The Shakespeare and Inclusivity project continues with a scenes workshop/discussion led by UNC Charlotte Assistant Professor of Theatre Chris Berry.
Shakespeare and Inclusivity: a semester long case-study of The Merchant of Venice is co-presented by the Department of Theatre and Shakespeare in Action, an initiative led by faculty in the UNC Charlotte Theatre and English departments that presents talks, presentations, and productions for both the campus population and the general public.
This workshop/discussion of the "Prince of Morocco" scenes from The Merchant of Venice is an actor approach to Act 2 Scene 1 and Act 2 Scene 7, in which we will examine the text for ideas and performance approaches to a section of the play which foregrounds race and Otherness. Six students will work with faculty on the scenes through conversation and rehearsal in front of a live audience, concluding with an open discussion of the issues and strategies raised.
Chris Berry is an actor, director, professor, and dialect coach. He received his BFA in Acting from North Carolina A&T (‘08) and his MFA in acting from Brown University/Trinity Rep (‘11). He serves as the Vice President of the Black Theatre Network and also serves as the Program Director of the Black Arts Institute, a partnership between the Billie Holiday Theatre and Stella Adler Studio of acting. His dialect coaching work includes P-Valley (Starz), The Hot Wing King (The Signature Theatre, Off-Broadway), and Heels (Pre-Production, Starz). As the Vice President of the Black Theatre Network, he has planned two national conferences, Black Theatre: Unapologetically Black (Winston-Salem, 2019) and Black Theatre: Radical Longevity (2020, postponed until 2022). He has also planned the Black Theatre Network's online event Black Theatre Week. As an actor, he has had the pleasure to work at The Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center, Playmakers Repertory Company, The National Black Theatre, Trinity Repertory Company, as well as many others.