About the Book:

Does your class or children's group need a jump start in producing thrilling, engrossing, lively theatre? Joy, greed, love, fear, and gluttony are just a few of the elements woven into Shakespeare's plays; these timeless topics provide endless fascination for children of any age.

Classroom theatre helps young people make important connections between acting and reading, writing, social studies, art, music and history as they explore ideas from different times and different worlds. And if you want the best for your kids, what better source than the master playwright himself? In Shakespeare with Children: Six Scripts for Young Players you will find scripts for A Midsummer Night's Dream, Macbeth, Henry IV Part I, Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet and The Tempest. Elizabeth Weinstein has adapted and abridged the plays with Shakespeare's original language throughout (except for a narrator), while substantially shortening the six plays for children ages eight to thirteen.

With lots of roles for a large group, these forty-minute scripts come with an arsenal of practical suggestions for simple productions. Teachers (and parents) will find ideas for easy back-of-the-closet costume pieces, as well as for sets, props, and music. Elizabeth Weinstein has personally tested these scripts with teachers and students in her local elementary school. Historical and literary background is also provided, as well as a sample letter for the students' parents or guardians.

What people say:

"In Shakespeare with Children: Six Scripts for Young Players, Elizabeth Weinstein has adapted and abridged a half-dozen plays for actors aged 8-13. Each piece can be performed in about 40 minutes and, despite major cuts, all retain the heart of their stories as well as Shakespeare's poetic language." — Stage Directions

"It's never too early to introduce children to the greatness that is Shakespeare's theatre. Shakespeare with Children is a must for any drama teacher looking to impart something special." — Midwest Book Review

"Without removing important plot elements, she (Weinstein) successfully combines short narrative pieces with heavily edited but genuine Shakespearean language. Most impressive is her adroit cutting of Macbeth, which stays true to the gore of the original. Also remarkable is Weinstein's version of A Midsummer Night's Dream, in which she manages to execute all four of the play's plots without it feeling rushed." — Backstage

About the Author:

Elizabeth Weinstein is an American writer and editor and the author of Shakespeare with Children, a book written for educators that includes six scripts for young players. She lives with her husband and two children in Tully, New York, where she first developed and wrote these scripts for local elementary school productions. She has a B.A. in English from Carleton College and a Masters in English (Writing Emphasis) from the University of Minnesota. She writes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and advertising copy.