PRE-SHOW ACTIVITIES HOW DOES AN ACTOR PROMOTE THEMSELF IN ORDER TO RAISE THEIR STATUS? (Common Core Code: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.7)


Sarah Bernhardt, the main character in Bernhardt/Hamlet, was one of the most famous actors of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Bernhardt, like many celebrities today, consciously marketed her image to the public. This activity asks students to consider Bernhardt’s marketing tactics and how they might update her approach for an Instagram world.


DISCUSS


Read The Life, Legends, and Legacy of Sarah Bernhardt, found on pages 6-7 of this UPSTAGE guide. Discuss Bernhardt’s marketing tactics as a class: How did she become famous? What did she do to promote her fame and enhance her career? Which modern celebrities does she call to mind?


STRATEGIZE


Using the Sarah Bernhardt Marketing Plan template (found HERE), have students create Instagram marketing plans for the actress. If desired, the class may create an actual Sarah Bernhardt Instagram account and, using images of Bernhardt found in Library of Congress database, create posts for the account.


SHARE


Have students present their marketing plans, as if they were pitching to Bernhardt herself. Students should explain what demographic they recommend she target, share sample posts and hashtags, and share recommended partners. Encourage students to practice good public speaking skills.


REFLECT


What has changed in marketing since Bernhardt’s day? What remains the same? Is it possible to be a successful artist today without marketing yourself? Why or why not?


HOW DOES A THEATRE ENSEMBLE COLLABORATE TO REHEARSE A SCENE? (Common Core Code: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.1.B)


Bernhardt/Hamlet features several scenes of Sarah Bernhardt and the cast of her production of Hamlet in rehearsal. This activity offers students the opportunity to rehearse a scene from Hamlet in the style of 19th-century actors, digging into both Shakespeare’s text and the collaborative dynamic of the rehearsal room.


TABLE READ


Place students in groups of three, and give each group: • Job Descriptions for each group - 2 Actors, 1 Costume Designer (found HERE) • 3 copies of the Hamlet Act 1, Scene 5 excerpt (found HERE) • 2 copies of the figure template (found HERE)


State that during the 19th century, actors worked together to stage plays because the role of the director had not yet been created, and that for this activity students will be working in the style of 19th-century actors like Sarah Bernhardt. Have each group read the scene out loud and discuss: Are there any passages that we don’t understand? Any words? What happens in this scene? What is important for the audience to understand from this scene? What might the costumes look like?


REHEARSE/ DESIGN


SHARE AND REFLECT


Working in pairs, have the actors stage the scene as if on a proscenium. How can the staging help the audience to understand what’s happening? Simultaneously, ask the designer to use the figure templates to create costume designs for both Hamlet and the Ghost.


Have each group perform their interpretation of the scene, with the costume designer sharing their designs prior to the performance. Discuss the process with the class: How was staging and designing the scene without a director different from working with a director? How did you collaborate to make decisions?


20 ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY


FOR EDUCATORS


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