A Midsummer Night’s
Dream
Jami Windham
EDRD 730
March 20, 2012
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Rationale For Use:
This text set seeks to create a greater dramatic understanding of Shakespeare’s A
Midsummer Night’s Dream and how it applies to the industry of theatre. This
compilation of materials is to be used in conjunction with the text of the play in a
middle school environment in order to give students a more complete
understanding of Shakespeare and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The areas of play
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structure, acting, design, directing, research and relating history and culture will be
covered.
South Carolina Academic Standards
for Performing Arts
Middle School (6th, 7th and 8th grade)
Playmaking/Playwriting
Setting, plot, games, improvisation, etc.
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Standard 1: The student will create improvised scenes and written scripts based on
his or her own experiences and imagination as well as on literature, history and
culture, and current events.
Acting
Blocking, voice qualities, pantomime, sensory recall, classical,
contemporary, etc.
Standard 2: The student will develop acting skills that allow him or her to portray a
variety of characters in both improvised and scripted dramatic presentations.
Designing and Technical Theatre
Properties, scenery, sound, lighting, make up, costumes, etc.
Standard 3: The student will design a variety of technical elements for the theatre.
Directing
Scenes, responding to side coaching, etc.
Standard 4: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the role and
responsibilities of the director.
Researching
Historical, cultural, careers, dramaturge, rights and royalties, etc.
Standard 5: The student will use appropriate practices to research and inform his
or her understanding of all aspects of theatre.
Making Connections
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Connections between theatre and other art forms, puppets, masks,
dance, cross-curricular, etc.
Standard 6: The student will make connections between theatre and other arts
disciplines, other content areas, and the world.
Valuing and Responding
Standard 7: The student will analyze, evaluate, and derive meanings from
improvised and scripted scenes, live theatre performances, and theatrical
performances on film, television, and other electronic media.
Relating to History and Culture
Standard 8: The student will understand context by analyzing the role of theatre,
film, television, and other electronic media in his or her community and the state of
South Carolina as well as in other cultures, both past and present.
Picture Books
1.) Fairies and Magical Creatures
Reinhart, M. (2008). Fairies and magical creatures. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick
Press.
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Summary:
This book is a stunningly beautiful pop up style children's book written as a
sort of encyclopedia to fairies and
magical creatures. It covers the queen
of the fairies, Titania, who is included in
Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's
Dream, as well as other magical
creatures and their behavior and
cultural references. The pages are full of
intricate pop up images you can view
inside and out. The spaces not taken up by the central pop up are filled to the edges
with smaller pop ups and fact sections.
Commentary:
This book has an amazing potential for inspiration and information. Not only
is it full of facts to back up a character background study it is also so strikingly
beautiful and intricately constructed it helps students to visualize the
world Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night’s Dream is trying to create for its
audiences. This book would be an amazing source to use in conjunction with
characterization exercises in acting lessons, it could serve as inspiration images for
design for both costumes, set and many others you can cover. This book also assists
with history lessons because it if exploding with facts of folklore.
2.) Shakespeare and His Theatre
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Brown, J. (1982). Shakespeare and his theatre. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard
Books.
Summary:
This book is an intricate and informative account of Shakespeare and his
Globe Theatre. It covers how the theatre was built, the interior, the people of the
theatre, plays and performances
that took place there, the mechanics
of both on stage and backstage,
other private theatres, and even the
rebuilding of the theatre after its
destruction by fire. The illustrations
by David Gentelman are both
beautiful and accurate pen and ink
drawings colors with water colors.
Commentary:
This book is a fantastically informative and readable book fully of details that
tie in with history, design, culture and acting. What I love was just how informative
this book really is. It contains enough to be a textbook but is written in a very
readable fashion and illustrated with image that are just as informative as the text.
While this is a book for youth I can see how it may seem daunting to read based
solely on the amount of text in the book but that is where the illustrations come in to
inform struggling readers on their journey through the book and Shakespeare's A
Midsummer Night’s Dream.
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3.) Our Principal Promised to Kiss a Pig
Dakos, K. (2004). Our principal promised to kiss a pig. Morton Grove, IL: Albert
Whitman and Company.
Summary:
This charming picture book is the story of the narrator, a young girl, and her
aunt's pet pig, Hamlet, who are a part of a book reading competition in the
narrator's school presented by her
principal who does crazy things to
motivate the kids to read. In this case the
principal promises to kiss a pig if her
students read 10,000 books in the year.
The narrator volunteers Hamlet the pig for
the big kiss without consulting Hamlet first.
Hamlet is fully against the idea of kissing
the principal and we read his point of view
through thought bubbles where he paraphrases famous Shakespearean lines. In the
end the students achieve their goal of books read and the big kiss is set up for the
whole school to see. With the students eagerly watching the pig falls in love at first
sight with the principal, after some apprehension, she kisses the pig. After the kiss
the pig is depressed because he is still hung up on the principal but then we find out
that the narrator's aunt has won another pig, named Kate, with whom Hamlet lives
happily ever after with.
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Commentary:
First of all let me say I love far too many things about this book. The
promotion of reading and support presented by the faculty and staff of the school in
the book, the paraphrased famous Shakespearean lines the pig has which as
followed up with a full reference page in the back of the book telling where the lines
are, and down to the plot structure and illustrations. This book is a wonderful class
opener I think for a middle school class. It's cute enough to allow the students to sit
back and enjoy the read aloud but it is also informative with the paraphrased lines.
Students could view that part of the book as a sort of research game to find where
the lines are originally from and what are their contexts. Also I love the idea of the
principal making a bet with the students to promote reading! I feel like after
presenting this book to my class I would volunteer myself to do something like it as
well.
4.) Angelina on Stage
Holabird, K. (1991). Angelina on stage. New York: Clarkson N. Potter, Inc.
Summary:
This is another charming
children's book that follows two little
mice, Angelina and her younger cousin
Henry. Angelina has been cast in a large
musical as a flying fairy along with
Henry who is an elf. During the
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rehearsal process Angelina becomes jealous because the stars of the show love
Henry and even give him a line to speak on stage when she doesn't have any!
Opening night though Henry forgot his line and Angelina takes the high road and
prompts his memory which results in a successful scene and the producer decides to
keep Angelina's prompting line in the show as well for the rest of the run.
Commentary:
While the story in this book is a precious one of friendship that touches on
the acting ideas of improvisation and theatre etiquette it is the illustrations that
really caught my attention. Helen Craig creates a vividly detailed and accurate
representation of the grandeur of the theatre which is only emphasized by the
characters being mice. I love how this story shows how much work goes into a
musical from the dance rehearsals to the set building and eventual giant backstage
scenes. After reading this book even the smallest child would understand that
theatre is not just "I have a barn lets put on a show!” Students can take from this
book a greater understanding of the stage both on and off.
5.) Sam Stars at Shakespeare’s Globe
Francis, P. (2006). Sam stars at shakespeare’s globe. Great Britain: Frances Lincoln
Children’s Books.
Summary:
This book follows the story of Sam, a young boy in Shakespeare's England
who longs to be on the stage at The Globe performing- specifically, performing as
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Juliet. His is given his big break not in Romeo and Juliet but in A Midsummer Night's
Dream first playing a fairy. Sam meets Jack, a young boy who plays the women on
stage because in this time, Jack explains, women are not allowed on stage. Sam get to
play many roles in The Globe and one day
Shakespeare tells the players they will be
doing Romeo and Juliet. Jack is cast as Juliet
and Sam, although sad, still helps Jack and
the other players. The play draws closer
until one day it is discovered that Jack's
voice has broken and no longer sounds like
a woman. Sam gets the chance to take his
place and finally play his dream role and
the show is a success.
Commentary:
This book covers cultural details we don't always see in less informative
books. Specifically, the fact that women are not allowed on stage and their
characters were played by boys, also facts about Shakespeare's family and backers
are shared, the rehearsal length and how short it is, even down to the behavior of
the groundlings. This book is a great one to cover historical facts and cultural details
of Elizabethan England and making connections between theatre then and now.
Young Adult Novels
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1.) Magic Street
Card, O. (2005). Magic street. New York: Ballantine Books.
Summary:
This young adult novel is the story of
Mack Street, a young African-American boy
abandoned at a young age and brought up in a
rough way coming and going from family to
family. Mack has powers and suddenly
understands how he is different when he
discovers an entryway to a world where time
and reality are skewed. In this world Mack
grows into a man and uses A Midsummer
Night’s Dream to navigate the fantasy world.
Commentary:
This young adult contemporary fantasy novel is an amazing work based on
making connections between theatre and young adult literature. It is a mix of drama
and science fiction. This book could be applied to addressing so many standards but
the ones I connected with were acting, because you can use how another interprets
the play and how to use it, design because this is a science fiction twist on A
Midsummer Night’s Dream, and of course making connections between theatre and
other art forms.
2.) William’s Midsummer Dreams
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Snyder, Z. (2011). William’s midsummer dreams. New York: Atheneum Books for
Young Readers.
Summary:
According to the author Zilpha Keattey Snyder, William’s Midsummer Dreams
is about how “William's wish to be a real actor comes true as he is cast as Puck in a
professional production of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, but he soon
finds that all is not well in his dream world.
Trouble arises from the embarrassing adoration of
one cast member as well as from the envious
anger of another. William's grand success as an
actor is beset by real dangers. Some of them new
and slippery and some still shadowed by his
Baggett-ridden past” which refers to his and his
sibling’s escape from their awful life with their
family and now have discovered a new life with
their aunt Fiona Hardison.
Commentary:
This book is no only a wonderful story, it also directly addresses A
Midsummer Night’s Dream and it’s characters along with the theatre and rehearsal
process. This could be a great character study for the student playing Puck because
they could draw from this particular character’s interpretation of Puck and see how
that compares and contrasts with their own interpretation. Also it is a very basic
introduction to the rehearsal process and it’s people. It lets you feel what the
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process is like. Directing is also covered along with valuing and responding to
theater in another art form.
3.) A Midsummer Night’s Dork
Gorman, C. (2004). A midsummer night’s dork. New York: HarperCollinsPublishers.
Summary:
This book is the story of Jerry Flack, the
sixth-grade class president, who decides to host
an Elizabethan festival based on what they are
learning about Shakespeare in class. Jerry is just
like any other middle school student and has
similar obstacles. There is a boy who is always
trying to make Jerry look like a dork and Jerry
tries to help a friend not be so much of a dork but
things get complicated.
Commentary:
This book could not hit the nail more directly on the head. It is a story of
middle school students looking for their place and using theatre to find it. They even
decided to literally put on A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This book would be a great
character building book both in the theatrical sense and in a moral sense. It would
touch on standards like acting, directing, research and valuing and respond to
theatre.
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4.) Ella Enchanted
Levine, G. (1997). Ella enchanted. New York: HarperCollinsPublishers.
Summary:
This book is the story of Ella of Frell who as a child was “gifted” by a fairy
godmother named Lucinda who made it
so Ella will always have to obey. This
gift turned curse started out as a way to
make raising a child easier but it turned
into a cruel way for people to take
advantage of Ella. The story is an
adventure of Ella’s to find her freedom
in a world full of princes, ogres, giants,
wicked stepsisters, and fairy
godmothers.
Commentary:
I read this book as a middle school student and loved it. It has since been
turned into a movie that is also pretty good. This book is a great way to introduce
students to the world of magic and myth before and during their study of A
Midsummer Night’s Dream. Another key point connection this book makes is the fact
that Ella is being controlled against her will by a curse which connects to A
Midsummer Night’s Dream and how the lovers are also controlled by magic to do
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things against their will. This book could cover standards in acting, inspire for
design, help with research and making connection with other forms of art and result
in a valuing and response to theater that is more rounded than with the text of A
Midsummer Night’s Dream alone.
5.) Come Fall
Bauer, A. (2010). Come fall. New York: Random House.
Summary:
Taken from Titania's mention of a foundling in
Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, A. C. E. Bauer
spins an original tale about magical intervention in the
least magical of settings: a public middle school. This is
the story of Lou Zimmer, Salman Page, and Blos Peasethree middle school students who experience finding and
loosing friends under the guidance of Puck and a Bird.
Commentary:
This book is a great way to show creativity and how the story does not stop
at the last line of A Midsummer Night’s Dream but can continue into any medium the
students wish. It is a way to address inspired writing and making connections since
the book’s premise is borrowed from A Midsummer Night’s Dream itself. You could
also touch on relating to culture because the story is close to the situation of the
students since it is a tale of middle school students dealing with A Midsummer
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Night’s Dream intended in my case for middle school students dealing with A
Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Non-fiction Texts
1.) The Forms of Things Unknown
Stavig, M. (1995). The forms of things unknown. Pittsburgh, PN: Duquesne University
Press.
Summary:
This book is a chronicle of metaphors that highlights the similarities between
Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
As Mark Stavig points out, “not only do these plays
share a self-consciously poetic approach to drama
and a common topic -- the troubles of young
lovers living in a hostile familial and societal
context -- but they also share a framework of
Renaissance metaphor built on gender
oppositions and unities”. The book covers cycles
and hierarchies in both plays, then goes on to
analyze each play individually while noting the similarities in them as well.
Commentary:
This book, while more of a daunting read, especially for middle school
students, makes some valid connections and even illustrates them in charts.
Students may be more familiar with Romeo and Juliet but little do they know they
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are more familiar then with Midsummer than they think. This would be a great
source for play structure studies, history and research.
2.) The Making of A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Selbourne, D. (1982). The making of a midsummer night’s dream. London: Methuen
London Ltd.
Summary:
This book is David Selbourne’s eyewitness account of Peter Brook’s 1970
production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the Royal Shakespeare Company from
the first rehearsal to the first night of performances. It reads like a scholarly journal
read that covers the plot of the
play, the cast in Peter Brook’s
production, and then rehearsals
from week one to the eighth. It is
completed with excerpts from
the original text, photographs
from the original rehearsal
process and prefaced with an essay by Simon Trussler.
Commentary:
I have been hearing about this famous Peter Brook production since I was in
high school and now to stumble across an account of his directing process feels like
reading the bible for the first time. This would be a fantastic source for addressing
directing and acting standards. Not only that, you could use the photographs and
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first hand accounts to inspire design. The book in itself is a historical account so it
also would address history and research standards as well.
3.) Something of Great Constancy
Young, D. (1966). Something of great constancy. New Haven & London: Yale
University Press.
Summary:
This book is a work of
criticism with the subtitle “The Art
of A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by
David P. Young. Young states, “My
intention is to establish the
importance of A Midsummer Night’s
Dream in the development of
Shakespeare’s art, to redefine its place in the canon, and to emphasize its
significance as a source of our knowledge of Shakespeare’s own attitude towards
drama, poetry, and the imagination” (Young, 1966).
Commentary:
This book was chosen because it was a scholarly criticism based only on A
Midsummer Night’s Dream and not a comparison between other plays by
Shakespeare. There are countless other criticisms but this one is focused and I liked
that. This text would be a great one to turn to for research, play structure, and
making historical connections.
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4.) The Soul of Athens
Blits, J. (2003). The soul of athens. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.
Summary:
This book is a line-by-line analysis of A
Midsummer Night’s Dream and how it illustrates
Athenian democracy. The publishers state, “The
Soul of Athens examines the nature of love and of
art, and the ambiguous relationship between
image and reality, as well as the tensions between
patriarchy and democracy, and heroic and moral
virtue” (Blits, 2003).
Commentary:
This book is a wonderful examination of not only a particular city as a
particular time but also how Shakespeare chooses to represent it in his works. This
book would be a great source for students and teachers looking to understand what
type of world these characters live in and how their decision function with or
against the laws of their world. This book would address standards dealing with
play structures, research and making connections with history and culture.
5.) Our Moonlight Revels
Williams, G. (1997). Our moonlight revels. Iowa City, IA: University of Iowa Press.
Summary:
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Gary Williams describes his book as “an account of the play’s many lives in
Western theatre over these four centuries and the ways in which theater artists
have brought to bear on the play the culture’s negotiations of gender, class,
sexuality, love, the supernatural,
and even national identity”
(Williams, 1997). HE analyzes actual
productions of A Midsummer Night’s
Dream along with adaptations like
The Fairy Queen. He claims that “the
play has been extraordinarily
responsive in the theatre to the
cultural energies in every era” so he
goes on to focus on how each era
addressed and utilizes A Midsummer
Night’s Dream.
Commentary:
This book is an amazing chronicle of A Midsummer Night’s Dream throughout
the ages. It is filled with original photos and accounts of actual productions and how
those productions were affected by the era they were presented in. This book would
be a fantastic historical resource and a wonderful way to relate culture and history
to A Midsummer Night’s Dream while focusing on strengthening research skills.
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Websites
1.) No Fear Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night's Dream
Crowther, John, (Ed.). (2005). No Fear A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Retrieved
March 18, 2012, from http://nfs.sparknotes.com/msnd/
Summary:
No Fear Shakespeare states on
their website, "No Fear Shakespeare
puts Shakespeare's language side-byside with a facing-page translation into
modern English—the kind of English
people actually speak today" (Crowther,
ed., 2005). This way students can read
along with both the original text and a
modern translation. This site also has
scene breakdowns, character
descriptions, and even certain vocabulary words defined and put in context by
following an embedded link on the page. No Fear Shakespeare has the entire play
available for viewing along with the modern translation and annotations for free.
You can also buy the physical book of this translation or an app for your smartphone
to have this study assistance with you on the go.
Commentary:
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Sparknotes have always had a bad reputation and been viewed as a source
for cheating and skipping important steps like actually reading the text. To an extent
I agree with this point of view but I also believe they can be an invaluable addition
to the original text to create a greater understanding of the whole. In school I
remember teachers forbidding us to buy the No Fear versions of our texts and I
agree that they should not be the only versions students use but they should be
allowed to use it as a learning tool. I know I would much rather my students use an
accredited site like No Fear Shakespeare instead of one like wikipedia where the
information is never for certain. No Fear Shakespeare is a great example of how
sparknotes can add to understanding by being used as a reading aid and not a
primary source. This would address research and making connections to our
culture’s way of speaking.
2.) Royal Shakespeare Company's 1968 A Midsummer Night's Dream on Netflix
Birkett, M. (Producer). (1968). A midsummer night's dream [Streaming video].
Retrieved from http://www.netflix.com.
Summary:
Netflix provides the following
description of their instantly streaming
Royal Shakespeare Company version of A
Midsummer Night’s Dream, "Peter Hall
directs this fine Royal Shakespeare
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Company adaptation of the Bard's most pixilated romantic comedy about a group of
amorous adults -- under a fairy's spell -- that couple and uncouple at the slightest
provocation. ("What fools these mortals be.") Stars Diana Rigg, Judi Dench, Ian Holm,
Helen Mirren, Ian Richardson and David Warner. One of Shakespeare's most magical
plays (and unusual in that it lacks a written source for the plot)" (Birkett, 1968).
Commentary:
In my experience students have so often had a difficult time connecting the
reading of a play to the physical staging of the play. I can understand why this is,
especially for Shakespeare. There is already a disconnect between the reader's every
day use of language and the language used in the play. Providing the opportunity for a
class to see the play staged in person would be wonderful but we are all aware of the
red tape you have to cut through for a field trip and with the price of tickets
sometimes reaching the stars we as educators have to find other ways for students to
connect to their work. Again, media has always seemed to have a down the nose look
cast its way in the classroom. It is a lazy and ill prepared teacher that screens movies
in their classroom. This I do not agree with. Of course you would like to have your
students see the physical show done by professionals, if not professionals then a
school productions, and if not a full production maybe select scenes in the classroom.
But that is not to say that viewing a filmed adaptation does not enrich a student's
learning experience. Afterwards they have a mental picture to recall about the
sometimes confusing material they are reading. Also, it provides a chance to cover
the differences and similarities between the stage and film adaptations available for
viewing.
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3.) Open Source Shakespeare: A Midsummer Night's Dream
Shakespeare, W. (2012). Opensource shakespeare. Retrieved from
http://www.opensourceshakespeare.org/views/plays/playmenu.php?WorkI
D=midsummer
Summary:
This is a fantastic website that features a
Shakespearean concordance, keyword search,
advanced searches, statistics, all his plays
sectioned by genre, number of lines, character list
and character search, and finally all his sonnets
and poems organized by individual sonnets,
sonnets being compared side by side and all his poems. It proclaims to focus on
“power, flexibility, friendliness and openness”.
Commentary:
I used this website a lot after stumbling across it my freshman year of college.
I found it to be my go to online source. I love that you can pull up any of
Shakespeare’s plays and not only read through it with links to each scene, there are
also links to specific characters and all of their lines. You can view full lines or just
the shortened versions of them with the line before prompting you. This was
especially helpful for learning lines. It tells you the total number of scenes and
characters. It will even tell you the full number of lines each individual has. This is a
fantastic resource site.
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4.) Goblin Art: Monica of the Masks' A Midsummer Night's Dream Bottom Mask
Goblin art: Bottom’s mask for midsummer night’s dream. (2008). Retrieved March
18, 2012, from Blogger.com: http://www.goblinart.com/2008/07/bottomsmask-for-midsummer-nights-dream.html
Summary:
This is a website or blog of Monica of the
Masks, a mask artesian. This particular page of her
blog is dedicate to the Water in the Desert
Festival who was doing a Butoh adaption of
Midsummer Night's Dream and
commissioned her to make the donkey mask
for the character Bottom. She outlines the
steps to make a vaccuformed plastic method.
She even mentions a few money saving techniques because their budget
was tight.
Commentary:
I pulled the website for the text set because I wanted to focus on mask
making a little more than my design book I chose highlights for design standards. I
feel like even if you do not make the donkey mask exactly like the artisan outlines
here it is still a very informative process and an inspirational one at that. I love how
she discuses simple techniques in mask making and makes them look nice. She also
included many links to other fantastic mask making websites.
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5.) Shakespearean Pronunciations
Mabillard, A. (2010, January 11). Pronouncing names in shakespeare. Retrieved
March 18, 2012, shakespeare-online.com:
http://www.shakespeareonline.com/plays/pronouncingnames.html
Summary:
This website is simply a comprehensive collection of Shakesperean
characters and places and how to
pronounce their names. There is a
pronunciation guide and includes a link
to an “A to Z” list that is separated by
the first letter of each word to quickly
jump to its pronunciation.
Commentary:
I believe pronunciation is very important in the theater especially when it
comes to Shakespeare. These are well-known works and sometimes even actually
characters, places and events. To not pronounce them right just because not
everyone may know the correct pronunciation is not doing justice to the work. With
this source I would seek to promote a respect and understanding of Shakespeare’s
works and the historical context of the characters, places and events. I would use
this as a jumping off point to teach the International Phonetic Alphabet.
Other Sources
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1.) The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works
Shakespeare, W., Proudfoot, R., Thompson, A., Kastan, D. S., & Jenkins, H. (2001). The
Arden Shakespeare complete works. London: Arden Shakespeare.
Summary:
This collection is a complete guide to all of
Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets. It is completed
with illustrations, a detailed glossary and indexes
of the first lines of sonnets and songs found in his
works.
Commentary:
This was our bible in college when it came
to our Shakespeare and history classes. Each play
is prefaced by a scholarly article analyzing it. The
introduction alone is a fantastic reference source. This would be the text of the play I
would use as opposed to another version or edition of a similar compellation.
2.) Shakespeare A to Z
Boyce, C. (1990). Shakespeare a to z. New York: Dell Publishing.
Summary:
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This book is a companion to any full Shakespearean text. It acts as a sort of
encyclopedia to his works. Defining and breaking down not only his plays but also
by character and events in alphabetical order as well. For example, there are four
pages full of each time a
messenger is mentioned in a
play. The individual plays are
brown down into scene-byscene synopsis, commentary,
historical sources of the play,
history of the text of the play,
and a history of the play’s
productions. Illustrations and
photographs pertaining to the
plays are also included.
Commentary:
Never in my theatrical career have I found a better companion source to
Shakespeare’s works. This book would be used extensively as a simple reference
material and thoroughly as a historical and contextual piece. This book addresses all
of the standards at once that pertain to theatre. The areas of play structure, acting,
design, directing, research and relating history and culture are all covered in this
single book.
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3.) Theatrical Design and Production
Gillette, J. (2008). Theatrical design and production. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Summary:
This is a textbook for the
introduction to scenic design and
construction, lighting, sound, costume
and makeup. It details organization and
management and how that pertains to
design, history, equipment and spaces,
terminology, theory, and drawing and
rendering.
Commentary:
This was my textbook for my college design classes and I will keep it forever.
It is a precious collection of irreplaceable knowledge about design and its process.
The fact that the one book covers scenic design and construction, lighting, sound,
costume and makeup makes it the go to for any lesson in design. This source would
not only cover standards deal with design but also with research, making
connection with other art forma and relating to history and culture.
4.) A Shakespearean Theater
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Morley, J. (2003). A shakespearean theater. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Summary:
This is a children’s informative
picture book. It states it is “The inside
story of the Globe Theatre and the first
people to perform Shakespeare’s great
plays”. It covers the origins of the
theatre, medieval entertainment,
traveling players, theatre in London,
companies, crisis, the audiences, the
stage, backstage, costumes and props,
the effects of the plague, touring,
performing for royals, the great fire and
it’s timespan. It also includes a glossary
and index.
Commentary:
I thought this book was a great lower level read but still informative enough
to glean from it an immeasurable amount of history and contextual knowledge
about the theatre. This book covers standards in acting, design, directing, research,
cultural connection and relating history and culture.
5.) Fairie-ality
Bird, E. (2002). Fairie-ality. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.
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Summary:
Amazon.com describes this book as, “Showcased are nearly 150 creations including dresses, jackets, trousers, shoes, hats, and delicate unmentionables fashioned wholly from feathers,
flower petals, shells, seeds, and
other materials from nature.
Filled with authentic fairy lore
that will lure fairy lovers by the
legion, this superbly designed
volume also offers many clever
nods to human fashion history.
Its fun, fanciful costume
descriptions will amuse the
fashion-savvy everywhere, while
the stunning array of fashions themselves - a veritable dress-up dream - will leave
readers of all ages spellbound.”
Commentary:
This is one of the most inspiring books I have ever seen when it comes to
mythical lore. It is set up so extensively you almost believe the fairies are real and
you are reading a couture magazine of theirs. This would be a great inspiration item
for actors creating a background study for their characters, designers seeking
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inspiration, directors looking for informative images for their casts and researchers
looking for material to use in dramaturgical studies of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
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