Shakespeare And His Friends

Taking seriously the commonplace that a man is known by the company he keeps—and particularly by the company he keeps over his lifetime—one can learn more about just about anyone by learning more about his friends. By applying this notion to Shakespeare, this book offers insight into the life of the most famous playwright in history, and one of the most elusive figures in literature. The book consists of sketches of Shakespeare's contact and relationships with the people known to have been close friends or acquaintances, revealing aspects of the poet's life by emphasizing ways in which his life was intertwined with theirs. Though it is difficult to get to know this most famous of playwrights, through this work readers can gain insight into aspects of his life and personality that may otherwise have been hidden. Shakespeare, more than any other writer in the western world, based much of his work on the consequences of friendship. Given the value placed on friends in his writing, many readers have wondered about the role friendship played in his own life. This work gives readers the chance to learn more about Shakespeare's friends, who they were and what they can tell us about Shakespeare and his times. For instance, Richard Field was a boyhood friend with whom Shakespeare went to school in Stratford. Field became a well-known London printer. The details of Field's life illuminate both the details of Shakespeare's boyhood education and the poet's relationship with the printing, publishing, and book-selling world in London. Francis Collins, a lawyer who represented Shakespeare in a number of legal dealings, drafted both versions of Shakespeare's will. This life-long friend was one of the last men eve to see Shakespeare pick up a pen to write. Through these vivid and animated sketches, readers will come to know about Shakespeare's life and times. While the book has a lively, accessible narrative tone within chapters, its organization and features make it highly useful to the school library market as well as the academic world. It contains cross references, a detailed Table of Contents and a highly organized structure with uniformity across sections and chapters. The writing is accessible and could be easily used by upper-level high school students looking to augment school assignments.

A highly practical, comprehensive guide to exploring Shakespeare with young people - ideal for directors, youth theatre leaders, workshop facilitators and teachers. Experienced teacher, actor and director Max Hafler tackles the myths that Shakespeare's work is like a foreign country, not for the faint-hearted, or only for a privileged few. In this book, he shows how you can embrace the challenges of doing Shakespeare with young people, and make the plays accessible and exciting for all. Beginning with a series of workshops that introduce the skills and principles of voice and acting, he sets out, step by step, how to use devising, develop short scenes, explore soliloquies, and unlock the themes, characters, stories and language of the plays. The holistic approach includes dozens of exercises - many inspired by Michael Chekhov's innovative technique - which will help young actors explore their voice, imagination and body, and lead to performances that are richer, focused and more fulfilling. There is also useful advice on preparing for a production, editing and transposing the text, rehearsing scenes, and fostering an ensemble. Above all, this book will equip you to engage and empower young people, and to help them discover for themselves the joy of working with Shakespeare. Praise for Max Hafler's Teaching Voice: Workshops for Young Performers: 'A useful book for teachers, youth theatre leaders, facilitators and indeed anyone who works with young people... plenty of exercises, warm-ups and advice about how to use the techniques in the rehearsal room' The Stage 'Through years of experience, Hafler has developed a great understanding of what can work with teenagers and shares it generously with those who work in the field' Word Matters (Journal of the Society of Teachers of Speech and Drama) 'It is clear that the original, imaginative and fun exercises that are found within this book have been thoughtfully put together by someone who has a wealth of experience in his field and that each session has been successfully tried and tested with his own students' Drama Magazine 'A must-own... full of exercises and advice to explore' Teaching Drama

Jim Gillespie and his wife Judy are the parents of six grown children. He has been a resident of Park Ridge, Illinois for the past 65 years. Jim’s hobbies consist of family vacations, playing jazz music, and of course creative writing. For seventeen years Jim has published a Family Anthology consisting of family vignettes, poems, short stories, thought pieces and family works. Jim currently is the President of the Union League Civic and Arts Foundation, an organization that supports youth in the arts and civics.

Documents the romantic story of the making of the First Folio, relating how a few years after a virtually unknown Shakespeare died, his former partners, friends and actors gathered his surviving manuscripts, unaware that they would create one of the most important English-language books ever published.

This Is A New Release Of The Original 1904 Edition.