Irish actress Fiona Shaw engages drama students in a lively discussion moderated by faculty member Roger Oliver. Photo by Jessica Katz

As Fiona Shaw walked into the Drama Theater at Juilliard, one would have thought that she was making her entrance onstage for a play. Even in street clothes on a Thursday morning, the Irish-born actress has a commanding presence about her that is unlike any other.

Considered to be one of the best classical actors in the world today, the three-time Olivier Award-winner for Best Actress visited the drama students at Juilliard on October 10. Shaw was in New York with the Abbey Theatre of Dublin, performing in director Deborah Warner's critically acclaimed version of Medea at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Several Juilliard students had the opportunity to see her perform in Medea during its run at BAM, so Shaw's visit to the School was particularly well-timed. It was not her first, however; Shaw has visited Juilliard to speak with drama students on several occasions in the past. She said she enjoys the chance to speak with acting students, but admits that everyone's experience is unique to them. "It's very hard to give advice to young people, of course, because it's always about yourself and your experience of the world. You can't tell anyone how to do the next step of anything. Most of us muddle through life. I'm very muddled, and the only area of clarity I have is the theater. It's the only thing about which I feel that, when I'm not in control of it, I am in control of it," said Shaw.

Shaw sat on the Drama Theater stage with Roger Oliver, a liberal arts faculty member who also teaches theater history in the Drama Division, and answered questions that were posed by both Oliver and the students. The loose format of the interview allowed for a more casual atmosphere, fostered also by the intimate setting of the theater. With fewer than 100 bodies circled around Shaw, everyone was able to sit close and share in her wisdom from years as an actress.

Although a lot of questions focused on her role as Medea, students also asked questions about her work in film, her training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, and her collaborations with Deborah Warner.

Shaw was receptive to answering all questions, and students seemed particularly pleased with her frankness. Vanessa J. Williams, a first-year drama student, said: "Fiona Shaw was great. As an older student myself, it was encouraging for me to hear that she started her training at RADA after she earned a college degree elsewhere." (Shaw's degree was a B.A. in philosophy at University College Cork in Ireland).

When students asked what they should expect to see her doing after the run of Medea, Shaw didn't have a definite answer. But she did say that she would like to start working more in film—not because she likes it better, but because the physical toll of live theater sets in after awhile. Shaw can be seen this month playing the role of Aunt Petunia in the newly released movie Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Sean Davis is a second-year drama student.