Literary studies: plays and playwrights Books

Book SynopsisExamines dramatic acts of nostalgia as rhetorical moves designed to precipitate future action.

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Book SynopsisRevises current thinking about how genre operates in early modern theatre

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Book SynopsisIn partnerships with the website sonnetsofshakespeare.com, which contains video recordings of the author reciting each sonnet, The Wit and Wisdom of Shakespeare thoroughly demystifies 32 of Shakespeare's sonnets. Each is presented and illuminated by a short Essence Statement, clarified in a Diagram for Greater Understanding, and described in a unique and entertaining narrative description. Embedded within the descriptions are tidbits of interesting information about Shakespeare, his associates, and cultural circumstances of the timealong with writing techniques and word play in which Shakespeare indulged, and observations from Shakespeare scholars.Trade ReviewWalters examines 32 of Shakespeare’s sonnets in this brief, informative investigation. As the author suggests, people are probably more familiar with Shakespeare’s plays than his poetry. Each chapter discusses six or seven sonnets around a theme, such as living life’s span or managing relationships. The pattern for each chapter is the same: a copy of the sonnet, a few sentences on the sonnet’s essential message, a diagram of the sonnet, and two pages of commentary. In the commentary, Walters provides a brief analysis of the sonnet, some background from Shakespeare’s life, and some reference to issues that may have arisen in the scholarship about Shakespeare and the individual to whom the sonnet was dedicated. This is an accessible, enlightening perspective on the poems. Readers who are new to Shakespeare’s work and those who are steeped in it will enjoy this book and gain from it. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers. * CHOICE *Darrel Walters has crafted a wonderful gift for readers of Shakespeare's sonnets at every level. For the novice, a sound and reliable primer; for the experienced reader, a rich and surprising collection of insights. -- Ejner J. Jensen, professor emeritus, University of MichiganThe Wit and Wisdom of Shakespeare is an entertaining primer that will be particularly valuable to students encountering the Bard for the first time. It is easy to read and navigate. Darrel Walters provides a diagram, summary, and basic explanation of each sonnet that is truly excellent. In a light, charming voice, Walters deftly works in facts, anecdotes, and scholarly quotes, which point to his own wit and wisdom. -- Thea Howey, Teacher of Shakespeare’s Works, Montgomery County Community CollegeIf only this was around when I was in school, how much simpler life would have been! Condensed into neat little packages waiting to be unwrapped, Wit and Wisdom makes it easy for today’s 21st century learners to tackle Shakespeare. The thematic thread woven throughout the visual and written analysis guides the reader in dissecting Shakespeare’s complexity and depth, opening the reader’s mind to true accessibility. -- Emily Abram, 9th Grade English Teacher, Wissahickon High SchoolAfter decades of feeling challenged to fully understand and appreciate Shakespeare’s masterpieces and their relevance to our time, I’ve been rescued by Darrel Walters’ eminently readable treatise. It brings William Shakespeare and his sonnets to life, unfolds the full beauty of his language, and explains the messages of the sonnets in the context of modern culture and vernacular. It’s a masterpiece in itself. -- Geoffrey Thomas, retired Corporate Executive, Greater Philadelphia AreaTable of ContentsForeword Preface Acknowledgments Chapter One: The Sonnets of William Shakespeare Background and Perspective The Sonnet Format The Organization of This Book Suggestions for Using This Book Chapter Two: Living Life’s Span Sonnet 2 Your youthful beauty will fade, but you can duplicate it by having a child Sonnet 50 Journeys oppress me with the miles they put between us Sonnet 66 Human frailties irk me; your love is my only consolation Sonnet 30 Your presence, dear friend, salves my many mid-life regrets Sonnet 60 Time passes cruelly for all, but I leave to posterity high praise for you Sonnet 73 My advanced age shortens our time left together, making your love for me more strong Sonnet 74 After my body is gone, the best of me will remain with you in my verse Chapter Three: Seeing the Unseen Sonnet 47 My eye and heart work together to keep you present even when you are away Sonnet 27 When I travel I recall your image to beautify the darkness of night Sonnet 61 When you travel, I recall your image and worry about who you are with Sonnet 113 When you and I are apart, I superimpose your image on everything Sonnet 43 I see best while asleep, as that is when my dreams show you to me Sonnet 24 I carry your image in my heart, but I need you to reveal your inner self Chapter Four: Declaring Devotion Sonnet 76 My writing lacks variety only because you are my sole subject Sonnet 91 What others covet means nothing to me: you are everything Sonnet 143 I will support your surging ambitions, and in return ask only for love and kindness Sonnet 29 Though I am lowly, your love is so rich that I rejoice in being me and having you Sonnet 37 Fortune has failed to smile on me, so I live life vicariously through you Sonnet 116 With apologies to those who already know, I preach of the unwavering nature of true love Chapter Five: Managing Relationships Sonnet 128 I am infatuated with you, and long for your touch Sonnet 80 I pursue you in desperate hope of overcoming the competition Sonnet 109 My absence has damaged our relationship, but you need to know that you mean everything to me Sonnet 20 Your fineness suggests that Mother Nature intended you for a woman, but changed her mind Sonnet 115 When I first wrote of my love for you I was naïve about how much it would continue to grow Sonnet 90 If you will hate me and leave me, do it now rather than add to later woes Sonnet 147 I am enslaved by a sick, destructive love that has chased away all reason Chapter Six: Keeping Beauty Alive Sonnet 15 I restore to you through my verse what Time takes from you through decay Sonnet 55 Through my verse you will outlive grand structures and inspire posterity’s lovers Sonnet 54 When your outer beauty fades, my verse will testify to your inner substance Sonnet 17 My verse lauding your beauty will be lent credibility by your having a child Sonnet 65 If time batters all things, how can fragile beauty survive? Through my verse Sonnet 18 Other beauty fades, but my verse will keep yours alive forever References Index

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Book SynopsisIn partnerships with the website sonnetsofshakespeare.com, which contains video recordings of the author reciting each sonnet, The Wit and Wisdom of Shakespeare thoroughly demystifies 32 of Shakespeare's sonnets. Each is presented and illuminated by a short Essence Statement, clarified in a Diagram for Greater Understanding, and described in a unique and entertaining narrative description. Embedded within the descriptions are tidbits of interesting information about Shakespeare, his associates, and cultural circumstances of the timealong with writing techniques and word play in which Shakespeare indulged, and observations from Shakespeare scholars.Trade ReviewWalters examines 32 of Shakespeare’s sonnets in this brief, informative investigation. As the author suggests, people are probably more familiar with Shakespeare’s plays than his poetry. Each chapter discusses six or seven sonnets around a theme, such as living life’s span or managing relationships. The pattern for each chapter is the same: a copy of the sonnet, a few sentences on the sonnet’s essential message, a diagram of the sonnet, and two pages of commentary. In the commentary, Walters provides a brief analysis of the sonnet, some background from Shakespeare’s life, and some reference to issues that may have arisen in the scholarship about Shakespeare and the individual to whom the sonnet was dedicated. This is an accessible, enlightening perspective on the poems. Readers who are new to Shakespeare’s work and those who are steeped in it will enjoy this book and gain from it. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers. * CHOICE *Darrel Walters has crafted a wonderful gift for readers of Shakespeare's sonnets at every level. For the novice, a sound and reliable primer; for the experienced reader, a rich and surprising collection of insights. -- Ejner J. Jensen, professor emeritus, University of MichiganThe Wit and Wisdom of Shakespeare is an entertaining primer that will be particularly valuable to students encountering the Bard for the first time. It is easy to read and navigate. Darrel Walters provides a diagram, summary, and basic explanation of each sonnet that is truly excellent. In a light, charming voice, Walters deftly works in facts, anecdotes, and scholarly quotes, which point to his own wit and wisdom. -- Thea Howey, Teacher of Shakespeare’s Works, Montgomery County Community CollegeIf only this was around when I was in school, how much simpler life would have been! Condensed into neat little packages waiting to be unwrapped, Wit and Wisdom makes it easy for today’s 21st century learners to tackle Shakespeare. The thematic thread woven throughout the visual and written analysis guides the reader in dissecting Shakespeare’s complexity and depth, opening the reader’s mind to true accessibility. -- Emily Abram, 9th Grade English Teacher, Wissahickon High SchoolAfter decades of feeling challenged to fully understand and appreciate Shakespeare’s masterpieces and their relevance to our time, I’ve been rescued by Darrel Walters’ eminently readable treatise. It brings William Shakespeare and his sonnets to life, unfolds the full beauty of his language, and explains the messages of the sonnets in the context of modern culture and vernacular. It’s a masterpiece in itself. -- Geoffrey Thomas, retired Corporate Executive, Greater Philadelphia AreaTable of ContentsForward Preface Acknowledgements Chapter One: The Sonnets of William Shakespeare Background and Perspective The Sonnet Format The Organization of This Book Suggestions for Using This Book Chapter Two: Living Life’s Span Sonnet 2 Your youthful beauty will fade, but you can duplicate it by having a child Sonnet 50 Journeys oppress me with the miles they put between us Sonnet 66 Human frailties irk me; your love is my only consolation Sonnet 30 Your presence, dear friend, salves my many mid-life regrets Sonnet 60 Time passes cruelly for all, but I leave to posterity high praise for you Sonnet 73 My advanced age shortens our time left together, making your love for me more strong Sonnet 74 After my body is gone, the best of me will remain with you in my verse Chapter Three: Seeing the Unseen Sonnet 47 My eye and heart work together to keep you present even when you are away Sonnet 27 When I travel I recall your image to beautify the darkness of night Sonnet 61 When you travel, I recall your image and worry about who you are with Sonnet 113 When you and I are apart, I superimpose your image on everything Sonnet 43 I see best while asleep, as that is when my dreams show you to me Sonnet 24 I carry your image in my heart, but I need you to reveal your inner self Chapter Four: Declaring Devotion Sonnet 76 My writing lacks variety only because you are my sole subject Sonnet 91 What others covet means nothing to me: you are everything Sonnet 143 I will support your surging ambitions, and in return ask only for love and kindness Sonnet 29 Though I am lowly, your love is so rich that I rejoice in being me and having you Sonnet 37 Fortune has failed to smile on me, so I live life vicariously through you Sonnet 116 With apologies to those who already know, I preach of the unwavering nature of true love Chapter Five: Managing Relationships Sonnet 128 I am infatuated with you, and long for your touch Sonnet 80 I pursue you in desperate hope of overcoming the competition Sonnet 109 My absence has damaged our relationship, but you need to know that you mean everything to me Sonnet 20 Your fineness suggests that Mother Nature intended you for a woman, but changed her mind Sonnet 115 When I first wrote of my love for you I was naïve about how much it would continue to grow Sonnet 90 If you will hate me and leave me, do it now rather than add to later woes Sonnet 147 I am enslaved by a sick, destructive love that has chased away all reason Chapter Six: Keeping Beauty Alive Sonnet 15 I restore to you through my verse what Time takes from you through decay Sonnet 55 Through my verse you will outlive grand structures and inspire posterity’s lovers Sonnet 54 When your outer beauty fades, my verse will testify to your inner substance Sonnet 17 My verse lauding your beauty will be lent credibility by your having a child Sonnet 65 If time batters all things, how can fragile beauty survive? Through my verse Sonnet 18 Other beauty fades, but my verse will keep yours alive forever References Index

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Book SynopsisThis stimulating and accessible book is intended for instructors at the junior high school, high school, and undergraduate levels who present Shakespeare's most familiar tragedies to students who are largely unfamiliar with them.Acclaimed teacher of drama Victor L. Cahn begins with a general introduction, then examines six of Shakespeare's tragedies: Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth. With attention always directed towards inspiring student interest and response, Professor Cahn provides an overview or spine for each work, then proceeds scene by scene, focusing on salient characters, details of language, and major themes. The volume not only is entertaining and clear, but also raises provocative points of interpretation as well as numerous questions for discussion. Underlying the project is the conviction that although the plays are most effective in performance, they can nonetheless prove compelling in the classroom, where students can appreciateTrade ReviewDrawing on decades of experience, Cahn offers a genial and insightful guide to the growing challenges we all face presenting these plays to students. -- Joseph A. Dane, Professor of English, University of Southern CaliforniaProfessor Cahn's guide to Shakespeare's plays reflects his many years of experience in the classroom and the theater. Teachers faced with the daunting task of engaging 21st-century students with 16th-century drama will benefit from Professor Cahn's stimulating presentation of a complex subject and share his delight in Shakespeare's language and intelligence. Cahn skillfully presents the material with clarity and wit, offering perceptive insights in an accessible manner with as much style as he did when I was his student. -- Alexandra Dunietz Ph.D, Independent ScholarFor the student, teacher, or general reader, Professor Cahn's work is an excellent, refreshingly direct guide to the essential issues of Shakespeare's plays. Teachers will find Professor Cahn's clear and elegant prose a pleasure to read and his nuanced critical approaches especially stimulating. -- Annette Stoller, The Fieldston SchoolTable of ContentsPreface Introduction A Few Words about the Tragedies Chapter 1: Romeo and Juliet Chapter 2: Julius Caesar Chapter 3: Hamlet Chapter 4: Othello Chapter 5: King Lear Chapter 6: Macbeth Afterword About the Author

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Book SynopsisThis stimulating and accessible book is intended for instructors at the junior high school, high school, and undergraduate levels who present Shakespeare's most familiar tragedies to students who are largely unfamiliar with them.Acclaimed teacher of drama Victor L. Cahn begins with a general introduction, then examines six of Shakespeare's tragedies: Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth. With attention always directed towards inspiring student interest and response, Professor Cahn provides an overview or spine for each work, then proceeds scene by scene, focusing on salient characters, details of language, and major themes. The volume not only is entertaining and clear, but also raises provocative points of interpretation as well as numerous questions for discussion. Underlying the project is the conviction that although the plays are most effective in performance, they can nonetheless prove compelling in the classroom, where students can appreciateTrade ReviewDrawing on decades of experience, Cahn offers a genial and insightful guide to the growing challenges we all face presenting these plays to students. -- Joseph A. Dane, Professor of English, University of Southern CaliforniaProfessor Cahn's guide to Shakespeare's plays reflects his many years of experience in the classroom and the theater. Teachers faced with the daunting task of engaging 21st-century students with 16th-century drama will benefit from Professor Cahn's stimulating presentation of a complex subject and share his delight in Shakespeare's language and intelligence. Cahn skillfully presents the material with clarity and wit, offering perceptive insights in an accessible manner with as much style as he did when I was his student. -- Alexandra Dunietz Ph.D, Independent ScholarFor the student, teacher, or general reader, Professor Cahn's work is an excellent, refreshingly direct guide to the essential issues of Shakespeare's plays. Teachers will find Professor Cahn's clear and elegant prose a pleasure to read and his nuanced critical approaches especially stimulating. -- Annette Stoller, The Fieldston SchoolTable of ContentsPreface Introduction A Few Words about the Tragedies Chapter 1: Romeo and Juliet Chapter 2: Julius Caesar Chapter 3: Hamlet Chapter 4: Othello Chapter 5: King Lear Chapter 6: Macbeth Afterword About the Author

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Book SynopsisThis stimulating and accessible book is intended for instructors at the junior high school, high school, and undergraduate levels who present some of Shakespeare's most familiar works to students who are largely unfamiliar with them.Acclaimed teacher of drama Victor L. Cahn begins with a general introduction, then examines seven of Shakespeare's plays: THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, TWELFTH NIGHT, RICHARD II, HENRY IV, PART 1, and THE TEMPEST. With attention always directed towards inspiring student interest and response, Professor Cahn provides an overview or spine for each work, then proceeds scene by scene, focusing on salient characters, details of language, and major themes. The volume not only is entertaining and clear, but also raises provocative points of interpretation as well as numerous questions for discussion. Underlying the project is the conviction that although the plays are most effective in performance, they can nonethelesTrade ReviewDrawing on decades of experience, Cahn offers a genial and insightful guide to the growing challenges we all face presenting these plays to students. -- Joseph A. Dane, Professor of English, University of Southern CaliforniaProfessor Cahn's guide to Shakespeare's plays reflects his many years of experience in the classroom and the theater. Teachers faced with the daunting task of engaging 21st-century students with 16th-century drama will benefit from Professor Cahn's stimulating presentation of a complex subject and share his delight in Shakespeare's language and intelligence. Cahn skillfully presents the material with clarity and wit, offering perceptive insights in an accessible manner with as much style as he did when I was his student. -- Alexandra Dunietz Ph.D, Independent ScholarFor the student, teacher, or general reader, Professor Cahn's work is an excellent, refreshingly direct guide to the essential issues of Shakespeare's plays. Teachers will find Professor Cahn's clear and elegant prose a pleasure to read and his nuanced critical approaches especially stimulating. -- Annette Stoller, The Fieldston SchoolTable of ContentsPreface Introduction A Few Words about the Comedies Chapter 1: The Taming of the Shrew Chapter 2: A Midsummer Night’s Dream Chapter 3: The Merchant of Venice Chapter 4: Twelfth Night, or What You Will A Few Words about the Histories Chapter 5: Richard II Chapter 6: Henry IV, Part 1 A Few Words about the Romances Chapter 7: The Tempest Afterword About the Author

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Book SynopsisThis stimulating and accessible book is intended for instructors at the junior high school, high school, and undergraduate levels who present some of Shakespeare's most familiar works to students who are largely unfamiliar with them.Acclaimed teacher of drama Victor L. Cahn begins with a general introduction, then examines seven of Shakespeare's plays: THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, TWELFTH NIGHT, RICHARD II, HENRY IV, PART 1, and THE TEMPEST. With attention always directed towards inspiring student interest and response, Professor Cahn provides an overview or spine for each work, then proceeds scene by scene, focusing on salient characters, details of language, and major themes. The volume not only is entertaining and clear, but also raises provocative points of interpretation as well as numerous questions for discussion. Underlying the project is the conviction that although the plays are most effective in performance, they can nonethelesTrade ReviewDrawing on decades of experience, Cahn offers a genial and insightful guide to the growing challenges we all face presenting these plays to students. -- Joseph A. Dane, Professor of English, University of Southern CaliforniaProfessor Cahn's guide to Shakespeare's plays reflects his many years of experience in the classroom and the theater. Teachers faced with the daunting task of engaging 21st-century students with 16th-century drama will benefit from Professor Cahn's stimulating presentation of a complex subject and share his delight in Shakespeare's language and intelligence. Cahn skillfully presents the material with clarity and wit, offering perceptive insights in an accessible manner with as much style as he did when I was his student. -- Alexandra Dunietz Ph.D, Independent ScholarFor the student, teacher, or general reader, Professor Cahn's work is an excellent, refreshingly direct guide to the essential issues of Shakespeare's plays. Teachers will find Professor Cahn's clear and elegant prose a pleasure to read and his nuanced critical approaches especially stimulating. -- Annette Stoller, The Fieldston SchoolTable of ContentsPreface Introduction A Few Words about the Comedies Chapter 1: The Taming of the Shrew Chapter 2: A Midsummer Night’s Dream Chapter 3: The Merchant of Venice Chapter 4: Twelfth Night, or What You Will A Few Words about the Histories Chapter 5: Richard II Chapter 6: Henry IV, Part 1 A Few Words about the Romances Chapter 7: The Tempest Afterword About the Author

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Book SynopsisThe influence of Shakespeare on American culture is unequivocal. And despite its youth, young adult literature has grown into a literary force majeure. Considering the widespread popularity of both Shakespeare and young adult literature, their pairing can offer teachers and students a wide array of instructional possibilities. Our collection offers secondary (6-12) educators engaging ideas and approaches for pairing Shakespeare's most frequently taught plays alongside young adult novels which often provide a unique examination of a topic that teaching a single text could not afford. The pairings offered in each chapter allow for comparisons in some cases, for extensions in others, and for critique in some.Trade ReviewNot since Herz and Gallo’s groundbreaking text, From Hinton to Hamlet, first appeared in 1996 have scholars addressed the connection between Shakespeare’s plays and quality Young Adult Literature. The editors bring together YA scholars who inform teachers how Shakespeare’s commonly taught plays pair with robust selections from YA literature. If you think your reading taste buds are too refined for YA Literature, please look at the compelling arguments contained in this volume. -- Steven T. Bickmore, Associate Professor of English Education, University of Nevada Las Vegas; curator, Dr. Bickmore’s YA Wednesday BlogAn essential resource for English teachers who want to teach BOTH Shakespeare and young adult literature without sacrificing either. Shakespeare and Young Adult Literature: Pairing and Teaching features the Bard’s most frequently taught works such as Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, and Hamlet, paired with recent young adult literature. With chapters written by educators on the vanguard of young adult literature studies, this text gives teachers who love Shakespeare new ways to read the Bard and teachers who love young adult literature fresh angles to tackle contemporary issues. This is a must have book. -- Joan F. Kaywell, professor of English education, University of South FloridaTable of ContentsINTRODUCTIONPairing and Teaching Shakespeare with Young Adult LiteratureVictor Malo-Juvera and Paula GreathouseCHAPTER 1Engaging the Classics through Culturally Relevant Pedagogy: Reading Jacqueline Woodson’s If You Come Softly as Complement to Romeo and JulietSusan Groenke CHAPTER 2Betrayal, Brotherhood, and Belonging: Language and Power in Julius Caesar and The Chocolate WarMelanie Hundley and Sarah K. BurrissCHAPTER 3Revenge, Mental Health, and Suicide: Pairing Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Matthew Quick’s Forgive Me, Leonard PeacockJoseph P. HaugheyCHAPTER 4 Reading Hamlet and Monster to Study IdentityAmy Connelly Banks and Chris CroweCHAPTER 5What is the price of ambition? Teaching Macbeth with On the Come UpJen McConnelCHAPTER 6Using All American Boys to Contextualize Othello: An Exploration in AlterityJennifer S. Dail and Michelle B. GoodsiteCHAPTER 7Othello and My Friend Dahmer: Examining the Beast WithinLisa ScherffCHAPTER 8Monsters Matter: Reimagining Caliban Using Monster TheoryLaura Bolf-BeliveauCHAPTER 9Shakespeare VS. The Homosapien Agenda: Exploring Gender in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Simon vs. The Homosapien Agenda Pauline Skowron Schmidt and Matthew Kruger-RossCHAPTER 10Secrets and Spies: E. Lockhart’s The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks and Shakespeare’s Much Ado about NothingMegan Lynn IsaacCHAPTER 11To Write or Not to Write – That’s the QuestionBryan Ripley CrandallABOUT THE EDITORS ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS INDEX OF SHAKESPEARE AND YA TEXTSSUBJECT INDEX

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Book SynopsisThis book explores the school and district leadership lessons that can be gleaned from five of Shakespeare's most well-known and frequently taught plays: Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, The Merchant of Venice, Julius Caesar and Hamlet. Each chapter focuses on one of the five plays and the leadership themes that can inform the work done by principals, superintendents and other school leaders. Those themes include everything from understanding how the adolescent brain works, to managing money and resources, to leading with a clear sense of purpose.This book does not require anyone to be a Shakespeare scholar. It simply asks readers to become reacquainted with some timeless stories, memorable characters, and remarkable feats that can be viewed as parallels to those that school leaders perform each and every day.Table of ContentsForewordPrefaceIntroductionChapter One: Romeo and JulietChapter Two: MacbethChapter Three: The Merchant of VeniceChapter Four: Julius CaesarChapter Five: HamletConclusionAcknowledgments

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Book SynopsisThis book explores the school and district leadership lessons that can be gleaned from five of Shakespeare's most well-known and frequently taught plays: Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, The Merchant of Venice, Julius Caesar and Hamlet. Each chapter focuses on one of the five plays and the leadership themes that can inform the work done by principals, superintendents and other school leaders. Those themes include everything from understanding how the adolescent brain works, to managing money and resources, to leading with a clear sense of purpose.This book does not require anyone to be a Shakespeare scholar. It simply asks readers to become reacquainted with some timeless stories, memorable characters, and remarkable feats that can be viewed as parallels to those that school leaders perform each and every day.Table of ContentsForewordPrefaceIntroductionChapter One: Romeo and JulietChapter Two: MacbethChapter Three: The Merchant of VeniceChapter Four: Julius CaesarChapter Five: HamletConclusionAcknowledgments

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Book Synopsis This study reexamines the recognized canon of films based on Shakespeare''s plays, and argues that it should be broadened by breaking with two unnecessary standards: the characterization of the director as auteur of a play''s screen adaptation, and the convention of excluding films with contemporary language or modern or alternative settings or which use the play as a subtext. The emphasis is shifted from the director''s contribution to the film''s social, cultural and historical contexts. The work of the auteurs is reevaluated within present-day contexts, preserving the established canon while proposing new criteria for inclusion.

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Book Synopsis Bringing together some of the best work from the 2016 Comparative Drama Conference in Baltimore, this collection of essays presents the latest research in comparative drama, performance and dramatic textual analysis. A variety of approaches and formats--including twelve research papers, five book reviews and one transcript--cover topics ranging from Ancient Greece to 21st century America. A highlight is the keynote conversation featuring the great American playwright Tony Kushner.

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Book Synopsis This study provides the first comprehensive examination of every prop in Shakespeare''s plays, whether mentioned in stage directions, indicated in dialogue or implied by the action. Building on the latest scholarship and offering a witty treatment of the subject, the authors delve into numerous historical documents, the business of theater in Renaissance England, and the plays themselves to explain what audiences might have seen at the Globe, the Rose, the Curtain, or the Blackfriars Playhouse, and why it matters. Students of the plays will be able to read beyond Shakespeare''s words and visualize the drama as it might have appeared on the stage. Scholars will find a wealth of previously unmined material for reconstructing Renaissance theatrical practices. School drama groups, amateur theaters and directors and prop masters of professional troupes will find help in mounting their own productions as the Bard''s audiences would have seen them.

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Book Synopsis Set in politically unstable environments, Shakespeare''s history plays--Richard II, 1 Henry IV, 2 Henry IV and Henry V--and HBO''s Western series Deadwood (2004-2006) all stand as critiques of myths of national origin, the sanitized stories we tell ourselves about how power imposes order on chaos. Drawing parallels between the Shakespeare plays and Deadwood, the author explores questions about legitimate political authority, the qualities of an effective leader, gender roles and community, and the reciprocal relationship between past and present in historical narratives.

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Book Synopsis Presenting some of the best work from the 2017 Comparative Drama Conference at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, this collection highlights the latest research in comparative drama, performance and dramatic textual analysis. Contributors cover a broad range of topics, from the practical ethnography of directing foreign language productions to writing for theoretical stages to the radical deaf theater of Aaron Sawyer''s The Vineyard. A full transcript of the keynote conversation with American playwright and screenwriter Lisa Loomer is included.

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Book Synopsis The 15th in a series drawn from scholarship presented at the annual Comparative Drama Conference at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, this collection provides insights into texts and practices currently at the forefront of theatrical discussion. The volume includes various essays on the intersections of script and performance, and features an exclusive interview with keynote speaker, playwright Simon Stephens.

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Book Synopsis This volume is the sixteenth in a series dedicated to presenting the latest findings in the fields of comparative drama, performance, and dramatic textual analysis. Featuring some of the best work from the 2019 Comparative Drama Conference in Orlando, this book engages audiences with new research on contemporary and classic drama, performance studies, scenic design and adaptation theory in nine scholarly essays, two event transcripts and six book reviews. This year''s highlights include an interview with playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and a roundtable discussion on the sixtieth anniversary of Lorraine Hansberry''s A Raisin in the Sun.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments  viiPreface  1A Conversation with Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (Baron Kelly)  5A Raisin in the Sun at 60: A Conversation (Teresa Gilliams, Nathaniel G. Nesmith, Janna Segal, Baron Kelly and Branden Jacobs-Jenkins)  27Radical Resurrections: A Performance History of John Brown's Body (Victoria Lynn Scrimer)  49Deep When: A Basic Design Philosophy for Addressing Holidays in Historical Dramas (Michael Schweikardt)  63Uncanniness and Alienation in Lisa D'Amour's Detroit and Airline Highway (M. Scott Phillips) 78Precious Resources: Cultural Archiving in the Post-Apocalyptic Worlds of Mr. Burns and Station Eleven (Paul D. Reich)  96Past the Lyrical: Mythographic Metatheatre in Marina Carr's Phaedra Backwards (Phillip Zapkin)  113Infidelity, Adaptation, and Textuality: Directing Late Medieval and Early Modern French Farce (Scott D. Taylor)  130Rectories Meet "One-Hour" Rooms: Williams on Summery and Eccentric Loves (Jeffrey B. Loomis)  148A Portrait of the Krapp as a Young[er] Man: Michael Laurence's Krapp, 39   (William Hutchings)  161Waiting for Rothko (Doug Phillips)  174Review of Literature: Selected Books Simon Critchley, Tragedy, the Greeks, and Us (Doug Phillips)  189Trevor Boffone, Teresa Marrero and Chantal Rodriguez, eds. Encuentro: Latinx Performance for the New American Theater  (Osvaldo Sandoval-Leon)  193Lopamudra Basu. Ayad Akhtar, the American Nation, and Its Others After 9/11: Homeland Insecurity (Mahwash Shoaib)  197Max Shulman and J. Chris Westgate, eds. Performing the Progressive Era: Immigration, Urban Life, and Nationalism on Stage (Patrick Midgley)  200Selby Wynn Schwartz. The Bodies of Others: Drag Dances and Their Afterlives (Alicia M. Goodman)  204David Palmer, ed. Visions of Tragedy in Modern American Drama  (Melissa Rynn Porterfield)  207Index  211

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Book Synopsis? Twenty-four of today''s most prominent Shakespeare scholars discuss the best-known works in Shakespeare studies, along with some nearly forgotten classics that deserve fresh appraisal. An extensive bibliography provides a reading list of the most important works in the field. A filmography then lists the most important Shakespeare films, along with the films that influenced Shakespeare filmmakers. Interviewees include Sir Stanley Wells, Sir Jonathan Bate, Sir Brian Vickers, Ann Thompson, Virginia Mason Vaughan, George T. Wright, Lukas Erne, MacDonald P. Jackson, Peter Holland, James Shapiro, Katherine Duncan-Jones and Barbara Hodgdon.

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Book Synopsis? Henrik Ibsen, Anton Chekhov and August Strindberg--innovators of modern drama--created characters whose reckless pursuits of irrational objectives blind them to better options. Ibsen''s protagonists in A Doll''s House, Hedda Gabler and The Master Builder try to bend the world to conform to their personal visions--with disastrous results. Chekhov''s characters refuse to do anything, instead dramatizing their lives as if they were actors in a play (which they are). Rehearsing the intractable squabbles between men and women in The Dance of Death and The Ghost Sonata, Strindberg suggests that only in life beyond death can humanity transcend the brutality of existence. Together, the lives of these characters offer a study of the individual''s struggle with modernity.

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Book Synopsis Shakespeare''s Hamlet--written 1,000 years after the classical Greek period--follows a narrative pattern similar to that of the Greek Electra myth, and it isn''t the only story to do so. We see signs of Electra''s influence again in the 20th-century works of Oscar Wilde, Eugene O''Neill and T.S. Eliot, among others. This revised and updated edition will look more closely at the influence of Electra on popular culture throughout history and the questions it poses regarding oppositions such as logic versus instinct, night versus day and repression versus freedom.

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Book Synopsis? The plays of Eugene O''Neill testify to his continued search for new dramatic strategies. The author explores the Nobel Prize winner''s attempts at creating a new Modern play. He shows how, moving away from melodrama or the problem play, O''Neill revisited the classical frames of drama and reinvented theater aesthetics by resorting to masks, the chorus, acoustics, silence or immobility for the creation of his dramatic works.Trade ReviewDubost analyzes O’Neill’s progression as a playwright from his early one-act plays to A Moon for the Misbegotten in the most comprehensive study since Travis Bogard’s Contour in Time."" - Zander Brietzke, author of The Aesthetics of Failure: Dynamic Structure in the Plays of Eugene O’Neill

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Book Synopsis This volume is the seventeenth in a series dedicated to presenting the latest findings in the fields of comparative drama and performance. Featuring eleven essays from the 2021 Comparative Drama Conference in Orlando, it includes new research on contemporary plays by Anne Washburn, Will Arbery, Matthew Lopez, Anna Deveare Smith and Qui Nguyen. Chapters also present new research for classic plays such as Measure for Measure and Cyrano, arguments for teaching science through drama, changing approaches for training actors, and using the insights of neuroscience to lure audiences back to live theatre. This year''s volume also features a new interview with playwright Anne Washburn and seven book reviews centered on drama and theatre studies.

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Book Synopsis Shakespeare''s comedy Love''s Labour''s Lost has perplexed scholars and theatergoers for over 400 years due to its linguistic complexity, obscure topical allusions and decidedly non-comedic ending. According to traditional interpretations, it is Shakespeare''s French play, based on events and characters from the French Wars of Religion. This work argues that the play''s French surface conceals a Russian core. It outlines an interpretation of Love''s Labour''s Lost rooted in diplomatic and trade relations between Russia and Elizabethan England during the dramatic decades following England''s discovery of a northern trade route to Muscovy in 1553. Drawing on original research of 16th-century sources in English, Latin and French, the text also surveys Russian sources previously unavailable in translation. This analysis provides new explanations for some of the play''s previously most enigmatic elements, such as its unconventional ending, the significance of itTrade ReviewLove's Labours Lost is filled with puzzles and lost in-jokes, until now, with the author having discovered the key: insider Elizabethan court knowledge within the further context of 16th-century Anglo-Russian diplomatic relations. The author's comprehension of the entire history of the scholarship, criticism, and theater history concerning the play, and of Russian history and language, is detailed and thorough. This work thus solves a 400-year-old problem."—Michael Delahoyde, professor of English, Washington State UniversityTable of Contents Table of Contents Timeline: Historical Events in England, Russia and Europe, 1530–1649 Preface Introduction Part I—Love's Labors: Mary, Elizabeth and Ivan, 1553–1584  1. Seasick Coming from Muscovy  2. What Buys Your Company?  3. The Ambassadors of Love  4. The Armipotent Mars  5. The Empress of Muscovy  6. The Soldier, the Clown and the Wench Part II—Labors Lost: Elizabeth and Godunov, 1584–1598  7. The Curate, the Pedant and the Boy  8. A Feast of Languages  9. Heirs of All Eternity 10. The Pageant of the Nine Worthies Epilogue: You This Way, We That Way Chapter Notes Bibliography Index

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Book Synopsis Playwright and television writer Kermit Frazier began life as a precocious Negro boy growing up in southeast Washington, D.C., during the Civil Rights era of the 1950s and 1960s. As a student at an all-Black elementary school, Kermit was selected for a newly formed honors track at a predominantly white secondary school. Traveling a complex path, Kermit tore down segregation barriers, balanced on an academic pedestal, and battled an internal war of denial against his same-sex attractions. This memoir is not a story about a young man rising from the hood but rather a young Black man struggling with stereotypes, identity, and mild dyslexia while straddling two middle-class worlds, Black and white, and striving not to be everyone''s other.Table of Contents Acknowledgments  ix Prologue  1 Drive  5 Snow  34 Pee  52 Reading Apprehension  68 How I Danced  82 Fire  99 Of Crickets and Boys  108 Ironing  141 Geometry  150 Flux: An Afterword  167

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisCurated from the Applause three-volume series, Once More unto the Speech, Dear Friends, edited by Neil Freeman, these monologue from Shakespeare''s works are given new life and purpose for today''s readers and actors alike. There are twelve titles in this series, which is divided into four categories: monologues for younger men, monologues for older men, monologues for women, and monologues for any gender, the latter being a unique feature since most monologue books are compiled for either men or women. Each book is presented in a smaller format that is more consistent with standard monologue books. Titles in the series: Monologues from Shakespeare's First Folio for Any Gender: The ComediesMonologues from Shakespeare's First Folio for Any Gender: The HistoriesMonologues from Shakespeare's First Folio for Any Gender: The Tragedies Monologues from Shakespeare's First F

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Book SynopsisCurated from the Applause three-volume series, Once More unto the Speech, Dear Friends, edited by Neil Freeman, these monologue from Shakespeare''s works are given new life and purpose for today's readers and actors alike. There are twelve titles in this series, which is divided into four categories: monologues for younger men, monologues for older men, monologues for women, and monologues for any gender, the latter being a unique feature since most monologue books are compiled for either men or women. Each book is presented in a smaller format that is more consistent with standard monologue books. Titles in the series: Monologues from Shakespeare's First Folio for Any Gender: The ComediesMonologues from Shakespeare's First Folio for Any Gender: The HistoriesMonologues from Shakespeare's First Folio for Any Gender: The Tragedies Monologues from Shakespeare's First Fo

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Book SynopsisCurated from the Applause three-volume series, Once More unto the Speech, Dear Friends, edited by Neil Freeman, these monologue from Shakespeare''s works are given new life and purpose for today''s readers and actors alike. There are twelve titles in this series, which is divided into four categories: monologues for younger men, monologues for older men, monologues for women, and monologues for any gender, the latter being a unique feature since most monologue books are compiled for either men or women. Each book is presented in a smaller format that is more consistent with standard monologue books.Titles in the series:Monologues from Shakespeare''s First Folio for Any Gender: The ComediesMonologues from Shakespeare''sFirst Folio for Any Gender: The HistoriesMonologues from Shakespeare''s First Folio for Any Gender: The TragediesMonologues from Shakespeare''s First Folio for Women: The ComediesMonologue

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