All the World's a Stage
Shakespeare arranged by Mary W. Schaller.
Product Code: A32000
One-act Play
Comedy | Drama
Cast size: 12 minimum.
Livestream and Record & Stream Rights Available
Rights and availability
This title can be licensed and sold throughout the World.
* Please note the royalty rate listed is the minimum royalty rate per performance. The actual royalty rate will be determined upon completion of a royalty application.
Synopsis
This sampler of Shakespearean scenes revolves around the theme of Elizabethan theatre and staging techniques. A central character, the Modern Theatre Student, narrates between scenes and keeps order amid chaos. Her rival for attention is Jacques from As You Like It, who continually wants to "get on with it." Scenes include the plays-within-plays from Hamlet and A Midsummer Night's Dream; the players' relationships with the Elizabethan groundlings as seen in the funeral oration from Julius Caesar and the drunken porter from Macbeth; the girls-disguised-as-boys scene from The Merchant of Venice; the use of excerpts from Pericles, Henry V and Henry VIII; epilogues from The Tempest and A Midsummer Night's Dream; and of course the speech "All the world's a stage," from As You Like It, acted in pantomime. This play is ideally suited for classroom production as it ensures enough parts for everyone while, at the same time, it gently teaches the students about the life and theatre of Shakespeare.
Notes
Livestream and Record & Stream Rights Available
MODERN STUDENT. We will begin our action with excerpts from several plays, Pericles, Henry V and Henry VIII.
Details
- Status In stock
- Type of Show One-act Play
- Product Code A32000
- Minimum Cast Size 12
- Pages of Dialogue 32
- Min. Royalty Rate $50.00/perf
- Approx. Run Time 45 min
- Staging Bare stage with props.
Categories
- Target Audience Middle School | High School
- Performing Group Middle School | High School
- Genre Comedy | Drama
- ISBN(13) 9780871292278
Customer Reviews
Excellent piece for high school students who have had no experience performing Shakespeare. It gave a large number of students a chance to "try on" a Shakespeare character. Hugh success with my student actors. They loved doing it!
A very good educational piece; Shakespearean sampler; excellent variety of good roles; lots of acting opportunities, both vocal and physical.
This play is a great deal of fun with an enthusiastic group. The students had an opportunity to learn about crafting period costuming as well as the challenge of playing more than one part in a show!
A one-act play that shows scenes from Shakespeare's plays. This was excellent for our children's shows. The narrator (modern student) explains Shakespeare's plays to the audience and then scenes are performed.
The play was fun for the students; the short, varied scenes gave them an opportunity to try both comedy and serious acting skills. The simplicity of set and costuming accented the acting skills of my students. It was quite successful.
Hints, Tips, and Tricks
It's a good introduction to Shakespeare, but you'll need to spend the extra time contextualizing each scene with your students. Lots of good roles, large and small, and good opportunities for ensemble work.
The format of the show allowed me to work with individuals and small groups before putting the entire show together.
Production Map
| Location | City | State | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NTA Center for Creativity | Washington | IL | 07/25/2025 | 07/26/2025 |
Downloads
| File Description | File Format | |
|---|---|---|
| Performance Poster | Download |
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Also By These Authors
Gail Mitchell, New Covenant Schools, Lynchburg, Va.