Recommended Reading
This list is by no means exhaustive, but simply a collection of useful titles to begin with- I have read them all, and add to this list as often as possible. - Laura Cole, Director of Education and Training
Resources on Original Practice and the Elizabethan Milieu- these are the books that I find invaluable in performance, scholarship and teaching
| Title | Author |
|---|---|
| Playgoing in Shakespeare’s London | Andrew Gurr |
| Staging In Shakespeare’s Theatres | Andrew Gurr, Mariko Ichikawa |
| The Shakespearean Stage 1574-1642 | Andrew Gurr |
| Rehearsal From Shakespeare To Sheridan | Tiffany Stern |
| Making Shakespeare: from page to stage | Tiffany Stern (excellent intro to OP’s) |
| The Best Actors In the World | David Grote (I LOVE this one) |
| Shakespeare’s Politics: A Contextual Introduction | Robin Hedlam Wells |
Resources on Plot, Character and Story
I use these in research all the time
| Title | Author |
|---|---|
| Shakespeare and The Invention of The Human | Harold Bloom |
| Shakespeare A to Z | Charles Boyce |
| Asimov’s Guide To Shakespeare | Isaac Asimov |
Basic Reference
I don’t think any actor/teacher/student can understand Shakespeare without these
| Title | Author |
|---|---|
| Shakespeare’s Bawdy | Eric Partridge |
| Shakespeare’s Glossary | C.T. Onions |
| Shakespeare's Lives | S. Schoenbaum |
| Shakespeare's Reading | Robert S. Miola |
Books useful in acting Shakespeare
These are in front of me during rehearsals, as an actor and director
| Title | Author |
|---|---|
| The Applause First Folio of Shakespeare | Ed. Neil Freeman |
| Freeing Shakespeare’s Voice | Kristin Linklater |
| All the Words Onstage - Complete pronunciation dictionary for Americans | Louis Scheeder and Shane Ann Younts |
| The Arden Editions of all Shakespeare’s plays | |
| Secrets Of Acting Shakespeare | Patrick Tucker |
| Secrets Of Acting Shakespeare | Patrick Tucker |
Other books of interest
Books that contribute to my Shakespeare performance and scholarship and were really entertaining to read!
| Title | Author |
|---|---|
| Figures of Speech | Arthur Quinn |
| Shakespeare’s Book of Lists | Michael Lomonico |
| The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Shakespeare | Laurie Rozakis |
| Coined By Shakespeare | Jeffrey McQuain & Stanley Malless |
| Will & Me-How Shakespeare Took Over My Life | Dominic Dromgoole |
Books on the Elizabethan milieu & Shakespeare’s life and times
| Title | Author |
|---|---|
| The Horizon Book of the Elizabethan World | Lacey Baldwin Smith |
| The War of the Roses | Alison Weir |
| The Life of Elizabeth | Alison Weir |
The next three are classics of the modern age
| Title | Author |
|---|---|
| Shakespeare | Ivor Brown |
| Shakespeare of London | Marchette Chute |
| The Elizabethan World Picture | E.M.W. Tilyard |
| Shakespeare, Our Contemporary | Jan Kott |
Other significant names in Shakespearean scholarship that you can look for: I’ve read at least one book each of these folks wrote, and even if some info is more or less out of date, and/or out of print, they are giants of 20th century Shakespearean scholarship.
- A.C. Bradley
- T. W. Baldwin
- M.C. Bradbrook
- Harley Granville-Barker
- Stephen Greenblatt
- Sidney Lee
- Kenneth Muir
- A.L. Rowse
- Logan Pearsall Smith
- Caroline Spurgeon
- J.C. Trewin
- Dover Wilson
- Frances Yates
This list is by no means exhaustive or even particularly "scholarly" but is an excellent beginning.
Education
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