Shakespearean Tragedies Revisited:

About the Book

Shakespearean Tragedies Revisited: An Actor’s Edition is an eloquent restatement of three of Shakespeare’s tragedies for actors, directors, professors of theatre, and the general public. Each of the plays has been edited word by word for more understandability and length. The intent of the book was to make the works more accessible without making the language modern in order to help the audience member and actors follow the plays with little difficulty in order to find the richness of plots and characters. Each of the plays was tested on stage with very positive results. In fact, a few samples of the responses from the audiences include: “Inherently accessible.” “First time I could follow a Shakespearean play.” “As someone new to Shakespeare, this production helped me appreciate his genius.” “I believe The Bard himself would have approved this lucid revision of his work for modern English speakers.” In addition to the editing word by word, the book also contains a unit on how to act Shakespeare with some tips for the actor with little or no training in Shakespearean acting. The material is also a good review for the more experienced Shakespearean actor.

About the Author

James R. Hartman is a Professor of Theatre and Drama at Schoolcraft. He has directed over 100 productions at the University of Cincinnati, Indiana University and Schoolcraft College. His specialty is Shakespeare. He has edited eight of Shakespeare's plays and tested each one with a full stage production at the college level. He is also a member of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. In 2012, he was on the nominating committee to select best actor/actress, supporting actor/actress, and best picture of the year. Professor Hartman has taught Shakespeare and courses in Shakespearean acting. He holds three degrees in theatre from the University of Cincinnati and Indiana University.