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This is a videotape for any teacher who has ever been daunted by student resistance to Shakespeare. It is based on the work of teachers from all parts of the country, who joined with Shakespeare scholars, master teachers, actors and directors at the Folger Shakespeare Library's summer teaching institute. Its basic lesson is that Shakespeare is too much read and not enough performed. The institute participants found that speaking the words and performing the actions the words suggests leads students to a much better understanding of the plays than reading alone ever does. Shakespeare classes based on classroom performances - however informal - are more effective than readings and, not surprisingly, more fun for students and teachers.
"Chances are that many of the people sitting or standing for a performance in the Globe Theater in 1603 didn't understand the meaning of every word or every image in the play. They certainly didn't have footnotes. What they did have for a couple of hours was a perfectly wonderful time. Our students can have that same good time." -Peggy O'Brien, Education Director Folger Shakespeare Library Teaching Shakespeare was made for teachers but many teachers have already found that students find several of the segments useful and entertaining, especially the amateur and professional scenes from the plays, including Richard III, Much Ado About Nothing, and Romeo and Juliet; the description of Elizabethan England and the segment on Elizabethan music. The tape is not intended to be viewed whole; the segments on specific subjects are clearly separated.  back to top |
The
75-minute tape suggests new ways of approaching the text, how to
deal with language problems, how to turn specific scenes from the
plays into performances. It also includes facts about Shakespeare's
world chosen for their interest to young people, and an introduction
to Elizabethan culture, the context of Shakespeare's plays.
