Teaching Shakespeare Through Performance

by Milla Cozart Riggio (Editor)

Performance pedagogy does more than involve students in the acting, directing, and production work needed to bring a play text to life. It engages them in interpretation; it makes issues of structure or subtext immediate; it deepens understanding of stage history; in film, it demonstrates the role of camera, lighting, sound.

Teaching Shakespeare through Performance is designed for teachers of both high school and college English courses who wish to introduce performance strategies into their classroom. The volume illustrates how attention to theatrical detail can give insight into Shakespeare's work and the significance of an omitted exit or entrance, the role of stage directions in King Lear , costumes and transvestism on the Renaissance stage, the changing fashions of acting Juliet, how experimenting with the use of different personal props in a scene from Hamlet reveals cultural attitudes, and much more.

Genres: Shakespeare

503 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a helpful work for those who are considering how to incorporate performance into their Shakespeare pedagogy. Some of the articles felt a little out-dated, while others felt too abstract. That being said, I got a lot of ideas after reading this book. (I'll admit I didn't read cover to cover, but I read the works that best pertained to the works I intended to teach.)

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found many excellent ideas, projects, and activities to incorporate into my class this semester. The only problem with this book is that the last part on technology is horribly dated.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had many great and helpful essays and some that were just...there. The majority were great, though. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking into Shakespeare teaching methods.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!