Shakespeare for Contemporary Theatre: Vol. 1 - Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Henry V

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The plays of William Shakespeare remain the most popular to perform on any stage. The reasons for this are many including the timelessness of the plays’ themes and exceptional writing. Theatres also appreciate that the plays allow for unlimited creativity while also being affordable to perform since there is no expensive or restrictive licensing. Of course the problems faced with staging his plays include the extensive casts and the long performance times. In Shakespeare’s time, a play of three or more hours was common. Current audiences prefer plays that are one to two hours long.

In Shakespeare for Contemporary Theatre Jane Farnol takes some of Shakespeare’s most loved plays and edits them down to suit modern needs. The cast lists are trimmed and the script is edited to focus on action while maintaining the bard’s style and language. The result is a play that moves well and is accessible for theatre companies to perform.

Additionally, there is no licensing fee to perform these edited versions as long as a credit is included in show programs. Directors are free to innovate as their situation allows.