| Publication |
New York, Anchor Books, 2001.
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| Description |
xi, 265pBlack Spine
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| Summary/Abstract |
To an actor first approaching Elizabethan theater, Shakespearean verse can seem the most puzzling to interpret. But hidden within the text of every Shakespeare play lie directions, provided by the playwright himself. In Playing Shakespeare, John Barton draws on more than thirty-five years of experience as the Royal Shakespeare Company's associate director to offer a practical guide as to how these plays work.
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| Contents |
The two traditions: Elizabethan and modern acting
Using the verse: heightened and naturalistic verse
Language and character: making the words one's own
Using the prose: why does Shakespeare use prose?
Set speeches and soliloquies: taking the audience with you
Using the sonnets: going over some old ground
Irony and ambiguity: text that isn't what it seems
Passion and coolness: a question of balance
Rehearsing the text: Orsino and Viola
Exploring a character: playing Shylock
Contemporary Shakespeare: a discussion
Poetry and hidden poetry: three kinds of failure
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| Standard Number |
9780385720854 Pb.
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