UMass Amherst Theater Professor Interviewed for ‘The State of Shakespeare’ Podcast

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Milan Dragicevich, professor of acting in the department of theater, was interviewed recently for “The State of Shakespeare” podcast. During the interview, Dragicevich spoke about his approach to actor training and performance, which is articulated in his recently published book “The Persuasive Actor: Rhetorical Power on the Contemporary Stage.” He also performed a monologue from Shakespeare's Richard III.

“The State of Shakespeare” is an important and popular podcast featuring in-depth interviews with contemporary Shakespearean actors, directors, and teachers. The podcast’s hosts asked Dragicevich about his innovative development of contemporary language-driven actor training and performance, based on adapting long-lost techniques from classical rhetoric. According to Dragicevich, his approach introduces, “the novel idea that … words themselves can create character, drive motive, spur behavioral insights.”

“What is missing in actor training today is the notion that ‘fancy language’ does not only belong to earlier eras, like the world of Shakespeare, but to any contemporary playwright who uses words in a magical way,” says Dragicevich. “So we can say that actors can now view ‘heightened language’ as a verbal attitude,” he explains, and points to connections between hip hop theater and Shakespeare.

Dragicevich also recited a monologue from Act I, Scene ii of Shakespeare’s “Richard III.”

The full episode can be heard on “The State of Shakespeare”website.