Romeo and Juliet: The 30-Minute Shakespeare

As an educator who has tried many ways to get his students into Shakespeare, I was impressed with this 30-Minute Shakespeare rendition of Romeo & Juliet. My bias when it comes to teaching Shakespeare is to focus on the Bard's use of language to develop characters, to build conflict, and to provide comic relief through puns and word-play; as a result, I tend not to be a huge fan of Shakespeare-made-easy types of texts (I feel they strip the language down too much in favor of simplifying the plots). Most who study Shakespeare understand that his plots are, for the most part, re-hashing popular tales of Medieval Europe; what makes Shakespeare special is his poetry.What I found with Newlin's "cuttings" was this: the "meaty" sections of Shakespeare's language--the parts that really build characterization and show relationships-- were left mostly in tact. This enables a teacher to examine dialogue and soliloquies with students effectively because they are boiled down to a "highlights section" and presented in their essential contexts. Morse obscure or obtuse sections (such as Mercutio's "Queen Mab" speech) are omitted; instead, the story is advanced by brief, student-friendly summaries. Students are able to see how the story progresses, but the plot development is not front-and-center. Instead the language stays the primary focus.I know the script is intended for performance, but I feel it would function well as an introductory-level Shakespearean text for the purposes of familiarizing students with Shakespeare's use of language and his abilities to bring characters to life through idiosyncratic diction and heightened poetic phrasing. I am eager to read other Newlin cuttings of Shakespeare for I believe he has hit upon something quite important for the advancement of Shakespeare appreciation in schools.

I think this was written for teens to get their feet wet yet not be overwhelmed with a full length Shakespeare. I used to teach drama classes for teens, and this would have been a great script to work with. Recently I used this book with a group of adults who used it to do a spontaneous entertaining rendition of R & J at a party. It was fun and still had all the elements of the story.I recommend this to drama teachers interested in introducing teens to Shakespeare and also anyone willing to have fun with a group just improvising and hamming it up.

This is a great way to pique one's interest in the "real" thing. I've never read or seen Romeo and Juliet, and this made me want to experience the original. The author uses original dialogue to hit the high points of the story, and actually makes sense of the sequence of events leading to the conclusion with which nearly everyone is familiar. And surprisingly, he does it with a sense of humor! It's an engaging way to teach children, and to remind adults of the beauty of Shakespeare.

What a wonderful evening I had with a group of friends using this book and putting on a play together. I was surprised how well the story had been edited so that we could really do it in a short period of time yet not lose the essence of this great tale. I would love to see other plays by this author.

From a teachers perspective I think this play is terrific. Students are often intimidated by Shakespeare but this play was such fun to perform I think it would give them an opportunity to get their feet wet and learn about Shakespeare in a way they will remember. I am anxious to read the other plays by Mr. Newlin.

I did this with about 20 friends. We each had a copy of the script and plenty of props -- hats, swords,capes. I suppose it would have taken 30 minutes without all the laughter and clapping. But we did it in about 45. All the essential lines were there and the script hung together really well.

Great starting point for next years Drama!