Learning Shakespeare through the medium for which he wrote
For many of us, our first contact with William Shakespeare's classics was through a class in English or Literature. You've probably read a script or two, performed an excerpt, or watched at least one movie adaptation. But there's one crucial element that's often missing in such an experience: Shakespeare's theatricality. To Dr. Joem Antonio, appreciating Shakespeare's plays onstage both as a theatre artist AND an audience member is an enriching learning experience—hence his creation of 10-Minute Shakespeare as a classroom tool.
There are two ways to use 10-Minute Shakespeare in the classroom setting. The first is to ask groups of students to perform the abridged plays. The second is to have students abridge scripts.
For more information on how Dr. Antonio uses 10-Minute Shakespeare in the classroom, please refer to his presentation in the 2018 conference of the Asian Shakespeare Association.
Othello in 10 Minutes (10-Minute Shakespeare 2015)
Julius Caesar in 10 Minutes (10-Minute Shakespeare 2015)
The 10MinSh teacher's kit
Do you want to use 10-Minute Shakespeare as a teaching tool in your classroom or homeschool group? Here are a few articles that might help you. After those are the 10-Minute Shakespeare scripts, which you may download for private reading. Please email us at info at compactshakespeare dot com if you'd like to use our scripts for anything other than private reading.
Articles by Dr. Joem Antonio
- Beyond Excerpts and Summaries: Developing the 10MinSh Program (full paper) - A paper prepared for the 2018 conference of the Asian Shakespeare Association
- The Genesis of 10-Minute Shakespeare
- Why 10 Minutes of Shakespeare?
- Organizing a 10-Minute Shakespeare Festival
- The Criteria for 10-Minute Shakespeare Abridgments - Read this if you want to make your own abridgment or have your students make their own abridgment.