Shakespeare with Sarah
Essentials Hub
Act Shakespeare with the Ease of a Pro
Stop BINGEING YOUTUBE VIDEOS AND GET A SOLID FOUNDATION IN ACTING SHAKESPEARE, fast.
CANCEL ANY TIME
Oh hey friend!
It’s me, Sarah Guillot.
As an acting coach specialising in Shakespeare, I’m all about cutting through the BS, elitism and overwhelm that surrounds Shakespeare.
In 2019, I accidentally started a YouTube channel.
How do you accidentally start a YouTube channel, you ask?
Well, at some point I must have had the brilliant idea of sharing what I knew about Shakespeare, and I made a couple of YouTube videos sharing tips on how to act Shakespeare monologues, like Helena’s “Then I confess” monologue from All’s Well That Ends Well.
I stuck them on YouTube… and forgot about them for 6 months.
One day, I happened to check my YouTube account, and spotted that my videos had a bunch of views and comments thanking me for making Shakespeare simple.
Comments like this…
Inspired by this, I started offering my services as an acting coach. I thought my experience in directing and acting Shakespeare (and explaining it on YouTube) would be enough to make me a good coach.
I was wrong.
In my first sessions as a coach, I realised that many actors already knew what their lines meant (sort of). But they still couldn’t connect. They didn’t have the context and skills to make the words feel truthful. (Sometimes they didn’t even realise that they were supposed to be aiming for truthful!)
Here’s what I discovered: just having someone tell you what the words mean is not enough.
To really excel at acting Shakespeare, you need to know how to work through the full process, so you can connect to the text in your own, unique way.
I realised I would need to find a way to give actors the tools they needed, fast.
Here’s something to tickle your mind-grapes.
(Sorry, couldn’t resist the 30 Rock reference.)
What if you could stop wasting time…
Trying to find the right YouTube videos? (I mean, I love YouTube obviously, but it’s a huge time suck and you’ve got a DEADLINE!)
Watching hours of DVDs from the 80s (why can’t there be something CURRENT out there, for Pete’s sake?)
Attempting to get to the end of insanely complex acting books, desperately wishing they would just GIVE YOU A FRICKIN’ ACTING EXERCISE?!
What if you could start acting Shakespeare right now – I mean, just get up and DO the bloody thing– and actually feel good about it?
Good news – you can! Lemme tell you about it.
Welcome to the…
Shakespeare with Sarah Essentials Hub
The membership for actors who want to radiate confidence, smash through their blocks, and nail their audition – with ease.
A place where actors can:
Work through a STRUCTURED series of lessons to learn the key concepts
Learn new acting techniques quickly and easily, from home
Get personalised advice from me - without it costing an arm and a leg
Access hard-to-find resources like monologue collections
Get specific support for auditions and exams
Connect with like-minded actors preparing for auditions and productions
No lock-in contracts. Cancel any time.
It takes time to act Shakespeare well, but it can be fun.
Whether you’re working towards
✅ A main role in a theatre production
✅ Drama school auditions,
✅ Shakespeare festival auditions & productions
✅ Showcases
✅ Or exams…
These techniques have allowed my students to level up their Shakespeare skills with ease and joy.
I’ll lead you through
3 Simple Phases
to a solid Shakespeare foundation
Phase 1: Analysis
Become a detailed actor by learning how to dig deep into the text and find those little nuggets of gold that other actors miss.
And I can tell ya, most actors miss a LOT of that treasure!
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
Get to know the play
Making strong acting choices begins by knowing the play – so let’s make this first step powerful.
Building the Character
Prepping a Shakespeare character doesn’t have to be scary! Here I give you the insights to make it feel achievable.
Clear and Connected Language
My very own method of translating the language, with a super impactful acting exercise that levels up your performance, no matter how experienced you are!
Phase 2: Embodiment
Become a connected actor by learning to use your instrument for powerful performance. It’s all about taking those nuggets of gold and actually making them playable – experiencing them in your body and sharing them with an audience.
(Harsh truth: if you know it but you can’t play it, you’re a scholar, not an actor.)
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
Connect Voice, Body and Mind
Shakespeare has an “immediate” style, but what does that actually mean? As we move into our embodiment phase, I’m going to show you what “acting on the line” really means and how it can transform the way you approach EVERYTHING. (Hint: it’s a bigger deal than you think!)
Feel the rhythm
It’s iambic pentameter time, yay! (Or eek! depending on your experience with it.) I’m gonna share with you the tricks that even advanced actors don’t know about verse-speaking and scansion, and I’m going to take you through from the very beginning. You can do this.
Scaling Performance
This is one that doesn’t get talked about enough. Shakespeare is wildly varied in style, and you will need to adapt the energy of your performance depending on the context. Once you learn how to do this, not only will it transform your Shakespeare, but it will change the way you approach your contemporary texts as well.
Phase 3: Freedom
Become a confident actor by learning to be present, flexible, and unique. You create a process and practice that works for you. You stay accountable. You have an opinion. You get out of your head and know how to play.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
Finding Truthfulness
Now that we’ve analyzed the text and started to get it into the body, we need to balance everything. We need to get back to the truth of it. Let me show you how to ground yourself, get out of your head, and do less (while also hitting those important stresses). I’m also going to share the major Barriers to Truthfulness that pop up over and over again in Shakespearean acting.
Follow your intuition
Lets’s be honest: by now, your head is swimming in technical stuff. You feel like a circus performer spinning plates. But to be incredible actors, we need to let go of all of that and be present. How do we do that? I’m going to lay it all out for you in week 8.
Powerful Practice
Time to have fun! True freedom comes when we can break out own patterns and are ready for anything. In this lesson, I’l give you the resourcesyou need to make play a part of your practice.
Bonus #1: Fortnightly Q&A + Hotseat
Tailored advice for your specific audition needs
Live Hotseat, Q&A or Special Workshop with me every fortnight in our private Facebook community
Ask me anything - let's solve whatever's holding up your growth
Connect with like-minded actors
Bonus #2:
Getting Started with Shakespeare
3 bonus lessons
for absolute beginners
Start with the ABSOLUTE BASICS
Gain confidence before you jump into technical exercises
Readiness Roadmap - your checklist and plan for getting ready to train
Bonus #3: Shakespeare Monologue Collections
Find the perfect audition monologue
Monologues sorted by casting type so it's easy to find the right fit
Quick insights into the given circumstances
IF YOU’RE ASKING YOURSELF…
I can watch a video on YouTube telling me about acting Shakespeare, why do I need the Shakespeare with Sarah Essentials hub?
THEN LET ME TELL YOU THIS:
Shakespeare is technical, and you could literally spend years surfing around on YouTube trying to find the right videos to teach you what you need to know… and you’d still be confused.
I’ve created a deliberately STRUCTURED sequence of lessons that build on each other, so you know that you’re getting the absolute essentials. No wasted time, just strategic learning.
PLUS you have direct access to me in our private Facebook group and during our Q&As, so you are supported through your whole journey.
As a coach, that is where I see real change happen for actors – when we have support and accountability.
AND HERE’S THE VALUE OF EVERYTHING YOU’RE GETTING:
9x Core Lessons (20+ video tutorials!) = VALUE $297
Ongoing access to fortnightly Q&A = VALUE $199
Getting Started with Shakespeare Bonus = VALUE $47
Total Value = $543
All this for only $7 USD / month
Cancel any time.
What members say
Testimonials from my students
Frequently asked questions
Q: What exactly am I getting?
A: Short answer: 12 lessons with video tutorials and download worksheets that you can access whenever you like, plus a fortnightly online events with me where I can help you solve any challenges that pop up along the way.
Q: Does this membership include 1:1 coaching or individual feedback?
A: Unfortunately I can’t offer 1:1 private sessions or self tape feedback included as part of this membership, but you can ask for specific, tailored advice during the Hot Seats and Q&As, which will be hosted on Zoom or live in the Facebook group each fortnight. (These events will rotate – I will share the schedule at the start of the month so you can plan ahead.)
You are also welcome to ask specific questions in the Facebook group and I will answer you there.
Typical things I can help you with: monologue recommendations for your audition, additional acting exercises to help with a specific issue you’re facing, help with translating your monologue, and so on.
Q: I have some experience in Shakespeare already, is this membership right for me?
A: I’m going to be absolutely honest here and say that most actors, even more experienced actors often don’t know the techniques that I’m sharing here. I learned these techniques from teaching, directing and acting Shakespeare over the last two decades. Many of the exercises are my own creation, and I created them to solve common problems that I saw cropping up in my students’ work. I have students that range from complete beginners to very experienced actors, and they have all benefited from these techniques.
Q: What time are the Q&A/Hot Seat sessions?
A: Times will rotate to cover members from everywhere around the globe. You will also be able to catch the replays in the member portal.
Q: What currency is this charged in?
A: US dollars.
Q: Do I have to stay a member for a full year?
A: This is a month-by-month membership, so you can stay with us for as long as you find it beneficial to your practice! Cancel any time.
Got more questions? Email me directly:
sarah@shakespearewithsarah.com
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