Shakespeare for Contemporary Theatre: Vol. 1 - Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Henry V

The plays of William Shakespeare remain the most popular to perform on any stage. The reasons for this are many including the timelessness of the plays' themes and exceptional writing. Theatres also appreciate that the plays allow for unlimited creativity while also being affordable to perform since there is no expensive or restrictive licensing. Of course the problems faced with staging his plays include the extensive casts and the long performance times. In Shakespeare's time, a play of three or more hours was common. Current audiences prefer plays that are one to two hours long.

In "Shakespeare for Contemporary Theatre" Jane Farnol takes some of Shakespeare's most loved plays and edits them down to suit modern needs. The cast lists are trimmed and the script is edited to focus on action while maintaining the bard's style and language. The result is a play that moves well and is accessible for theatre companies to perform.

Additionally, there is no licensing fee to perform these edited versions as long as a credit is included in show programs. Directors are free to innovate as their situation allows.

Jane Farnol was born in England and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and Elmhurst Ballet School. She is the great-niece of Jeffery Farnol, the author of many romance novels including "The Broad Highway" and "The Money Moon". At RADA, she developed an abiding love of Shakespeare under the tutelage of octogenarian Miss Nell Carter. Her New York acting credits include Teresa in Brendan Behan's "The Hostage" at the Sheridan Square Playhouse, the Chorus in "The Trojan Women" directed by Theodore Mann at Circle in the Square, and Ann in the Broadway production of "Hail Scrawdyke!" directed by Alan Arkin. At the American Shakespeare Festival Theatre in Stratford, Connecticut, her roles ranged from Titania in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" playing opposite to and directed by Cyril Ritchard, to Lady Macbeth in "Macbeth" directed by John Houseman. On television, Jane had running roles on "The Guiding Light" and "As The World Turns". Jane's movie "The Colonial Naturalist" is shown as a permanent feature at Colonial Williamsburg. At WCBS Radio, Jane was Dave Garroway's assistant and Executive Director of Lee Theodore's American Dance Machine. Since moving to Connecticut Jane has directed over thirty-five plays in eighteen years at various venues. Included in this volume are "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "Henry V" which Jane directed virtually during the covid-19 pandemic for the Brookfield Theatre for the Arts.

Emma Okell studied musical composition under Avner Dorman at the Sunderman Conservatory of Music at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania. She has written and arranged music for several theatre productions.