Rescripting Shakespeare - The Text, the Director, and Modern Productions

Alan Dessen examines the pluses and minuses of directors' rescripting or rewrighting of Shakespeare's playtexts.

List of contents

1. 'Let it be hid': price tags, trade-offs, and economies; 2. Rescripting Shakespeare's contemporaries; 3. Adjustments and improvements; 4. Inserting an intermission-interval; 5. What's in an ending? Rescripting final scenes; 6. Rescripting stage directions and actions; 7. Compressing Henry VI; 8. The tamings of the shrews: rescripting the First Folio; 9. The editor as rescripter; 10. Conclusion: what's not here.

About the author

Alan C. Dessen is Peter G. Phialas Professor of English at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Summary

Building on almost 300 productions from the last 25 years, this 2002 book focuses on the playtexts used when directors stage Shakespeare's plays and looks at the price of a director's rescripting or rewriting. The results are of interest to theatrical professionals as well as theatre historians.

Product details

• Authors: Alan C. Dessen
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 20.06.2002
• EAN: 9780521007986
• ISBN: 978-0-521-00798-6
• No. of pages: 282
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Art > Theatre, ballet; English, LITERARY CRITICISM / Drama, PERFORMING ARTS / Theater / General, LITERARY CRITICISM / Modern / General, Theatre Studies, Literary studies: general, Literary studies: c 1600 to c 1800, Shakespeare Studies & Criticism, Literary studies: plays and playwrights, Relating to Shakespeare / Shakespearean