Includes index.

By his great knowledge of Elizabethan London and a lifetime's practical experience of the theatre Martin Holmes has opened the way for a fresh approach to Shakespeare. He shows how the plays have been stifled by centuries of uncritical worship and how much can be brought to life by looking at the way Shakespeare achieved his effects. He explains Shakespeare's stage devices: the use of suggestion with small resources; the balance of voices, personal appearance, dress and grouping; the artful use of ability or inability in a team of actors ; the contrast of dramatic tension and comedy; the use of a minor character to paint an important stage picture; and many more. Not only is his book a passport to a deeper understanding and enjoyment of Shakespeare but it is a practical guide to producing and acting any play. -- From publisher's description.

SACFinal081324