On Playing Shakespeare with Brenda Joyner

Hermia, Perdita, Olivia, Desdemona, Ophelia, Hero, Lavinia. You’d be hard pressed to find another young actress who has tackled so many of Shakespeare’s female roles…all before age 30. And yet, actress Brenda Joyner is still learning what she loves about performing Shakespeare. Turn on the sound and listen as Brenda shares what she loves about performing in a Shakespeare play.

On Playing Shakespeare with Brenda Joyner Transcript

 “I’m blown away by how much Shakespeare I’ve done. I never in my life thought I’d do so much Shakespeare. I took some Shakespeare growing up and then I took…I didn’t even take a course in college…naw, maybe I took one course.

I feel like I’m still learning what I love about Shakespeare, so it’s still a work in progress for me.  I do remember when I was sixteen; I played Lady Macbeth, so obviously the finest Lady Macbeth that was ever done. But I remember working on those lines and there was this moment that clicked with me that was so powerful about Shakespeare, and I just remember being blown away by the power of those lines.

What Shakespeare can tell you in five lines…the history, what the person is experiencing right now, the imagery of that, the commitment of this person. I just thought it was beautiful and dark and I was just so caught off guard about the power of those lines and what he’s able to accomplish, and beautifully, even if you’re talking about the most disgusting thing, the most heart-wrenching thing, the most dire thing.  It’s beautiful and he does it so perfectly.”