The 30-Minute Shakespeare Anthology
A Midsummer Night's Dream  •  As You Like It  •  Comedy of Errors
Hamlet  •  Henry IV Part 1  •  Julius Caesar  •  King Lear  •  Love's Labour's Lost
Macbeth  •  The Merchant of Venice  •  The Merry Wives of Windsor
Much Ado About Nothing  •  Othello  •  Romeo and Juliet  •  The Taming of the Shrew
The Tempest  •  Twelfth Night  •  Two Gentlemen of Verona

The 30-Minute Shakespeare Anthology contains 18 abridged scenes, including monologues, from 18 of Shakespeare's best-known plays. Every scene features interpretive stage directions and detailed performance and monologue notes, all "road tested" at the Folger Shakespeare Library's annual Student Shakespeare Festival.

The scenes and monologues in this anthology have been selected with both teachers and students in mind, providing a complete toolkit for an unforgettable performance, audition, or competition.

This thirty-minute cutting focuses on three ridiculously funny and vibrant scenes from A Midsummer Night's Dream. The first scene starts with Puck mistakenly anointing the eyes of the wrong lovers with love potion, leading to a madcap chase scene between Helena, Lysander, Hermia, and Demetrius.

Scene two features Bottom's magical transformation to an ass, always an audience favorite. The final scene is the classic play within a play, where the "Rude Mechanicals" act out with "tragical mirth" the story of Pyramus and Thisbe, with specific comic suggestions for the characters, including Lion chasing Thisbe into the audience!

The edition includes a preface by Nick Newlin, containing helpful advice on how to put on a Shakespeare performance in a high school class with novice actors, as well as an appendix with suggestions for the specific play and recommendations for further resources.

This edition of As You Like It features Rosalind, disguised as a man, "teaching" the art of romantic wooing to Orlando. The cutting includes Jaques's "Seven Ages of Man" speech, Touchstone the Fool's courtship of Audrey, and the hilarious love triangle between Silvius, Phebe, and Rosalind (as Ganymede). There is also 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.

This edition of The Comedy of Errors offers five raucous scenes in an extravaganza of mistaken identity. The foibles of Antipholus of Ephesus, Dromio of Ephesus, and their identical twin counterparts from Syracuse are a hilarious spectacle to act and stage. There is also 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.

Hamlet: The 30-Minute Shakespeare offers five scenes from this enduring tragedy. The Ghost of Hamlet's father calls for vengeance, and Hamlet uses the players to prove Claudius guilty. The cutting includes the murder of Polonius, Ophelia's mad scene, and the timeless To be or not to be speech, climaxing in the swordfight and poisoning that bring the story to its riveting end.

The edition includes helpful advice by Nick Newlin on how to put on a Shakespeare production in a high school class with novice actors, as well as tips for performing the specific play and recommendations for further resources.

This edition of Henry IV, Part 1 includes tavern revelry, highway robbery, and a splendid role-reversal scene between the inimitable Falstaff and the young Prince Hal. The cutting also features Hal's touching reconciliation with his father, followed by his brutal rejection of Falstaff, his former friend. There is also 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.

Julius Caesar: The 30-Minute Shakespeare presents eight spellbinding scenes from this timeless masterpiece. The action begins as the soothsayer warns Caesar of the Ides of March and continues as Brutus conspires against Caesar. Other key scenes include Caesar's riveting assassination and Antony's stirring funeral oration. This adaptation closes with Cinna the Poet's death at the hands of the mob, the quarrel between Brutus and Cassius, and Brutus' suicide.

The edition includes a preface by Nick Newlin containing helpful advice on presenting Shakespeare in a high school setting with novice actors, as well as an appendix with play-specific suggestions and recommendations for further resources.

This edition of King Lear renders six powerful scenes, beginning with Lear's banishment of Cordelia. Brother Edmund's villainous plotting, the Fool's witty wordplay, and Lear's madness during the storm on the heath are stage drama at its best. There is also 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.

This edition of Love's Labour's Lost features three scenes from the tale of King Navarre and his three lords, who have vowed to retire from women for three years. Naturally, the Princess of France and her three ladies arrive, and comedic courtship ensues. There is also 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.

This thirty-minute Macbeth packs seven key scenes into a play cutting so powerful that actors choose to refer to it only as "The Scottish Play." We open with the Weird Sisters predicting Macbeth's fate, followed by Macbeth and his villainous wife's plot to kill and then carry out the murder of King Duncan.

This cutting also features the appearance of Banquo's ghost at the banquet, the Witches' unforgettable "double double toil and trouble" scene, and Lady Macbeth's riveting "out, damned spot" sleepwalk.

This endlessly entertaining edition ends with the entire cast reciting Macbeth's poignant "tomorrow, tomorrow, and tomorrow" speech in unison.

The edition includes a preface by Nick Newlin, containing helpful advice on how to put on a Shakespeare performance in a high school class with novice actors, as well as an appendix with suggestions for the specific play and recommendations for further resources.

This edition of The Merchant of Venice features eight scenes, including Shylock's original loan to Antonio, the comic interlude of two foreign princes competing for Portia's hand, and the climax in the courtroom where Portia, disguised as a lawyer, combines logic with humanity to demolish Shylock.

There is also 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.

We begin this merry cutting with one of Shakespeare's favorite fat knights, Sir John Falstaff, who announces his intention to woo both Mistress Ford and Mistress Page simultaneously, to the delight of his cohorts Bardolph, Pistol, and Nym, who then decide to double-cross Falstaff.

The characters' movements on stage are clearly denoted so that even inexperienced actors can give the scenes life. Robin is nearsighted, Bardolph is a drunk who tries to juggle, and Pistol and Nym are constantly jostling for position.

Other key moments include the hilarious wooing of Mistress Ford by Falstaff and the hysterical concealment of Falstaff in the laundry basket. The cutting ends in the woods with Falstaff dressed as a stag, being tormented by fairies for his comeuppance.

The edition includes a preface by Nick Newlin, containing helpful advice on how to put on a Shakespeare performance in a high school class with novice actors, as well as an appendix with suggestions for the specific play and recommendations for further resources.

This thirty-minute cutting of Shakespeare's utterly charming and popular comedy Much Ado About Nothing features five key scenes, including Beatrice and Benedick's classic initial word-battle, and the uproarious hide-and-seek deception of the two "lovers." The next scenes are the brutal rejection of Hero at the altar by a deceived Claudio and the timeless manhandling of the English language by the bumbling constable Dogberry.

In the fifth and final scene, Shakespeare resolves the play's conflicts and confusions, and love reigns again. This cutting really tells the story, and includes some sidesplitting stage business, particularly the back-and-forth physical and verbal parrying between Benedick and Beatrice.

The edition includes a preface by Nick Newlin, containing helpful advice on how to put on a Shakespeare performance in a high school class with novice actors, as well as an appendix with suggestions for the specific play and recommendations for further resources.

This edition of Othello highlights the dramatic build as the venomous Iago systematically deceives Othello about his wife Desdemona, drawing the Moor into a jealous rage. The plot concludes with Othello outrageously smothering Desdemona, discovering the truth of Iago's deception, and committing suicide. There is also 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.

This edition of Romeo and Juliet is edited to four key scenes, starting with the lyrical Prologue and the foreboding opening brawl. The cutting includes the timeless balcony scene; the harsh scolding of Juliet by her father; and the final moments at the tomb. Also included is an essay by series 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.

This edition of The Taming of the Shrew features seven scenes, including Bianca's courtship by Lucentio and Hortensio disguised as pedants, Petruchio's relentless "taming" of Kate, the outlandish marriage scene, and Kate's famous speech in praise of wives submitting to their husbands.

There is also 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.

The Tempest: The 30-Minute Shakespeare offers eight scenes from this rich comedy. Beginning with the magical storm and shipwreck, this adaptation includes the uproarious discovery of the monster Caliban and his plot to kill Prospero. Included are the heartfelt marriage vows between Ferdinand and Miranda, the disguised antics of fairy Ariel, and Prospero's poetic abjuration of his rough magic.

The edition includes a preface by Nick Newlin containing helpful advice on how to put on a Shakespeare performance in a high school class with novice actors as well as an appendix with suggestions for the specific play and recommendations for further resources.

This thirty-minute edit of Shakespeare's bittersweet comic masterpiece consists of three classic scenes. After an extended introductory narration, the action begins with Feste the Fool consoling a mourning Lady Olivia with wit and wordplay. Viola (disguised as a male Cesario) woos Olivia on behalf of Duke Orsino, but Olivia falls for the messenger Viola/Cesario instead. Specific stage directions and character activities allow even novice actors to breathe life into these scenes.

This lively cutting includes a group "rap" version of the song "Come Away Death." The final scene in Olivia's kitchen gives young actors an easy and specific way to play late-night revelry with Sir Toby Belch and company, including the ever-censorious Malvolio.

The edition includes a preface by Nick Newlin, containing helpful advice on how to put on a Shakespeare performance in a high school class with novice actors, as well as an appendix with suggestions for the specific play and recommendations for further resources.

The Two Gentlemen of Verona: The 30-Minute Shakespeare presents six captivating scenes from this high-spirited play. Proteus pledges his love to Julia, but then falls in love with Silvia, who had planned to elope with Proteus's bosom buddy Valentine. This classic story features hilarious cross-dressing, clever disguises, and intriguing mistaken identities. It also includes the uproarious monologue featuring Launce and his dog Crab.

The edition includes helpful advice by Nick Newlin on how to put on a Shakespeare production in a high school class with novice actors, as well as tips for performing the specific play and recommendations for further resources.