La Voz de Shakespeare: Empowering Latinx Communities to Speak, Own and Embody the Text

The chapter addresses the misconception that Shakespeare’s words are reserved for elite (re: white) actors, a fact that has led to some Latinx actors being hesitant to perform Shakespeare. These misgivings have suppressed our voices and have sown doubts that our voices may not be “good enough” to tackle classical texts. As a result, Latinx acting students in learning institutions and in community theatres often apologize or communicate embarrassment when asked to work on Shakespeare’s texts. However, the journey of learning, exploring, and voicing Shakespeare can be an impactful way to declare our vocal rights. Voice, speech, and language are an act of rebellion; Shakespeare expressed this notion as spoken by Caliban. Using her own experiences as a vocal coaching and directing The Tempest to predominately Latinx students, DeCure unpacks how feelings of embarrassment when working on Shakespeare’s text can transform to a powerful way to declare vocal rights. As this chapter demonstrates, voice and speech work is for everyone; Shakespeare is for all.