Our Guest Instructors
Mike Speck
is a Certified Teacher with the Society of American Fight Directors, teaching Stage Combat Styles at Viterbo University. His choreography in Rochester includes August: Osage County at the Civic, and Hamlet at the Rep. Other fight direction projects include a six-man sword fight choreographed as a theme-and-variations; a musical brawl incorporating Latin dance, thrown drinks, and set changes; a 6'2" Tybalt vs a 4'10" Mercutio; and a case of rapiers fight where phrase IV's choreography was "phrase II, but backwards." Acting credits include work at the Guthrie Theatre, Theatre at Monmouth, Tent Theatre, and the Lost Colony.
William Sturdivant
William Sturdivant is a Presidential Scholar in the Arts and an alumni of the University of MN/Guthrie Theater Actor Training Program. He has performed in over 30 Shakespeare productions Regionally and Off-Broadway. William is also a poet, producer, and acting coach. Notable Shakespeare training includes The National Theater of London, Andrew Wade, Patrick Tucker, and over 15 years of professional experience Off-Broadway and regionally. William believes fundamentally that Shakespeare as a written language is made to be spoken aloud and the elevation of thought is key to being a communicator both on stage and off as a human being.
His masterclass program on Acting Shakespeare is designed to guide actors of all ages through an introductory series of technical form, rhetorical devises, and basic acting principles.