[ INDISCERNIBLE ]
>>> THE RHYTHM OF SHAKESPEARE'S
LANGUAGE IS BASED ON THE RHYTHM
OF A HEARTBEAT.
THE POETRY IS IN THE RHYTHM OF
THE IAMBIC, WHICH IS A
HEARTBEAT.
THE HEARTBEAT IS ARGUABLY THE
FIRST SOUND WE HEAR IN THE WOMB
BEFORE WE'RE BORN, SO IT'S A
CALMING, NURTURING SOUND.
WE BEGIN THE SHOW AND END THE
SHOW MAKING THAT RHYTHM OF THE
HEARTBEAT.
[ DRUMS ]
>> BUT SHAKESPEARE IS SORT OF
UNIQUELY QUALIFIED BECAUSE, A -
THERE'S A LOT OF HEIGHTENED
CIRCUMSTANCES AND HE SPEAKS A
LOT ABOUT WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE
FULLY ALIVE.
>> I'LL TAKE THEM.
I'LL TAKE THEM --
TO 
THE PILE.
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> AND THEN THE IAMBIC
PENTAMETER IS WRITTEN IN THE
RHYTHM OF A HEARTBEAT, SO THOSE
THINGS COMBINED WITH THE SORT OF
EXTREME SITUATIONS AND
POSSIBILITY FOR CHARACTERIZATION
ALL SORT OF CORRELATES INTO A
PERFECT PACKAGE FOR THIS.
>> GOODBYE.
>> GOODBYE.
>> THE ACTORS AND THE CHILDREN
PLAY GAMES TOGETHER, SENSORY
DRAMA GAMES WHICH I'VE WORKED ON
AND CREATED OVER THE LAST
12 YEARS.
THE GAMES TELL THE STORY OF "THE
TEMPEST," BUT AT THE SAME TIME
THEY CHALLENGE THE CHILDREN'S
AUTISM, ALLOWING THEM TO EXPLORE
THEIR EYE CONTACT, AND THEIR
SPEECH AND LANGUAGE, THEIR
SPATIAL AWARENESS, AND THEIR
SENSORY LIFE.
AND ABOVE ALL, REALLY ENJOY
THEMSELVES.
WITH SIX ACTORS AND 15 CHILDREN,
THE ACTORS HAVE TWO OR THREE
CHILDREN WITH THEM.
SO, THE ACTORS ARE SPACED EVENLY
AROUND THE CIRCLE AND THE
CHILDREN SIT WITH THE ACTORS.
SO, EACH ACTOR KIND OF HAS A
LITTLE TEAM OF TWO OR THREE
CHILDREN.
UNLESS THEY GET UP AND PLAY, THE
CHILDREN PLAY WITH THEIR
SPECIFIC ACTOR.
>> I PLAY CALIBAN, THE SAVAGE,
UNEDUCATED SAVAGE.
I'M TAUGHT HOW TO SPEAK AND I'M
TAUGHT HOW TO BECOME MORE
CIVILIZED.
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> THE TASK OF THE ACTOR AS IT
WERE IS TO REMAIN COMPLETELY AND
UTTERLY FOCUSED IN THE MOMENT OF
PLAYING.
AND IF YOU CAN DO THAT WITH YOUR
AUDIENCE, ESPECIALLY IF THAT
AUDIENCE HAS DIFFICULTY
PERCEIVING, DIFFICULTY IN TERMS
OF PERCEPTION, BUT ACTUALLY YOU
CAN BREAK THROUGH THOSE
DIFFICULTIES, THEN YOU'RE REALLY
ONTO SOMETHING.
>> I LIKE THE CHALLENGE OF IT.
I LIKE THE PROVOCATION OF IT.
AND I LIKE THE COMPASSION OF IT.
AND I LIKE TO WATCH THESE
CHILDREN SOMETIMES TRANSFORM IN
FRONT OF YOUR EYES.
>> SOMEHOW, THE CHILDREN HAVE
THEIR MODE OF COMMUNICATION, WE
HAVE OURS, AND WE MEET IN THE
MIDDLE.
THERE'S NOW, I THINK, WE'VE ALL
DEVELOPED A SENSE OF INTUITION
ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE GETTING, OR
THAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING
SOMETHING, THAT THEY'RE
AWAKENING.
IT'S LIKE THEY'RE COMING TO
LIFE.
>> IT'S ACTUALLY GREAT ACTING
TRAINING, A GREAT ACTING
CHALLENGE BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE
ROLE YOU'RE PLAYING AND YOU KNOW
EVERYONE ELSE'S ROLE AS WELL.
BUT, YOU ALSO HAVE A TEAM OF
CHILDREN THAT YOU'RE NOT ONLY
RESPONSIBLE FOR IN A SORT OF
COMMON SENSE WAY, BUT ALSO IN
TERMS OF ENGAGING THEM IN THE
GAMES AND SORT OF GAUGING THE
TEMPERATURE OF WHAT'S GOING ON
WITH EVERYBODY ELSE.
>> AND NOW ZACH AND KEVIN ARE
GOING TO THROW THE ANGRY PLACE
TO CURTIS, AND LIAM, AND OLIVIA.
ONE, TWO, THREE!
>> THIS PROJECT CAME ABOUT AS
PART OF THE PARTNERSHIP PROJECT
WITH OSU AND THE RSC WHO ARE
RESEARCHING THIS WORK OUTSIDE OF
THE THEATRICAL CONTEXT.
SO, THE GAMES THAT I'VE INVENTED
ARE BEING PLAYED TWICE A WEEK
OVER A TWO-YEAR PERIOD.
AND RESEARCHERS AT THE
NISONGER CENTER AT OSU ARE
EVALUATING THE GAMES AGAINST A
CONTROL GROUP OF CHILDREN WHO
ARE NOT RECEIVING THE
INTERVENTION.
SO, THAT'S GONE VERY WELL AND
THE STUDIES ARE LOOKING VERY
POSITIVE.
THEY'RE GOING TO BE PUBLISHING
THE RESULTS NEXT YEAR.
>> I THINK FOR FAMILIES
WATCHING, AT LEAST A LOT OF WHAT
WE'VE HEARD IS I'VE NEVER SEEN
MY CHILD INVOLVE THEMSELVES IN
THAT WAY.
I'VE NEVER SEEN THEM EMOTE.
I'VE SEEN THEM JUST SIT IN A
CIRCLE AND SMILE GENUINELY ABOUT
SOMETHING'S THAT GOING ON FOR
THEM.
>> I THINK IT'S A RISK EVERY
TIME WE DO IT.
BUT, SOMEHOW THE RISK PAYS OFF.
IT'S A RISK BECAUSE WE'RE ASKING
THESE CHILDREN WHO WE'VE NEVER
MET BEFORE, IN MOST CASES, TO
ENTER A WORLD OF IMAGINATION.
AND WE TAKE THE RISK THAT
THEY'RE GOING TO IMMEDIATELY
ENTER THAT WORLD WITHOUT ANY
RESISTANCE.
MOST DO.
THERE ARE SOME RESISTANCES AND
USUALLY THEY MELT OVER THE
COURSE OF THE HOUR AND A HALF.
>> All: GOODBYE.
GOODBYE.
GOODBYE.
>> AND WE'LL REST OUR HANDS.
GIVE OURSELVES A BIG ROUND OF
APPLAUSE.
[ APPLAUSE ]
