# Event Details - **Event Name**: Shakespeare's Sonnets: Lightning in a Bottle - **Event Start and End Date**: Fri, 23 Oct, 2026 at 07:00 pm (-04:00) - **Event Description**: Shakespeare's Sonnets: Lightning in a Bottle John Barton, co-founder of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), has long been credited with transforming the actor’s approach to speaking Shakespeare’s verse, and he frequently relied on Shakespeare’s Sonnets as a training tool. Shakespeare’s Sonnets: Lightning in a Bottle will guide participants through an exploration of how the rhythm, rhyme, and wordplay that characterize the sonnet form can push the actor toward greater emotional intensity and intellectual clarity. Time will be devoted in the first session to researching the historical background of the Elizabethan sonnet and its unique verse structure, and we’ll take time in our two morning sessions to connect or reconnect, with the Linklater Technique of voice training as a means of preparing the voice and body for sonnet work. The bulk of our class time will be focused on the sonnets. In 14 lines, a Shakespeare sonnet represents a startling number of opportunities to strike a balance between form and content; the form being a carefully adhered to rhyme scheme, the content being the actor’s own sensibility and life experience. Tina Packer, Shakespeare & Company’s founding artistic director, remembered having to learn and perform sonnets when she became a member of the RSC. She never forgot how the sonnets work served her as an actor, and was sure to make that work part of Shakespeare & Company’s training methodology. DATES: October 23–25, 2026 SCHEDULE: Friday, 7-9pm; Saturday, 10am-9pm; Sunday, 10am-6pm LOCATION: Shakespeare & Company campus, Lenox, Mass. FACULTY: Michael Hammond and Rory Hammond TUITION: $400 USD** BIPOC ARTIST and STUDENT TUITION: $350 HOUSING: A limited amount of on-campus housing is available for an additional $50/night. First come, first-served. Housing is private bedroom with shared bathrooms, kitchen, and common areas. **Alumni (15% off) and union (10% off) and Shakespeare Theatre Association (10% off) discounts available. Email training@shakespeare.org for details. APPLY: https://shakeandco.wufoo.com/forms/shakespeare-company-actor-training-application-w81sjbo1bgeh06 - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/lenox/shakespeares-sonnets-lightning-in-a-bottle/200030768893810 - **Event Categories**: art, theatre, workshops - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 159 ## Ticket Details ## Event venue details - **city**: Lenox - **state**: MA - **country**: United States - **location**: 70 Kemble St, Lenox, MA, United States, Massachusetts 01240 - **lat**: 42.35018 - **long**: -73.28414 - **full address**: 70 Kemble St, Lenox, MA, United States, Massachusetts 01240 ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: Shakespeare's Sonnets: Lightning in a Bottle - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events3/banners/33f11ed3ea90bc584313ab5ee839969bb3378e1b3df63a3dee35d82f8a62cb99-rimg-w820-h360-dc080808-gmir?v=1791076090 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is Shakespeare's Sonnets: Lightning in a Bottle being held? - **A:** Shakespeare's Sonnets: Lightning in a Bottle takes place on Fri, 23 Oct, 2026 at 07:00 pm to Fri, 23 Oct, 2026 at 07:00 pm at 70 Kemble St, Lenox, MA, United States, Massachusetts 01240. - **Q**: Who is organizing Shakespeare's Sonnets: Lightning in a Bottle? - **A:** Shakespeare's Sonnets: Lightning in a Bottle is organized by Shakespeare & Company: Center for Actor Training. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** Shakespeare's Sonnets: Lightning in a Bottle is ideal for curious learners, students, and skill-builders looking to gain hands-on knowledge and practical expertise in a focused, interactive setting. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Lenox, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. With 150+ people already showing interest, this is clearly an event worth adding to your calendar - don't miss out. ## Structured Data (JSON-LD) ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Event", "name": "Shakespeare's Sonnets: Lightning in a Bottle", "image": "https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events3/banners/33f11ed3ea90bc584313ab5ee839969bb3378e1b3df63a3dee35d82f8a62cb99-rimg-w820-h360-dc080808-gmir?v=1791076090", "startDate": "2026-10-23T19:00:00-04:00", "url": "https://allevents.in/lenox/shakespeares-sonnets-lightning-in-a-bottle/200030768893810", "eventStatus": "https://schema.org/EventScheduled", "location": { "@type": "Place", "name": "70 Kemble St, Lenox, MA, United States, Massachusetts 01240", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "70 Kemble St, Lenox, MA 01240-2813, United States", "addressLocality": "Lenox", "addressRegion": "MA", "addressCountry": "US" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": "42.35018", "longitude": "-73.28414" } }, "eventAttendanceMode": "https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceMode", "description": "Shakespeare's Sonnets: Lightning in a Bottle\n\nJohn Barton, co-founder of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), has long been credited with transforming the actor’s approach to speaking Shakespeare’s verse, and he frequently relied on Shakespeare’s Sonnets as a training tool.\n\nShakespeare’s Sonnets: L", "organizer": [ { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Shakespeare & Company Center for Actor Training", "url": "https://allevents.in/org/shakespeare-and-company-center-for-actor-training/7742450", "description": "Shakespeare & Company's uniquely personal training that concentrates on heightening the actor's ability to engage, explore and express Shakespeare's texts. Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/actortraining" } ] } ] ```