Romeo and Juliet: The 30-Minute Shakespeare
Category: Books,Arts & Photography,Performing Arts
Romeo and Juliet: The 30-Minute Shakespeare Details
About the Author Nick Newlin has performed a juggling and variety act for international audiences for 23 years. Since 1996, he has conducted an annual Play Directing residency affiliated with the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC. Nick has a BA from Harvard University with Honors 1982 and an MA in Theater from The University of Maryland with an emphasis on Play Directing. Read more
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Reviews
As an educator who has tried many ways to get his students into Shakespeare, I was impressed with this 30-Minute Shakespeare rendition of Romeo & Juliet. My bias when it comes to teaching Shakespeare is to focus on the Bard's use of language to develop characters, to build conflict, and to provide comic relief through puns and word-play; as a result, I tend not to be a huge fan of Shakespeare-made-easy types of texts (I feel they strip the language down too much in favor of simplifying the plots). Most who study Shakespeare understand that his plots are, for the most part, re-hashing popular tales of Medieval Europe; what makes Shakespeare special is his poetry.What I found with Newlin's "cuttings" was this: the "meaty" sections of Shakespeare's language--the parts that really build characterization and show relationships-- were left mostly in tact. This enables a teacher to examine dialogue and soliloquies with students effectively because they are boiled down to a "highlights section" and presented in their essential contexts. Morse obscure or obtuse sections (such as Mercutio's "Queen Mab" speech) are omitted; instead, the story is advanced by brief, student-friendly summaries. Students are able to see how the story progresses, but the plot development is not front-and-center. Instead the language stays the primary focus.I know the script is intended for performance, but I feel it would function well as an introductory-level Shakespearean text for the purposes of familiarizing students with Shakespeare's use of language and his abilities to bring characters to life through idiosyncratic diction and heightened poetic phrasing. I am eager to read other Newlin cuttings of Shakespeare for I believe he has hit upon something quite important for the advancement of Shakespeare appreciation in schools.
