A Midsummer Night's Dream: The 30-Minute Shakespeare
Category: Books,Arts & Photography,Performing Arts
A Midsummer Night's Dream: The 30-Minute Shakespeare Details
From School Library Journal Gr 8 Up–Abiding by the premise that the text is supreme, Newlin's cuttings reveal the stories through the use of original dialogue and short connecting narratives to compensate for missing scenes. Each adaptation is accompanied by simple stage directions and a prop list. A sample program indicates possible double-casting of roles, and Newlin's personal notes on the pros and cons of his own high school production will embolden neophyte directors. A preface explains the origins of Newlin's adaptations, and an essay on “Performing Shakespeare,” which follows the text, includes rehearsal suggestions and a discussion of the application of Aristotle's six elements of drama. A good bibliography of print and online resources completes the work. Newlin's prose is clear and explanatory, stressing the importance of understanding Shakespeare's words and of granting license to the young actors' own ideas. Problems do occur, however, with the adaptations themselves because large sections of the plays have been omitted to accommodate the time frame, and the scenes do not always follow their original order. For example, in Midsummer, readers learn that Puck has engineered Titania's falling in love with an “ass,” but Oberon's reasons for wanting to humiliate her are never divulged. Geared to an older audience than Carole Cox's Shakespeare's Kids (Libraries Unlimited, 2009), Newlin's titles maintain Cox's philosophy of empowering young actors with Shakespeare's own words and could serve well as introductory texts for simple productions if additional narratives are supplied.–Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, The Naples Players, FLĪ±(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. Read more About the Author Nick Newlin has performed a juggling and variety act for international audiences for 23 years. Since 1996, he has conducted an annual Play Directing residency affiliated with the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC. Nick has a BA from Harvard University with Honors 1982 and an MA in Theater from The University of Maryland with an emphasis on Play Directing. Read more
Reviews
Introduced my 5th graders to Shakespeare with this 30 minute adaptation. VERY accessible! Made performing in class a breeze.
