SHAKESPEARE MONOLOGUE COACHING
Yale MFA-Style Shakespeare Coaching for BFA and MFA Auditions
Most top BFA and MFA programs require at least one classical monologue, typically Shakespeare, and this is where many applicants stumble. Students who are strong with contemporary material often approach classical text with either stiff formality or surface-level emotion, missing the "person” underneath it all.
Evelyn Giovine specializes in helping actors reveal themselves through classical text. At the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York City, she teaches Chekhov through the Russian methodology of Analysis through Action, a technique-driven approach that focuses on what a character is actively doing, not just what they're feeling. She brings this same methodology to her private monologue coaching.
This action-based way of working, paired with breaking down the text so actors understand exactly what they are saying in every moment, is a breakthrough combination for most actors working on classical text.
What Classical Monologue Coaching Includes
Shakespeare monologue selection matched to the actor's strengths and the requirements of their target programs
Scansion and verse analysis made practical which includes understanding iambic pentameter as a tool for acting, not an academic exercise
Text analysis that connects the language to specific, actable thoughts and images
Physical and vocal work grounded in classical technique
Who This Is For
This coaching is for BFA and MFA applicants who need a classical monologue for their audition repertoire. This is for actors who never have worked on Shakespeare before to understand the fundamentals, as well as for actors who have experience with Shakespeare and are ready to bring their work to the next level.
Why This Matters
Admissions panels at the most selective programs see hundreds of Shakespeare monologues every cycle. The students who stand out are not the ones who perform Shakespeare the most “dramatically,” they're the ones who demonstrate that they understand what the words mean and can think the character's thoughts in real time. That ability to connect intellectually and imaginatively with complex text is exactly what conservatory programs are looking to develop over three or four years of training, and they want to see the seeds of it in your audition.