Romeo and Juliet: The 30-Minute Shakespeare

Age range 12+

Planning a school or amateur Shakespeare production? The best way to experience the plays is to perform them, but getting started can be a challenge: The complete plays are too long and complex, while scene selections or simplified language are too limited.

The 30-Minute Shakespeare is a new series of abridgements that tell the ‘story’ of each play from start to finish while keeping the beauty of Shakespeare’s language intact. Specific stage directions and character suggestions give even inexperienced actors the tools to perform Shakespeare with confidence, understanding, and fun!

This cutting of Romeo and Juliet is edited to four key scenes, starting with the lyrical prologue and the foreboding opening brawl, which is played out in slow motion to music. Also included are the timeless balcony scene; the harsh scolding of Juliet by her father, and the final moments at the tomb.

The edition also includes an essay by editor Nick Newlin on how to produce a Shakespeare play with novice actors, and notes about the original production of this abridgement at the Folger Shakespeare Library’s annual Student Shakespeare Festival.