English Drama - 16th-17th Century - Elizabethan & Jacobean Eras - Shakespeare - Literary Criticism, Speech, Acting & Auditioning, Theater - Direction & Production, General & Miscellaneous Poetry - Literary Criticism, English Language Reference - General &

How to Speak Shakespeare

Name: How to Speak Shakespeare
Author: Cal Pritner
ISBN: 9781891661181

by Cal Pritner, Louis Colaianni

Available on Bookshop Write a review

Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.

Overview

This classroom and theater-tested program teaches amateur and professional actors alike how to understand and effectively communicate the poetry of Shakespeare. Organized around passages from Romeo and Juliet, a simple, three-step process is presented. In the first step, readers learn the value of looking up words in the Oxford English Dictionary and paraphrase passages to ensure that they truly understand the words they are speaking. The second step, presents essential tools for speaking Shakespeare effectively, including iambic pentameter and correct rhythm, and explains how to syncopate for meaning. The final step, honors the poetry of Shakespeare through a discussion of the use of punctuation, repeated sounds, and connecting key words and phrases. Exercises bring all the elements of these steps together.

Synopsis

This classroom and theater-tested program teaches amateur and professional actors alike how to understand and effectively communicate the poetry of Shakespeare. Organized around passages from Romeo and Juliet, a simple, three-step process is presented. In the first step, Test Your Understanding, readers learn the value of looking up words in the Oxford English Dictionary and paraphrase passages to ensure that they truly understand the words they are speaking. The second step, Stress for Meaning, presents essential tools for speaking Shakespeare effectively, including iambic pentameter and correct rhythm, and explains how to syncopate for meaning. The final step, Celebrate the Poetry, honors the poetry of Shakespeare through a discussion of the use of punctuation, repeated sounds, and connecting key words and phrases. Exercises bring all the elements of these steps together.

Author Biography: Cal Pritner has chaired theatre departments at Illinois State University and the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and served as the founding artistic director of the Illinois Shakespeare Festival. He lives in New York City. Louis Colaianni is an associate professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and has served on the faculties of the American Conservatory Theatre, Ohio University, and Hunter College among others. He lives in Kansas City, Missouri.

ForeWord Magazine

Indispensable. . . . a must have for most students of Shakespeare, regardless of their background or motivation.

About the Author, Cal Pritner

Cal Pritner has chaired theatre departments at Illinois State University and the University of Missouri–Kansas City, and served as the founding artistic director of the Illinois Shakespeare Festival. He lives in New York City. Louis Colaianni is an associate professor at the University of Missouri–Kansas City and has served on the faculties of the American Conservatory Theatre, Ohio University, and Hunter College, among others. He lives in Kansas City, Missouri.

Reviews

There are no reviews yet. Log in to write one.

Editorials

Choice

Eminently readable and understandable, this book is best described as a workshop guide for a class in reading Shakespeare. The authors' attack the problems of acting Shakespeare, speaking the language, through the use of only one play, Romeo and Juliet. They employ extensive explanations and exercises, noting comparisons and exceptions with standard rules and emphasizing the Oxford English Dictionary for definition of unfamiliar vocabulary. A fine resource for college students just beginning to explore the vicissitudes of dealing with iambic pentameter in all its variety, this book is recommended for lower-division undergraduate acting classes.

English Journal

A tool for any student or teacher to utilize when performing Shakespeare. . . . This book takes something that can be very daunting and makes it easier to understand.

ForeWord Magazine

Indispensable. . . . a must have for most students of Shakespeare, regardless of their background or motivation.

Today's Librarian

This one won't sit long on the shelves after students and teachers discover it. Presented in the most simple but not condescending terms, Pritner and Colaianni teach readers how to understand and speak Shakespearean plays. First on the praise list is their decision to use only one, familiar play for illustration, Romeo and Juliet. One cannot learn classical acting from reading a book alone, so the authors include both written and suggested oral exercises. But the book isn't only for young actors. It's superb for high school students facing a mandatory Shakespeare unit who still think Juliet is asking "where" Romeo is. As the authors explain better than many English teachers "Wherefore art thou Romeo?" means "Why are you 'Romeo'?" The lessons are easy to follow and written with a friendly hand. Thankfully, there are no synopses or critical interpretations, just excellent tutelage in Shakespeare's word usage, punctuation and poetry.