Ms-Directing Shakespeare Women Direct Shakespeare [Hardcover]

In this engaging and lively book, Elizabeth Shafer captures a sense of the creative world of women directing Shakespeare. She explores the works of such prestigious directors as Joan Littlewood, actress and director Dame Judi Dench, Gale Edwards, and Jude Kelley, and she looks at a variety of productions directed by women. In interviews with the author, the directors discuss their craft, their critics, and the innovative approaches they have brought to performances of Shakespeare's plays. These thoughtful reflections on the art of directing and the challenges facing women directors will be illuminating reading for anyone interested in the world of the theater and Shakespeare.

Schafer's good-natured conviction that Shakespeare is there for the taking is infectious...the productions she describes...make you want to go back to the theater. Times Literary Supplement

...a valuable book, highlighting directors and performance options that are invigorating... NWSA Journal

Elizabeth Schaferis a lecturer in drama and theatre studies at Royal Holloway College, the University of London. She has published several books on Renaissance drama.

Part 1--The Directors* Joan Littlewood * Jane Howell * Yvonne Brewster * Di Trevis * Jules Wright * Helena Kaut-Howson * Deborah Paige * Jude Kelly * Gale Edwards *Part 2--The Plays*The Taming of the Shrew*Much Ado About Nothing*A Midsummer Night's Dream*The Tempest*The Winter's Tale*All's Well That Ends Well*The Merchant of Venice*King Lear*Macbeth* English History Plays:Richard II,Henry IV,Henry VI,Richard III* Roman History Plays:Titus Andronicus,Anthony and Cleopatra,Coriolanus*Part 3--Women Directors: A Herstory* Before Edy Craig * Edy Craig and After * The Sixties and Seventies * Reflections