"The concept is original and the execution brilliant. This is Dr Seuss meets Shakespeare, with all the joy of the former meshed with all the intrigue of the latter." — David Crystal, author of Shakespeare's Words and How Language Works
The Silly Shakespeare for Students edition of Shakespeare's Pericles simplifies Shakespeare's play without dumbing it down. Author Dr. Paul Leonard Murray, director of the Belgrade English Language Theater, has cut the play down to an hour or so and made the language more accessible. And a play like Pericles practically demands an irreverent attitude. This version makes fun of the original and lends itself to an over-the-top, clownish style à la commedia dell'arte! Put the yay back into Traged-yay with this silly, but oh-so-fun version of a Shakespeare classic that he probably didn't even write! Written for students, but any lover of Shakespeare will enjoy how Dr. Murray weaves the original plot and language into this new, laugh-out-loud version!
Pericles, Prince of Tyre, is considered one of Shakespeare's worst plays and certainly one of the weirdest. Pericles sails the Mediterranean searching for a wife. On the way he encounters incestuous kings, bawdy fisherwomen, an assassin, and mad kings and queens. His wife apparently dies at sea, his daughter is almost killed by her adopted parents, then rescued by pirates and sold into prostitution, where she talks the governor of the island into marrying her! Happy endings for everyone!
Production notes and a summary of the play make putting on Shakespeare easy and fun, even if you've never done drama in class before! Looking for something different for drama club, student theater, or speaking class? Want to spice up your literature or reading class and give students a new appreciation for Shakespeare? This version of Pericles for students is for you.