Sixty-Minute Shakespeare - Much Ado About Nothing

Sixty-Minute Shakespeare is an ideal alternative for those who lack the time or means to tackle the unabridged versions of the world's most widely read playwright

Cass Foster has judiciously condensed (without modernizing) the Bard's richly poetic language

He has skillfully retained the integrity of the text, allowing students to experience the thrill of the stories as well as the captivating imagery in the prose and verse

In addition, Mr Foster has provided helpful footnotes on nearly every page explaining the more arcane words and phrases to help the reader better understand and appreciate each play

Practical suggestions are clearly laid out for staging, pacing and thematic exploration

Scenes flow smoothly from one to the next, maintaining a continuity difficult to find in other condensed versions of the Bard's works

Each script is approximately 70 pages

Simple sets

The Sixty-Minute Shakespeare series is especially for you if ...

Your students rely too heavily on classroom discussion in order to understand the plays
You lack the time to introduce all the plays you would like your students to be familiar with
You lack the time and resources to stage a fully-mounted Shakespearean production
Or you're curious why schools in all US States, all Canadian provinces, and 45 other countries are working with the series

"Allows teacher to introduce the language more easily to wary students ... The series is a valuable resource ... Foster successfully retains each play's integrity and beauty" ~ Today's Librarian

"As our education outreach department at Colorado Shakespeare Festival is dedicated to enlightening teachers and students (and the community at large) about Shakespeare's works - using a 'hands-on' philosophy - I have found this an incredible resource. Whenever teachers are looking for a truncated script, or help with 'opening up Shakespeare' to their students" ~ Melinda J. Scott, Education Director, Colorado Shakespeare Festival

"Want to ease kids into reading full-length Shakespeare? Sixty-Minute Shakespeare offers fast-paced condensations of six Shakespeare classics. Rather than re-tell, the series preserves the original play format and the Bard's language, while providing excellent footnotes to archaic words. It's a smart stepping stone to the real thing" ~ NEA Today