As You Like It

    by | Jan 11, 2020 | Education Resources, Plays

    Prepare for As You Like It

    Here, at ImprovEd Shakespeare, we firmly believe you should get to know the story before jumping into a Shakespeare play. Therefore, in honor of our spring production, As You Like It, we want to share some resources with you.

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    SHORT WRITTEN SUMMARIES ONLINE

    • No Fear Shakespeare (SparkNotes) – This website devotes itself to making the Bard of Avon less fearsome. Moreover, it has a useful modern translation alongside the original text. Although many Shakespeare academics may feel nauseated at the modern paraphrasing, it often makes us grin.
    • Shmoop – Okay, some families will find this site more agreeable, while others less so. To explain, Shmoop is very tongue-in-cheek. Additionally, more mature jargon also exists in their translations. Subjective observations are plentiful, as well.  For example, “PITA” and “WTF?” However, it’s entertaining and enlightening for a quick overview of the story. They seem to “speak teen” in their modern translation. And, yes, Shakespeare academics cringe at using Shmoop as your primary source.
    • Royal Shakespeare Company – Here, you will find a summary exploration into the main points of the play in their menu.
    • Absolute Shakespeare – An online resource for “William Shakespeare’s plays, sonnets, poems, quotes, biography and the legendary Globe Theatre.”

    MORE SHORT SUMMARIES IN BOOKS

    • Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb – So, this is an old, as well as an old-fashioned, book. In fact, the link above connects to Project Gutenberg, which reproduces the out-of-print classics. In any case, the book contains longer synopses of multiple plays, but with antiquated phrasing. Therefore, some Kids enjoy it, whereas others don’t. You might be able to find a used version of a previous printing. Or, you can read it online for free. Click on the link above to view it.
    • Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare by E. Nesbit – Another old-fashioned distribution, plus the printing situation is similar to the Lamb’s book described previously. Nesbit’s version is slightly more modernized than the Lamb version. And, it’s online for free too. Thanks to Internet Archive, you can download various formats. The link is above.
    • Shakespeare Stories II by Leon Garfield – Although out-of-print, you can, however, find a used copy on Amazon or even at your local library.
    • Tales From Shakespeare by Tina Packer – Another out-of-print presswork, but you can also find a used edition on Amazon, and again, at your local library.

    FOR ALTERNATIVE VERSIONS

     

     

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    BACKGROUND FOR AS YOU LIKE IT

    ENTIRE PLAY

    • MIT has all of Shakespeare’s works available for free online –
    • Or visit your local library! As to the editions or publishers? It’s up to you, but:
      • Arden Shakespeare – Many actors like the footnotes found in the Arden editions.
      • Folger Library Shakespeare – Quite a few readers enjoy the annotation plus the layout of the Folger editions. Additionally, many high schools use this edition.
      • No Fear Shakespeare – As we said above, we like No Fear for younger readers. Some people hate it because they feel the paraphrasing is inadequate. But, we think it’s highly readable if you quickly want the gist of the story.

    YOUTUBE

    If you like YouTube, then we have a playlist on our channel. While you are there, subscribe, and check out our original videos. In the meantime, for more information click Studies: As You Like It.

    FILM VERSIONS

    There are also a couple of filmed versions on the YouTube playlist, Studies: As You Like It.

    • LOVE: As You Like It (2014) – Directed by Marika Sonja Cotter, LOVE: AS YOU LIKE IT takes viewers on a wild ride through San Francisco’s hip, artistic and culturally diverse Mission District as a dynamic group of characters struggle with what it means to love, and to be loved. Available on YouTube.
    • Shakespeare’s Globe As You Like It (2009) – Digital Theatre has a filmed version of Thea Sharrock’s 2009 Shakespeare’s Globe production. It is available for rent.
    • As You Like It (2006) – Kenneth Branagh’s version (2006). Not available on Amazon Prime, but some libraries probably have a copy.
    • BBC Television Shakespeare (1978): As You Like It
    • As You Like It (1937) – A young Laurence Olivier plays Orlando. On Amazon Prime. This is also on the YouTube playlist.

     

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    CONCLUSION

    Finally, a short note about modern translations. Although serious Shakespeare academics and scholars feel that starting Kids off with these versions is abhorrent, we disagree. At ImprovEd Shakespeare, we appreciate these fresh interpretations. In fact, we view them as a jumping-off point. For example, sometimes, you come across a phrase that just doesn’t make sense. Without being immersed in Shakespeare’s language, it can be hard to understand. A current rendering helps a-plenty. In other words, it helps you to appreciate the beauty of Shakespeare’s words.

    In any case, there’s no one right way to approach Shakespeare. Indeed, the trick is to find what works for you.

    We hope these resources are helpful to get you started on your journey with this play!

    SHAKESPEARE FOR ALL

    Working with Shakespeare in education frightens many. Because Shakespeare experts, including professionals, surround us. Escaping them is difficult. This can be intimidating. Thus, feelings of dread usually accompany the act of presenting, but moreover be introduced to, the Bard.

    For this reason, ImprovEd Shakespeare is here to help. Founder and Director, Andee Kinzy, offers the layman’s approach to Shakespeare.

    SHAKESPEARE FOR TEACHERS AND DIRECTORS

    If you’re an English teacher, a theatre director, or a well-trained Shakespeare advocate, here you will find inspiration, as well as techniques, for making our favorite bard fun for Kids. Accordingly, we present old, new and improved ideas for introducing Shakespeare to youth for the non-Shakespeare-academic. Among them, we include theatre games, improvisation, tips, tricks, plus activities for using Shakespeare in education.

    SHAKESPEARE FOR KIDS

    Since 2011, ImprovEd Shakespeare has been exploring the Bard with youth through theatrical performance. Our signature scripts are a mix of modern narration plus original Shakespeare verse. With a focus on the story, including an abbreviated script length, our productions entertain all ages. Moreover, our catalog goes beyond the oft-used Midsummer Night’s Dream, or Romeo and Juliet. We’ve discovered that young people find much to their delight among many of Shakespeare’s works. Consider subscribing to our YouTube channel for family-friendly Shakespeare videos.

    PERFORMANCES

    Each fall and spring, ImprovEd Shakespeare develops a new production for live performance. In honor of the traditional Renaissance traveling troupe, during a period of a few weeks, we present Kid-friendly plays at various venues around town. Our Players, between 3rd-12th grade, gear themselves with playful, as well as engaging interpretations of works by the Bard of Avon. Suitable for all ages, each performance runs for about an hour.

    Furthermore, these shows are always FREE. However, we gladly accept Donations! Additionally, visit ImprovEd Shakespeare, Shakespeare for Kids by Kids on Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter. And don’t forget to click on our BLOG for the stories behind these videos.