Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Shakespeare For Dummies by John Doyle Shakespeare For Dummies by John Doyle. 'Shakespeare for Dummies' by John Doyle and Ray Lischner. IDG Books, $16.99. September 30, 1999 Web posted at: 3:43 p.m. EDT (1943 GMT) (CNN) -- Shakespeare has an image problem. Generations of students have been force-fed his works. The plays lie limply on the printed page, encrusted in the dust of an ancient time and encrypted in the jargon of an ancient language. Shakespeare can seem incomprehensible, and therefore irrelevant. The real problem, argue John Doyle and Ray Lischner, is that Shakespeare didn't write literature. He wrote popular entertainment. He intended his words to be spoken aloud from a stage, not read silently from a page. Their book "Shakespeare for Dummies" repeatedly urges the reader to give voice to the lines of iambic pentameter in order to gain a true appreciation of them. MESSAGE BOARD 'Shakespeare for Dummies'? Doyle and Lischner have a lot of experience with Shakespeare in his natural habitat. Doyle is a classically trained stage director and Lischner has appeared in several productions of Shakespeare plays. They understand the vitality of Shakespeare's words in a practical, rather than academic, sense. In their hands, the Bard comes alive. "Shakespeare for Dummies" follows the format of the other books in the "Dummies" series (covering everything from Windows 98 to gardening). It's a reference book that can be used to look up information about something specific. It's also entertaining enough to be read straight through. The book treats Shakespeare and his works with irreverent respect. The tone is set in the first section, a biography of the playwright. "We know almost nothing of William's childhood," Doyle and Lischner write, "but we do know that in November 1582, William married Anne Hathaway -- who was eight years his senior -- and they baptized their first child, Susanna, on May 26, 1583. You do the math." Each section of the book offers new ways to understand the plays. There are discussions of Elizabethan current events, contexts for the "history" plays, and descriptions of performances at the original Globe Theatre. There's even a section on Shakespearean language. At last, someone has taken the trouble to explain the difference between "thee" and "ye". ("Ye is plural, or a synonym for you�thou appears only as a subject [of a sentence]. Use thee in the object of a sentence.") The plays are divided into the three traditional categories -- comedies, histories and tragedies. The authors helpfully explain that the comedies aren't necessarily funny (although humor suffuses all the plays). The label "comedy" simply means that in the end, the hero isn't dead. But he probably does get married. They also explain why "King John" is considered a "history," but "Julius Caesar" is not. There are brief summaries of all the Shakespeare plays. These would be particularly helpful to a student or teacher, but anyone can appreciate them. They are remarkably unstuffy. "Romeo Montague loves Juliet Capulet, and Juliet loves Romeo. Neither is a free agent; the two cannot change teams without the owners' consent. You know that won't happen. In the modern era, their respective lawyers would meet to iron things out, but this is a Shakespearean tragedy. They only way to resolve this problem is through bloodshed and mayhem." The authors have also devised "scorecards" for keeping track of the action within each play. These may prove useful as study guides, but the casual reader can easily skip over them. The book concludes with a section on Shakespeare's "other" poetry, that not contained within the plays, and a section on where to see the plays performed. They list prominent Shakespeare festivals in the United States, as well as films and videos of the plays. "Shakespeare for Dummies" is true to the intent of the Bard. While it is packed with information, it is, above all, entertaining. Would you like to rate and review this book? Since you have finished reading , would you like to leave a review, letting us and anyone else know what you think of this book? Shakespeare For Dummies. Click 'Notify Me' to get an email alert when this item becomes available. Synopsis Product Details About the Author Delivery. ?Shakespeare For Dummies is exquisite.? ?from the Foreword by Dame Judi Dench, star of ?Mrs. Brown? and "Shakespeare in Love" ?What the film Shakespeare in Love has done to make Shakespeare the man accessible to a general audience, this book will do to make Shakespeare the writer enjoyable.? ?Charlotte J.Headrick, PhD, Professor and Director, Theater Arts, Oregon State University. Does the thought of sitting through A Midsummer Night?s Dream give you nightmares? Did Romeo and Juliet seem like a foreign film?without the subtitles? As John Doyle and Ray Lischner prove in this uniquely accessible guide, Shakespeare is not only the greatest writer who ever lived, he?s also a great entertainer?once you get a handle on his wild plots and witty wordplay. Under their guidance, you?ll: Go inside an Elizabethan theater?and find out how they managed with almost no seats, no roof and no women onstage Get a handle on Shakespeare?s language?including all those racy puns and jokes Maximize your enjoyment of his plays and poetry Identify contemporary idioms and phrases that come from Shakespeare?s plays Find Shakespeare festivals and performances in your area Catch ten of the best show ever made of the Bard?s plays and meet ten of the greatest Shakespearean actors of all time. In simple, straightforward language, this friendly guide eases you into the wild, wonderful world of Shakespeare. With the help of snappy summaries and scorecards that help you keep track of who?s who, who?s in love with whom, and who?s killed whom in every play, it helps you: Understand Shakespeare the person, his life and times and what makes him so special Make sense of Shakespearean language and why it sounds the way it does Get the inside track on the kinds of stories, characters and settings found in Shakespeare?s plays Appreciate Shakespeare?s sonnets and other non-dramatic poetry. A royal feast for the head and heart, Shakespeare?s works have been thrilling audiences for four centuries, as they will four hundred years from now. Now let Shakespeare For Dummies help you to enjoy one the world?s great literary treasures. John Doyle is one of Australia's finest writers for stage and screen. His work spans the theatrical success of The Pig Iron People for the Sydney Theatre Company and Vere (Faith) for the State Theatre Company of South Australia, to the small screen acclaim of series such as Changi, Marking Time and Two Men and a Tinnie for the ABC. He created the character of Roy Slaven in 1985, for ABC radio station Triple J. Since 1986, Roy has appeared alongside H G Nelson on various television series, including Club Buggery, The Channel Nine Show, Win Roy and H G's Money, The Dream, The Monday Dump, The Ice Dream, The Cream, The Dream in Athens and The Memphis Trousers and the long-running Sunday afternoon radio sports program This Sporting Life on Triple J. In 2010, John was made a Member of the Order of Australia for his services to entertainment and as a supporter of charitable organisations such as the United Nations Children's Fund in Australia. John is Patron and a life governor of Autism Spectrum Australia. Click 'Notify Me' to get an email alert when this item becomes available. Hi There, Did you know that you can save books into your library to create gift lists, reading lists, etc? You can also mark books that you're reading, or want to read. Shakespeare For Dummies (Paperback) What the film Shakespeare in Love has done to make Shakespeare the man accessible to a general audience, this book will do to make Shakespeare the writer enjoyable. Charlotte J.Headrick, PhD, Professor and Director, Theater Arts, Oregon State University. Does the thought of sitting through A Midsummer Night s Dream give you nightmares? Did Romeo and Juliet seem like a foreign film without the subtitles? As John Doyle and Ray Lischner prove in this uniquely accessible guide, Shakespeare is not only the greatest writer who ever lived, he s also a great entertainer once you get a handle on his wild plots and witty wordplay. Under their guidance, you ll: Go inside an Elizabethan theater and find out how they managed with almost no seats, no roof and no women onstageGet a handle on Shakespeare s language including all those racy puns and jokesMaximize your enjoyment of his plays and poetryIdentify contemporary idioms and phrases that come from Shakespeare s playsFind Shakespeare festivals and performances in your areaCatch ten of the best show ever made of the Bard s plays and meet ten of the greatest Shakespearean actors of all time. In simple, straightforward language, this friendly guide eases you into the wild, wonderful world of Shakespeare. With the help of snappy summaries and scorecards that help you keep track of who s who, who s in love with whom, and who s killed whom in every play, it helps you: Understand Shakespeare the person, his life and times and what makes him so specialMake sense of Shakespearean language and why it sounds the way it doesGet the inside track on the kinds of stories, characters and settings found in Shakespeare s playsAppreciate Shakespeare s sonnets and other non-dramatic poetry. A royal feast for the head and heart, Shakespeare s works have been thrilling audiences for four centuries, as they will four hundred years from now. Now let Shakespeare For Dummies help you to enjoy one the world s great literary treasures. Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc ISBN: 9780764551352 Number of pages: 384 Weight: 582 g Dimensions: 232 x 188 x 23 mm. Shakespeare For Dummies – Ray Lischner John Doyle. from the Foreword by Dame Judi Dench, star of Mrs. Brown and “Shakespeare in Love” What the film Shakespeare in Love has done to make Shakespeare the man accessible to a general audience, this book will do to make Shakespeare the writer enjoyable. Charlotte J.Headrick, PhD, Professor and Director, Theater Arts, Oregon State University. Does the thought of sitting through A Midsummer Night s Dream give you nightmares? Did Romeo and Juliet seem like a foreign film without the subtitles? As John Doyle and Ray Lischner prove in this uniquely accessible guide, Shakespeare is not only the greatest writer who ever lived, he s also a great entertainer once you get a handle on his wild plots and witty wordplay. Under their guidance, you ll: Go inside an Elizabethan theater and find out how they managed with almost no seats, no roof and no women onstage Get a handle on Shakespeare s language including all those racy puns and jokes Maximize your enjoyment of his plays and poetry Identify contemporary idioms and phrases that come from Shakespeare s plays Find Shakespeare festivals and performances in your area Catch ten of the best show ever made of the Bard s plays and meet ten of the greatest Shakespearean actors of all time. In simple, straightforward language, this friendly guide eases you into the wild, wonderful world of Shakespeare. With the help of snappy summaries and scorecards that help you keep track of who s who, who s in love with whom, and who s killed whom in every play, it helps you: Understand Shakespeare the person, his life and times and what makes him so special Make sense of Shakespearean language and why it sounds the way it does Get the inside track on the kinds of stories, characters and settings found in Shakespeare s plays Appreciate Shakespeare s sonnets and other non-dramatic poetry. A royal feast for the head and heart, Shakespeare s works have been thrilling audiences for four centuries, as they will four hundred years from now. Now let Shakespeare For Dummies help you to enjoy one the world s great literary treasures. Virtual Event — Conversation with a Theater Maker: John Doyle. Since late March, Program in Theater Director Jane Cox has invited special guests to join her students for informal conversations about theater- making and the creative process. The broader community is invited to join these virtual conversations on Zoom. We ask — what inspires these significant theater artists? What does community mean to them? How do they think about audiences, casting, design, arts education? Each virtual event features 20 minutes of conversation with Cox and guest, followed by 20 minutes of Q&A with the audience. All of the guest artists either collaborate with Cox professionally or have connections to the Lewis Center for the Arts’ Program in Theater. On May 15th, Tony Award-winning Broadway director John Doyle, a longtime collaborator and fellow theater program faculty member, joins Cox in a virtual conversation. The conversation is free and open to the public. ABOUT. Photo by Catherine Ashmore. JOHN DOYLE has been Artistic Director of Classic Stage Company since 2016. He has directed productions of Stephen Sondheim’s Pacific Overtures (2017) and Passion (2013, Drama Desk Nomination, Outstanding Director of a Musical), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Allegro (2014, Drama League Nomination, Best Revival of a Musical), as well as Dead Poets Society (2016), Peer Gynt (2016), and As You Like It (2017). Additional theater in the U.S. includes: The Color Purple (Tony Award, Best Revival of a Musical; Drama Desk Award, Best Director of a Musical), Sweeney Todd (Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards, Best Director of a Musical; Drama Desk Nomination Outstanding Set Design of a Musical), Company (Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Awards Best Musical Revival; Tony and Drama Desk Nominations, Outstanding Director of a Musical), A Catered Affair (Drama League Award, Best Musical Production; Drama Desk Nomination, Outstanding Director of a Musical), The Visit (Tony Nomination, Best Musical; Drama Desk Nomination, Outstanding Director of a Musical), Ten Cents a Dance (Williamstown/ McCarter), The Exorcist (The Geffen, LA), Road Show (Public Theater/Menier Chocolate Factory), Where’s Charlie? and Irma La Douce (Encores!), Wings (Second Stage), A Bed and a Chair (City Center), Kiss Me Kate (Stratford), Caucasian Chalk Circle (ACT), Merrily We Roll Along and Three Sisters (Cincinnati). In the U.K., John Doyle has been Artistic Director of four regional theaters: The Worcester Swan, The Cheltenham Everyman, The Liverpool Everyman, The York Theatre Royal, and he was also Associate Director of the Watermill Theatre in Newbury. During these residencies, he directed numerous productions of new and classic works. Notable credits include: Female Parts, Sweeney Todd, Gondoliers, Mack and Mabel (West End); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Oklahoma! (Chichester), Amadeus (Wilton’s Music Hall), The Millenium Cycle of Mystery Plays (London), Carmen, Fiddler on the Roof (Watermill); The War of the Roses, The Madness of George III (York), The White Devil, Othello, Candide (Liverpool). He is co-author of Shakespeare For Dummies. Photo by Evan Alexander. JANE COX is a lighting designer for theater, opera, dance and music based in Princeton, New Jersey. Designs in 2019 included The Marriage of Figaro at San Francisco Opera; Fefu and her Friends at Theater for a New Audience in NYC, directed by Princeton alumna Lileana Blain-Cruz; King Lear with Glenda Jackson on Broadway, directed by Sam Gold; a new musical adaptation of Secret Life of Bees (the design was nominated for a Drama Desk Award 2020); The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui , directed by fellow faculty member John Doyle; a theatrical adaptation of Ta- Nehisi Coates book Between The World and Me , directed by Kamilah Forbes and a revival of True West on Broadway, directed by British director James McDonald. Projects postponed due to COVID included Assassins at Classic Stage Company in NYC; Three Sisters starring Greta Gerwig and Oscar Isaacs, at NYTW; and As You Like It for Shakespeare in the Park NYC, directed by Laurie Woolery. Other exciting designs include Othello for the Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park and Jitney on Broadway, both directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson; All the Way and Roe directed by Bill Rauch; Annie Baker’s The Flick , directed by Sam Gold; a new musical of Amelie , directed by Pam MacKinnon; Color Purple directed by John Doyle; and Hamlet directed by Lyndsey Turner (with Benedict Cumberbatch). Jane has been nominated for two Tony awards, for her work on Jitney (2017) and on Machinal (2014). Jane has also been nominated for four Drama Desk awards and three Lortel awards, and in 2013, was awarded the Henry Hewes Design Award for her work on The Flick . In 2016, Jane was awarded the Ruth Morley Design Award by the League of Professional Theater Women, and a British What’s Onstage award for her work on Hamlet . Jane has been a company member of the Monica Bill Barnes Dance Company for twenty years. Highlights of work with the company include Three Acts, Two Dancers, One Radio Host with Ira Glass; a museum workout at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, partly developed at the Princeton Art Museum, with illustrator Maira Kalman; and Happy Hour, a piece involving karaoke, cocktails and suits. Jane has long-standing collaborations with directors John Doyle, Sam Gold and Bill Rauch, among others. Jane has taught at NYU (Tisch School of the Arts) where she also got her MFA in theater design, at Vassar (drama department) and Sarah Lawrence (dance department) and has been teaching about light and theater design at Princeton University since 2007. Jane became Director of the Program in Theater in 2016.