Suit the Words to the Action: Adapting and Editing Shakespeares plays for different audiences and purposes

Two ways to perform the plays: Perform it all – Still requires that you choose an edition, and make choices about what themes will be highlighted, as well as choices about casting, doubling, etc. Perform an edited version (more common choice) – Requires the above choices, plus: Edited for time – tends to be primary reason Edited for number of roles, genders of roles Edited for purpose/content – educational, professional, experimental Edited for message – what are you trying to say with the play? Other ideas?

A History of Adaptations, or reasons not to be a purist – Elizabethan/Jacobean theatre – Restoration I had sworn I would not leave the stage till I had rescued that noble play from all the rubbish of the fifth act. I have brought it forth without the grave-digger's trick, Osrick, & the fencing match – David Garrick – Victorian theatre – 20 th Century

Think before you adapt: Why this play, and why your version? What do you love about the play? What speaks urgently to you? Why is this story necessary to tell now? What does it have to say? Why do you want to see this play? What actors do you imagine in it? What about the play sustains your excitement and makes you think about your life and your world in new ways? What in the play helps crystallize your own thinking, or feels necessary to share?

Macbeth – Comparison Original folio Thunder. Enter the three Witches. 1 Thrice the brinded Cat hath mew'd. 2 Thrice, and once the Hedge-Pigge whin'd Harpier cries, 'tis time, 'tis time Round about the Caldron go: In the poysond Entrailes throw Toad, that vnder cold stone, Dayes and Nights, ha's thirty one: 1535Sweltred Venom sleeping got, 1535 Boyle thou first i'th' charmed pot. All. Double, double, toile and trouble; Fire burne, and Cauldron bubble. 2 Fillet of a Fenny Snake, 1540In the Cauldron boyle and bake: 1540 Eye of Newt, and Toe of Frogge, Wooll of Bat, and Tongue of Dogge: Adders Forke, and Blinde-wormes Sting, Lizards legge, and Howlets wing: 1545For a Charme of powrefull trouble, 1545 Like a Hell-broth, boyle and bubble. All. Double, double, toyle and trouble, Fire burne, and Cauldron bubble. 3 Scale of Dragon, Tooth of Wolfe, 1550Witches Mummey, Maw, and Gulfe 1550 Of the rauin'd salt Sea sharke: Roote of Hemlocke, digg'd i'th' darke: Liuer of Blaspheming Iew, Gall of Goate, and Slippes of Yew, 1555Sliuer'd in the Moones Ecclipse: 1555 Nose of Turke, and Tartars lips: Finger of Birth-strangled Babe, Ditch-deliuer'd by a Drab, Make the Grewell thicke, and slab. 1560Adde thereto a Tigers Chawdron, 1560 For th' Ingredience of our Cawdron. All. Double, double, toyle and trouble, Fire burne, and Cauldron bubble. 2 Coole it with a Baboones blood, 1565Then the Charme is firme and good Enter Hecat, and the other three Witches. Hec. O well done: I commend your paines, And euery one shall share i'th' gaines: And now about the Cauldron sing 1570Like Elues and Fairies in a Ring, 1570 Inchanting all that you put in. Musicke and a Song. Blacke Spirits, &c. 2 By the pricking of my Thumbes, Something wicked this way comes: 1575Open Lockes, who euer knockes Shakespeare Camp show – The Witches Brew First Witch. Thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd. First Witch Second Witch. Thrice and once the hedge-pig whined. Second Witch Third Witch. Harpier cries 'Tis time, 'tis time. Third Witch First Witch. Round about the cauldron go; In the poison'd entrails throw. Toad, that under cold stone Days and nights has thirty-one Swelter'd venom sleeping got, Boil thou first i' the charmed pot. First Witch All. Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble. All Second Witch. Fillet of a fenny snake, In the cauldron boil and bake; Eye of newt and toe of frog, Wool of bat and tongue of dog, Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting, Lizard's leg and owlet's wing, For a charm of powerful trouble, Like a hell-broth boil and bubble. Second Witch All. Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble. All Third Witch. Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf, Witches' mummy, maw and gulf Of the ravin'd salt-sea shark, Root of hemlock digg'd i' the dark, Silver'd in the moon's eclipse, Nose of Turk and Tartar's lips, Finger of birth-strangled babe Ditch-deliver'd by a drab, Make the gruel thick and slab: Add thereto a tiger's chaudron, For the ingredients of our cauldron. Third Witch All. Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble. All Second Witch. Cool it with a baboon's blood, Then the charm is firm and good. Second Witch [Enter HECATE to the other three Witches] Hecate. O well done! I commend your pains; And every one shall share i' the gains; And now about the cauldron sing, Live elves and fairies in a ring, Enchanting all that you put in. Hecate [Music and a song: 'Black spirits,' &c] [HECATE retires] Second Witch. By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes. Open, locks, Whoever knocks! [Enter MACBETH] Second Witch

Macbeth - Comparison Original Folio text Thunder. Enter the three Witches. 1 Thrice the brinded Cat hath mew'd. 2 Thrice, and once the Hedge-Pigge whin'd Harpier cries, 'tis time, 'tis time Round about the Caldron go: In the poysond Entrailes throw Toad, that vnder cold stone, Dayes and Nights, ha's thirty one: 1535Sweltred Venom sleeping got, 1535 Boyle thou first i'th' charmed pot. All. Double, double, toile and trouble; Fire burne, and Cauldron bubble. 2 Fillet of a Fenny Snake, 1540In the Cauldron boyle and bake: 1540 Eye of Newt, and Toe of Frogge, Wooll of Bat, and Tongue of Dogge: Adders Forke, and Blinde-wormes Sting, Lizards legge, and Howlets wing: 1545For a Charme of powrefull trouble, 1545 Like a Hell-broth, boyle and bubble. All. Double, double, toyle and trouble, Fire burne, and Cauldron bubble. 3 Scale of Dragon, Tooth of Wolfe, 1550Witches Mummey, Maw, and Gulfe 1550 Of the rauin'd salt Sea sharke: Roote of Hemlocke, digg'd i'th' darke: Liuer of Blaspheming Iew, Gall of Goate, and Slippes of Yew, 1555Sliuer'd in the Moones Ecclipse: 1555 Nose of Turke, and Tartars lips: Finger of Birth-strangled Babe, Ditch-deliuer'd by a Drab, Make the Grewell thicke, and slab. 1560Adde thereto a Tigers Chawdron, 1560 For th' Ingredience of our Cawdron. All. Double, double, toyle and trouble, Fire burne, and Cauldron bubble. 2 Coole it with a Baboones blood, 1565Then the Charme is firme and good Enter Hecat, and the other three Witches. Hec. O well done: I commend your paines, And euery one shall share i'th' gaines: And now about the Cauldron sing 1570Like Elues and Fairies in a Ring, 1570 Inchanting all that you put in. Musicke and a Song. Blacke Spirits, &c. 2 By the pricking of my Thumbes, Something wicked this way comes: 1575Open Lockes, who euer knockes Shakespeare on Tour show SCENE I. The Heath. Thunder. Enter the three Witches First Witch Thrice the brinded Cat hath mew'd. Second Witch Thrice, and once the Hedge-Pig whind. Third Witch Harpier cries, 'tis time, 'tis time. First Witch Round about the Cauldron go: In the poison'd Entrails throw. ALL Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire burn, and Cauldron bubble. Second Witch By the pricking of my Thumbs, Something wicked this way comes: Open Locks, whoever knocks.

Lets talk about Hamlet. What are your given circumstances? – Three-hour professional indoor production, major LORT theatre, cast of 12. – Two-hour professional outdoor production, major theatre, cast of 9. – 90-minute high school production, cast of 30. – One-hour school and library tour for all ages, cast of 5. – Half-hour camp show, elementary school, cast of 15. – Performance at a wedding – Performance in a church – Performance at a Muslim University

Primary Sources Quarto 1 (Bad Quarto) – 1603, shortest version, some garbled text, published by actor playing Marcellus? Quarto 2 – , longest version. A readers version? Unknown if it was performed in its entirety. Folio 1 – 1623, longer than Q1, shorter than Q2, adds 70 new lines, removes How all occasions, about 230 lines total from Q2. More of a performance text?

Edited Versions Folger Arden Riverside Cambridge Oxford Penguin/Pelican YOU!