About the Books:
"This highly acclaimed series makes Shakespeare very accessible and is found in all 50 U.S. states, all Canadian provinces, and 45 countries.

The Sixty-Minute Shakespeare series is an ideal alternative for those who lack the time to tackle the unabridged versions of the world's most widely read playwright. Professor Cass Foster has judiciously condensed (without modernizing) the Bard's richly poetic language. He has skillfully retained the integrity of the text, allowing students to experience the thrill of the stories as well as the captivating imagery in the prose and verse.

In addition, the author has provided helpful footnotes on nearly every page explaining the more arcane words and phrases to help the reader better understand and appreciate each play.

You will find the practical suggestions clearly laid out for staging, pacing, and thematic exploration very useful. Scenes flow smoothly from one to the next, maintaining a continuity difficult to find in other condensed versions of the Bard's works. Each script is approximately 70 pages."

About Cass Foster:
"Cass Foster, Professor Emeritus of Theatre, has been actively involved in the theatre as an educator, director, fight choreographer and playwright. His teaching experience includes The Ohio State University, Capital University, Otterbein College, Central Arizona College and Mesa Community College. He has directed productions or choreographed fights at Players Theatre Columbus, University of Illinois: Champaign-Urbana, Phoenix Theatre, Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, Grand Canyon Shakespeare Festival, Case Western Reserve University, Arizona Jewish Theatre, Sedona Repertory Company, Lyric Opera, Phoenix Little Theatre, Sombrero Playhouse, The Ohio State University and the Great American People Show.

He currently resides on the beautiful Garden Isle of Kauai with his wife, Nellie."

My Take:
I read through the Sixty-Minute Shakespeare version of Romeo & Juliet. I enjoy a good love story, and I think this book is the epitome of a good love story...except for the tragic ending, of course. The only trouble is that I have a very difficult time reading Shakespeare. The plays are pretty long and I just don't understand it at times. It's almost like trying to read something in a foreign language! But with Sixty-Minute Shakespeare I can read through Shakespeare quickly, and with the footnotes, I can even understand it!

I plowed through Romeo & Juliet in record time, and I got more out of reading it in this version than I could reading the unabridged version. The language is the same, but the footnotes help readability, and because it's shortened there is less extraneous material to confuse the reader. I really enjoyed reading Romeo & Juliet this way, and I know you will too!

There are six titles available in Sixty-Minute Shakespeare format: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hamlet, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, Romeo & Juliet and Twelfth Night.

Cost: You can buy one Sixty-Minute Shakespeare title for $8.99 or the entire set of six books for $45.89 - that's a 15% savings!

Overall: We give Sixty-Minute Shakespeare a 9/10!

How would you like to win a copy of Sixty-Minute Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet??





We were sent copy of the Sixty-Minute Shakespeare book "Romeo & Juliet" free of charge for the sole purpose of this review; no other compensation was received. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is a MamaBuzz review. The product was provided by Five Star Publications for this review.