Acting Shakespeare Road Map in KW
July 5,6 Saturday Sunday. 11-am-3pm both days
1. Performance Option (10 spots only)– $199 early-bird Price $159 (ends June 30)
✅ Full access to the 2-day workshop, preparing a Shakespearean sonnet for performance.
✅ One-hour private coaching session with Paul (to be scheduled separately between July 5-9)
✅ A spot in the Sonnets Performance Night at the Heuther Hotel's Lion’s Den on (Wednesday, July 16)
2. Workshop-Only Option (10 Spots available) – $147 early Bird Price $113 (ends June 30)
✅ Includes full access to the 2-day workshop, in class preparation of a Shakesperean Sonnet
Book by clicking the links or send an e-transfer to jpaulhopkins@gmail.com
Location Inter Arts Matrix 141 Whitney Place, Kitchener, ON N2G 2X8
Performance Option
Workshop Option
MONTREAL
Free 2 hr intro to Meisner
July 3rd. 10am-12pm
Register: jpaulhopkins@gmail.com
For experienced Meisner trained actors (singers, directors, writers... etc.)
Scene Study: TBA
$249.99 incl + tx non union
$199.99 incl + tx union
Or e-transfer to jpaulhopkins@gmail.com
Drop in: Wednesday, July 3. 11;30am -2pm
$30 per session
Register by sending e-transfer $30 to jpaulhopkins@gmail.com
Non-Union
Union
Location:
La Porte Rouge - 750 Rue Mistral
Classes
Level 1
Level 2
Shakespeare Road Map
In this introductory course, we delve into the foundational exercises pioneered by Sanford Meisner to hone the skills of actors. Whether you're a seasoned actor or new to the craft, this course is tailored for you, as well as other professions in theatre, film, and television. 12 hours of instruction
Working alongside artists who are already familiar with the rudimentary Meisner exercise, this course will offer customized instruction with a limited number of students. The first half of each session will focus on building upon the Repetition Exercise (scales for actors). Drawing from the principles of Meisner, the second half will delve into specific areas such as Knocks and Activities, stakes, cold reads, and monologues—tailored to the needs and interests of the enrolled student 12 hours instruction.
This workshop is designed to give you a roadmap to confidently tackle Shakespearean text, even if you’ve never performed it before. You’ll learn how to:
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Break down Shakespeare’s language
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Discover clarity and emotional truth in heightened text
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Connect Meisner-based impulses with classical structure
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Bring the work off the page and into your body
The Meisner Technique: Authentic Acting at Its Best
What is the Meisner Technique?
The Meisner Technique focuses on spontaneity, emotional truth, and moment-to-moment reactions. Developed by Sanford Meisner, this method encourages one to respond authentically within a scene, creating performances that feel natural and compelling.
Paul Hopkins’s Training and Expertise in Meisner
Paul studied the Meisner Technique with renowned teacher Jacqueline McClintock and trained in Los Angeles alongside accomplished artists, refining his skills through this transformative method. His training draws from these experiences, helping students connect with their inner life and develop emotional depth in their performances.
How the Meisner Technique Enhances Character Development
Through structured exercises and scene work, Paul’s Meisner courses help performers fully inhabit their roles. By staying present and embracing the unknown, students learn to build nuanced characters that resonate with audiences. This approach benefits both new performers and seasoned professionals seeking to refine their character development.
Many acclaimed actors have trained in the Meisner Technique, including Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, James Gandolfini, Jeff Goldblum, and Naomi Watts. Gandolfini, in particular, credited Meisner’s teachings for the emotional depth and raw realism of his portrayal of Tony Soprano in The Sopranos. Tom Cruise and Michelle Pfeiffer also honed their skills using Meisner’s approach.
Acting Shakespeare RoadMap
OUR COACHES
PAUL HOPKINS
Los Angeles/Toronto/Kitchener-Waterloo/Montreal
Paul Hopkins is a professional actor, director, and coach with over 30 years of experience across film, television, and theatre. Known for roles like Michael Tolliver in More Tales of the City, he’s also appeared in Disney’s Z-O-M-B-I-E-S and numerous Canadian productions. Paul has taught at McGill, Concordia, Wilfrid Laurier, and more, blending Meisner technique with classical training to help actors build truthful, present-moment performances.
He brings deep Shakespearean experience, with two seasons at the Stratford Festival, two seasons under Michael Langham at Atlantic Theatre Festival, and eight seasons as Artistic Director of Montreal’s Shakespeare-in-the-Park. Trained by leaders like Domini Blythe and Neil Freeman, Paul was also a finalist for the Christopher Plummer Award for Excellence in Classical Theatre.
JULIA LOZANO
Montreal
“The Meisner technique was a revelation for me. A tool to trust my impulses and allow authentic connections to happen on their own, for organic reactions to emerge from the present moment. A tool to work with my instrument in a different—and ultimately more personal—way, making me responsible and sovereign in preparing my instrument so that it can play on its own once immersed in the moment.” Julia trained in this technique for over five years with Scott Williams of the Impulse Company in New York City, London, and Paris, and with Robert Cordier in Paris. A multidisciplinary artist in singing, dance, and theatre, Julia began her career in France in musical theatre, operettas, and classical theatre before turning her focus to working for the camera. She worked for several years with Jacques Duparc, which led her to the stages of the Opéra de Reims and the Opéra d’Avignon. She performed Molière at Théâtre Fontaine in Paris with the Colette Roumanoff Company, and played the Prince in the musical The Prince and the Pauper by Julien Salvia and Ludovic-Alexandre Vidal. In 2016, she moved to Montreal, where she performed the role of Hâgar in Hâgar et la source by Mounia Chadi, then joined the collective Passeurs de Voix as both artist and actor coach for their immersive, roaming creation based on Migraaants by Visniec. Following a connection with La Porte Rouge and then Paul Hopkins, Julia now leads Meisner Technique workshops in Montreal. She is also trained in yoga instruction, dances flamenco, studies flamenco singing, and writes.
« La technique Meisner a été une révélation pour moi. Un outil pour faire confiance à mes impulsions et laisser des connexions authentiques se faire par elles-mêmes, des réactions organiques naître du moment présent. Un outil pour travailler mon instrument d’une façon différente et finalement plus proche de moi, me rendant responsable et souveraine de la préparation mon instrument pour qu’il puisse jouer tout seul une fois immergé dans le moment.»
Julia a été formée à cette technique pendant plus de 5 ans par Scott Williams de l’Impulse Company à New-York City, Londres et Paris, et par Robert Cordier à Paris.
Artiste pluridisciplinaire en chant, danse et théâtre, Julia commence sa carrière en France en théâtre musical, opérettes et théâtre classique avant de s’intéresser au travail pour la caméra. Elle travaille notamment plusieurs années avec Jacques Duparc ce qui la mènera sur les scènes de l’Opéra de Reims et de l’Opéra d’Avignon. Elle joue du Molière au Théâtre Fontaine à Paris dans la Compagnie Colette Roumanoff, interprète le Prince dans la comédie musicale « Le Prince et Le Pauvre » de Julien Salvia et Ludovic Alexandre Vidal. En 2016 elle arrive à Montréal, où elle interprète Hâgar dans « Hâgar » et la source de Mounia Chadi, puis rejoint le collectif Passeurs de Voix en tant qu’artiste et coach d’acteurs, pour leur création immersive et déambulatoire d’après Migraaants de Visniec.
Suite à une rencontre avec La Porte Rouge puis Paul Hopkins, Julia anime des ateliers en technique Meisner à Montreal.
Julia est aussi formée à l’enseignement du yoga, elle danse le flamenco, se forme au chant flamenco, et écrit.
Six Steps to Mastering Shakespeare Monologues
1. Paraphrase
2. Act it out
3. Imagining
4. Use the Poetry
5. Punctuation
6. Paraphrase 2
BONUS step: learn how to use the Folio to...
• Combine all the previous steps. Perform with the insights and techniques you’ve gained. Make the text your own and bring Shakespeare’s words to life with your unique interpretation.