Themes: Adapted Classics, Low Level Classics, William Shakespeare, Fiction, Tween, Teen, Young Adult, Hi-Lo, Hi-Lo Books, Hi-Lo Solutions, High-Low Books, Hi-Low Books, ELL, EL, ESL, Struggling Learner, Struggling Reader, Special Education, SPED, Newcomers, Reading, Learning, Education, Educational, Educational Books. Timeless Shakespeare-designed for the struggling reader and adapted to retain the integrity of the original play. These classic plays...

William Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" is a gripping political drama that delves into the complex themes of power, betrayal, and the consequences of ambition. Set in ancient Rome, the play unfolds in the wake of Caesar's triumphant return from war. As the city celebrates his victories, a group of senators, including Brutus and Cassius, grows increasingly concerned about Caesar's growing influence and potential tyranny. They plot his assassination...

"This edition of King Lear presents a conflated text, combining the 1608 Quarto and 1623 Folio Texts, edited with an introduction by series editor Stephen Orgel....Updated by general editors Stephen Orgel and A. R. Braunmuller, these easy-to-read editions incorporate over thirty years of Shakespeare scholarship undertaken since the original series, edited by Alfred Harbage, appeared between 1956 and 1967." --publisher's website

One of William Shakespeare's most farcical comedies, "The Comedy of Errors" is notable for its use of mistaken identity to achieve a slapstick comedic effect. Ripe with the bard's characteristic word play, the comedy concerns the lives of two sets of identical twins that were accidentally separated shortly after their birth. The play begins by the elderly Syracusian trader Egeon relating the back-story of his family. When Egeon was young, he married...

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...

Othello: The 30-Minute Shakespeare is a gripping seven-scene interpretation of this Shakespearean masterpiece. There is a dramatic build as each successive event draws Othello closer to jealous rage. Iago convinces Othello that Desdemona has been unfaithful to him with Cassio. He plants Desdemona's handkerchief in Cassio's chamber, orchestrating Othello's undoing. The plot concludes with Othello outrageously smothering Desdemona, discovering the truth...

An abridgement for performance by young people and amateur adults, "road tested" at the Folger Shakespeare Library's Student Shakespeare Festival. Six key scenes are presented with narrative bridges and interpretive stage directions, bringing Shakespeare from page to stage. Also included are an essay on performing Shakespeare, performance notes for AS YOU LIKE IT, and a directory of additional resources.

"A master at engaging students in the process of performing a Shakespeare scene."-Janet Field-Pickering, head of education, Folger Shakespeare Library The Merchant of Venice: The 30-Minute Shakespeare features eight scenes from this gripping classic: Shylock loans Antonio money, with the forfeit being a pound of Antonio's flesh. Comedic mayhem ensues as two foreign princes attempt to win Portia's hand. The climax is the courtroom scene where Portia,...

Drawing on his eighteen years of experience as a teaching artist for Folger Shakespeare Library, Nick Newlin offers eighteen scenes to get young actors on their feet performing Shakespeare with confidence, understanding, and fun! Each scene averages five minutes in length, containing two to six characters, and features a monologue that young performers can use in performance, audition, or competition. Every scene has been "road tested" by one of Newlin's...

Richard III: The 30-Minute Shakespeare This edition of Richard III features seven scenes, opening with the Duke of Gloucester's villainous "Winter of our discontent" speech and followed by his audacious wooing of Lady Anne. Queen Margaret's chilling curses, Richard's string of murders, and the haunting chants of his victims' ghosts are stage drama at its best. The climax is a gripping battle in which the Earl of Richmond slays Richard and becomes...