Shakespeare, anyone? We meet twice a month online to celebrate our love of the Bard. Come to read or just to listen. All nationalities welcome, and no experience necessary!

Congratulations on joining Shakespeare in Tokyo. I hope you enjoy the club even a small part as much as I do. Here are a few tips to help you make the most of the experience.

Participation in this club is completely free. All that’s necessary is to show up, when you can, at our regular get-togethers online, typically two Monday evenings per month at 7:30 pm.

We’ve voted on changing to a different day of the week in the past, but Monday seems to work best for the majority of members expressing a preference.

Every time we start a new play, I post reference materials on the Files page: plot summary, vocabulary, etc. You don’t have to read this material, but it’s there if you want it.

With discussion, we typically get through one or two acts of each five act play in the course of one evening’s reading. Therefore, it usually takes three readings to finish each play. After the play is finished, those present vote on which play to read next. I like to heighten the variety by alternating between comedies and tragedies. Also, I always insist that we not repeat a play until we work our way completely through the canon. We are currently on our third pass through the cycle!

It’s not necessary to read the play ahead of time, although of course you are free to do so, and you may even rehearse the role you are hoping to read. Our procedure is very informal: after general discussion, volunteers agree on which parts they will read for the upcoming scene. Then at the end of the scene, there is more discussion, and parts are re-assigned for the following scene. This works well, since it gives many different people the chance to participate, and no one is forced to read a very wordy role all night.

I encourage everyone to volunteer to read at least a small part. Many people arrive wishing to just listen, and some are shy about reading, sometimes due to limited English or public speaking ability. I do my best to honor those wishes. However, sometimes we have fewer participants than roles, and I may press those present to take one of the smaller roles.

Whether you intend to read or just listen, we do ask that you procure your own copy of the script, either in book form or printed off the internet. With each new play I’ll post a link to an online version of the play for you to use during the reading.

We typically take a break halfway through the evening.

From time to time, I will also post information on upcoming theatrical events in and around Tokyo. If you have any such information that you would like to share with others, just send it to me and I’ll pass it along.

Congratulations again on being a part of the fun. The time and effort I have put into this group has been more than repaid with the beauty of Shakespeare.

---