Cultural historian Rosenbaum gives readers a way of rethinking the greatest works of the human imagination, as he shakes up much that we thought we understood about a vital subject and renews our sense of excitement and urgency. Rather than raking over worn-out fragments of biography, Rosenbaum focuses on cutting-edge controversies about the true source of Shakespeare's enchantment and illumination--the astonishing language itself. He takes readers into the midst of fierce battles among the most brilliant Shakespearean scholars and directors over just how to delve deeper into the mind of Shakespeare. He makes ostensibly arcane textual scholarship seductive, and he shows us great directors as Shakespearean scholars in their own right. This book offers a thrilling opportunity to engage with Shakespeare's work at its deepest levels.--From publisher description.

A Soviet theater troupe dares to put on Shakespeare's King Lear, but shortly before the performance, the actor playing the title role falls ill. The prop manager, a lumbering, largely silent bear of a man — completely inappropriate for the part, according to common perception — finds himself literally thrust into the spotlight. His performance becomes the talk of Moscow, and he falls under the direct scrutiny of Joseph Stalin, who controls whether the show will proceed and the actors will live to give another performance. An audacious winter's tale, The Green Lantern is an exploration of Shakespeare, the Soviet Union, and what it is to "perform," by one of the great American writers.

''A fascinating account of the trials and tribulations behind what turned into a triumphant South African production of Shakespeare's bloodiest tragedy, Titus Andronicus' (Independent). Shakespeare in Tarantino mode is how actor Antony Sher and director Gregory Doran describe Titus Andronicus, one of the most violent plays ever written. They decided to mount a production at the celebrated Market Theatre in Johannesburg with a top South African multi-racial cast. This is an account of their extraordinary journey- from the historic first visit of the Royal National Theatre Studio to South Africa in 1994, to the rehearsals and controversial opening of Titus at the Market, and the acclaim that greeted its subsequent performances in London, Leeds and Spain. This is not only a fascinating insight into how a director and actor approach a classic play, it is also a portrait of theatre in South Africa, emerging from the dark ages of apartheid, and a moving and often funny account of Antony Sher's professional debut in his homeland.''