Various Readers
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Planning a school or amateur Shakespeare production? The best way to experience the plays is to perform them, but getting started can be a challenge: The complete plays are too long and complex, while scene selections or simplified language are too limited. "The 30-Minute Shakespeare" is a new series of abridgements that tell the "story" of each play from start to finish while keeping the beauty of Shakespeare's language intact. Specific stage directions...
2) Coriolanus
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One of the last tragedies written by William Shakespeare, "Coriolanus" is the story of the legendary 5th century BC Roman general Caius Martius, later given the honorary name Coriolanus. Based largely on the biographical accounts of Plutarch and Livy, the play opens amongst riots over grain in which Coriolanus' contempt for the plebeians of Rome is exhibited. The general is drawn away from the riots to battle with the Volscian army. Following the...
3) King John
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First published in the "First Folio" in 1623 and likely written in the 1590s, "King John" is one of William Shakespeare's best historical plays. It centers on the events of King John's reign of England during the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries. King John, son of Henry I of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine, inherits the throne after the death of his older brother, King Richard I. John's claim to the throne is challenged by the King of...
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The great Roman general, Titus Andronicus, returns home after fighting Rome's enemies for the last 10 years. He brings along his captives, Tamora, Queen of the Goths, her three sons and Aaron the Moor.
Having lost 21 of his 25 sons in the conflict, Titus decides to sacrifice one of Tamora's sons, following Roman customs. He then offers Tamora as a slave to the new Roman emperor, Saturninus.
Meanwhile, Saturninus promises Titus to make his daughter...
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One of the greatest mystery thrillers ever written, Wilkie Collins's The Woman in White was a phenomenal bestseller in the 1860s, achieving even greater success than works by Dickens, Collins's friend and mentor. Full of surprise, intrigue, and suspense, this vastly entertaining novel continues to enthrall readers today. The story begins with an eerie midnight encounter between artist Walter Hartright and a ghostly woman dressed all in white who seems...
6) Henry VIII
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"Henry VIII" is one of the last plays by William Shakespeare and is considered to be among his finest historical dramas. The play was likely written sometime between the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603 and the burning of the original Globe Theatre in 1613, as "Henry VIII" was being performed the night of the fire when a canon shot for special effects set the theatre's thatched roof alight. The play appeared in print for the first time in the "First...
7) Cymbeline
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Performed as early as 1611 and published in the "First Folio" in 1623, Shakespeare's "Cymbeline" weaves an elaborate tale of palatial envy and power in Ancient Britain. Cymbeline, King of Britain, commands that his lovely young daughter Imogen marry Cloten, the violent and callous son of the current Queen by her former husband. With her heart already promised to the poor yet heroic Posthumus, Imogen refuses. Disgusted at the prospect of his daughter...
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Valentine and Proteus are devoted comrades ― until they travel to Milan and meet Silvia, the Duke's ravishing daughter. Torn between the bonds of friendship and the lure of romance, the two gentlemen are further bedeviled by Proteus's prior commitment to Julia, his hometown sweetheart, and the Duke's disdain for Valentine. Thus the stage is set for a comic spree involving a daring escape into a forest, capture by outlaws, and the antics of a clown...
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First performed in 1895, "An Ideal Husband" is Oscar Wilde's classic and much-loved comedic drama. The play tells the story of an up-and-coming politician, Sir Robert Chiltern, who tries to hide his secret past from his judgmental wife and the blackmail scheme he is forced to participate in to keep that secret quiet. Lady Chiltern has a very particular idea of what makes the "ideal husband" which leaves her with little tolerance for Sir Robert's all...
10) Timon of Athens
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"Timon of Athens" was first, published in the "First Folio" in 1623 and was likely, written by William Shakespeare in 1605 or 1606. Often regarded as one of the more difficult of Shakespeare's plays to categorize, "Timon of Athens" blends elements of comedy with components of tragedy in Timon's allegorical downfall and death. The play depicts an Athenian man, Timon, who is popular and wealthy and who selflessly gives away his possessions to a large...
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Literature loves a strong, protective mother. Whilst Molly Weasley, Catelyn Stark and Miss Honey might have had their own specific worries, none of these were fighting the prejudice facing Mrs Arbuthnot. A single, unwed mother in the Victorian times was not destined to have a good time.
In this witty play we peruse the workings of upper class parties in the Victorian era, England. Mrs. Arbuthnot learns that her grown son has been offered a job with...
12) Richard II
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The first play in William Shakespeare's tetralogy of plays which also includes "Henry IV, Part 1", "Henry IV, Part 2", and "Henry V", "Richard II" is believed to have been written around 1595. A history play, the drama concerns the last two years of the life of King Richard II of England, spanning the years 1398 to 1400. The drama begins with a dispute between Richard's cousin, Henry Bolingbroke, who would later become King Henry IV, and Thomas de...
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A searing satire on the British class system, social hypocrisy, and keeping up appearances, 'Lady Windemere's Fan' is one of Wilde's best-loved plays. Such is its popularity that it has been adapted for the silver screen a number of times, most recently in 2018, with Samantha Spiro and 'Absolutely Fabulous' star, Jennifer Saunders.
The play focuses on 21 year-old Lady Windemere, who has become convinced that her husband is embarking on an affair with...
14) Henry IV, Part 1
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The second play in William Shakespeare's tetralogy of plays which also includes "Richard II", "Henry IV, Part 2", and "Henry V", "Henry IV, Part 1" is believed to have been written no later than 1597. A history play, the drama concerns the unquiet reign of Henry Bolingbroke. Following the usurpation of the throne, Henry IV is plagued with guilt over his role in the imprisonment and death of King Richard II. In order to resolve himself of this internal...
15) Paradise lost
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Milton's epic poem about the Creation and the Fall, complete with notes discussing his use of language and blank verse.
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"Do you know how mixed martial arts (MMA) came to be a sport? Who some of the greatest fighters in MMA history are? Which thrilling matches fans will always remember? Look deeper into the Octagon as you learn all about the booming sport of mixed martial arts. Step back in time to discover how this truly diverse combat sport evolved. You'll be introduced to some of the greatest MMA stars of this generation and the past, as well as to the moments that...
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Wild jealousy. Unfounded accusations. Death and rebirth. And, of course, Exeunt, chased by a bear - one of Shakespeare's most famous stage directions. Leontes, King of Sicily, suddenly becomes insane with jealousy, believing his pregnant wife has been unfaithful to him. Acting upon his rage, he sets a tragedy in motion that will cost him, his family, and his friends dearly.
20) Arms and the Man
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One of George Bernard Shaw's most performed and studied plays, "Arms and the Man" is a classic example of Shaw's comedic wit. First produced in 1894, the play is set during the Serbo-Bulgarian war and tells the story of Raina Petkoff, a young Bulgarian woman, who is engaged to Sergius, a soldier away at war whom she idolizes. While both her father and fiancé are away fighting, Raina, at home with her mother, has a very innocent and romantic idea...





