. These are the values that guide us:
Clarity: Make us understand what you say.
Authenticity: Say it in your own voice. (No. Really.)
Actuality: React to what is actually happening in the room.
Courage: Do not be afraid.
Generosity: Serve the whole play, not just your bit.
Velocity: Move forward at the speed of thought.
Often, we ask the audience who best lived up to a particular value. That person is presented with the Mason Jar Award: a mason jar that represents either our home base in California, our Chicago roots, or the sweetness of the text.
