Doable Shakespeare
Shakespeare ... for everyone.
Today's audiences are not the people of 1600 that Shakespeare wrote for, so I've made some changes to make these plays more easily understood in our time. They are still written in verse, using much of Shakespeare's original language, because there is so much beauty in his writing.
It's difficult to describe all the things I change, so scroll down to see a side-by-side comparison of the first scene of Romeo and Juliet.
Shakespeare is "too tough" for audiences and actors, both. I've adapted the above original plays, and rewritten parts of them to make them easier to perform, and easier to understand.
Many people have asked me to explain, and give examples to show the type of changes I've made. I will see if I can "compare and contrast" a scene for you. As my sister said of my Doable Romeo & Juliet, "You took out all the sucky stuff!" Yes, Jill, the "sucky stuff" is gone. I've deleted a lot of superfluous language. I've streamlined plots. I've deleted some small characters. Where Shakespeare waxed too poetic, I've reeled him in. It's still his language, but cleaned up to work better in our times. Shakespeare wrote for the masses: I like to think he would approve of my edits.
Scroll down for a comparison
Romeo & Juliet, Scene 1
original play
my adaptation
