Shakespeare's Advice to the Players

Sir Peter Hall, who founded the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1960, has written a superb explanation of how to approach Shakespeare’s plays. While the text is directed at those would would be players in Shakespearean plays. Hall first analyzed the various techniques (verse, scansion, the line, caesuras, monosyllables, rhetorical devices, and so on) Shakespeare used in writing his plays. This part of the discussion is well illustrated with selected lines from various plays. Part Two of the book analyzes twenty key speeches from Shakespeare’s plays. Part Three is a fascinating personal retrospective by Sir Peter Hall, reminiscences on his career. This book is a must-read for anyone who enjoys Shakespeare.

Great primer for the budding actor.

This takes an deeper look at how to decipher the language of Shakespeare. It is a must have for actors, especially actors interesting in Shakespearian acting, and English professors, majors and those interested in rhetoric.

Shakespeare's advice to the players is in my opinion one of the most informative and well written books for mastering the art of acting Shakespeare. A must have for any actor wishing to learn the secret to performing classical Shakespearean text.

My professor recommended this for my MFA Shakespeare class. It's an informative book, but I feel that with the internet, I could have easily found the same information. It's a good reference to have though if I'm without the internet.

I started studying Shakespeare in undergrad and am now in graduate school spending more time with the bard. I wish I would have had this book way back when. It is everything necessary wrapped into a well thought out and expressed guide. Sir Peter Hall hits it out of the park with this one!

I bought the book for a niece who just graduated from college, whose major was drama, and who spent the past year in England and Ireland doing Shakespeare. She was delighted with the gift. I wouldn't have minded reading it myself.

A very worthwhile study of Shakespeare, Hall becomes a bit repetitive, constantly harping on the meter. Essential? Of course. But I found both Cicely Berry and Patsy Rodenburg to be far more illuminating on The Bard.

The wonderful Peter Hall dissects the plays of Shakespeare with his scholarly knife. This book is a must for those interested in the works of William Shakespeare.

Masterfully written... amazing approach... love of acting... He s a Maestro!

from the master,but you need to be a drama pro to get the most out of it

Sir Peter Hall believes the best way to learn and understand Shakespeare is through performance--not just watching others perform it you understand but performing it with others yourself. This can be done at any time of life starting in the classroom or for older enthusiasts simply with a group of friends, but it should be done.This book illustrates how to understand Shakespeare's text for performance purposes. It makes a perfect companion to John Barton's "Playing Shakespeare", which is also newly re-printed. Get the DVD set as well of Barton's 1982 TV series that generated his book. Barton and Hall were co-founders of the RSC.

Clear and profound, of course.