Advice to a Player: A Collection of Monologues from Shakespeare with Explanatory Notes

By William Shakespeare and Donald MacKechnie

While some of the thirty-two speeches included here - those from Hamlet, Henry V and As You Like It, for example - are well known and favorites for audition purposes, most are less familiar and so provide challenging new opportunities for an actor to grow. The author, a producer, director and teacher for more than 40 years, carefully analyzes the meaning of each monologue as a whole and various sentences and phrases within it. He goes on to explain point by point everything the actor needs to know about that moment in the play when the monologue is delivered. In her foreword, Joan Plowright extols, "...he's done an excellent job of de-mystifying Shakespeare in his book...No actor attempting his first Shakespearean role (or even his second) should be without it."

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0879109629
• ISBN13: 9780879109622
• Release Date: August 2004
• Publisher: Limelight
• Length: 196 Pages
• Weight: 0.81 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.6" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

Absorbing and Illuminating (and Fun, Too)

It keeps getting better with each page. If you're like me, and you're not all that familiar with the real Shakespeare, you'll find this a truly illuminating read. It's accessible, it's fun, and it sure is a better beach read then anything else you're likely to find this summer. What a terrific surprise!

ENJOYABLE AND UNDERSTANDABLE SHAKESPEARE AT LAST!

Great reading in any type of weather. Witty, intellingently presented. Great choice of words. Makes William Shakespeare really a "Bill" who did write ABOUT the masses FOR the masses. Sharp focus on many of the plays that used to give me problems in analyses. Explanation flows effortlessly and make a great deal of sense, when presented with actual monologues! So few bucks for such insights. When Mr. MacKechnie urges his readers "onward" I was ready! JGRAINGER, PHD.

Superb "Advice"

What a find! I bought this book on the recommendation of Joan Plowright's foreward and am so pleased I did. Mackechnie's book not only gathers an amazing amount of Shakespearean monologues, but he dissects them with considerable insight and wit. He guides you through each speech with so much info: why, where, who, that it all makes perfect sense. Any acting student would benefit not only from the technical wisdom but from the anecdotal wisdom as well. Apparently Mackechnie has worked with Laurence Olivier, Anthony Hopkins, Plowright, Ian Mckellen, among others. Highly recommended.