In this modern take on William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Demetrius is in love with Hermia because of her amazing math skills, but she only has eyes for Lysander. Helena is in love with Demetrius, who doesn't like her. Duke Theseus is on the cusp of marrying Hippolyta, a bridezilla who is making life difficult for her party planner, Philostrate. The fairy king and queen are in a lovers spat, causing chaos in the woods. Meanwhile, a crew of Mechanicals - the worst acting troupe in the land - are rehearsing a play for the Duke's wedding day. The fairies narrate the action in rhyming couplets, as the lovers take to the woods and get tangled up in magic charms, misplaced love, and misunderstanding. But all ends happily for lovers, actors, and wedding planners alike.

Outlines an engaging way to instill an understanding and appreciation of Shakespeare's classic works in children, outlining a family-friendly method that incorporates the history of Shakespearean theater and society.

A foolproof, enormously fun method of teaching your children the classic works of William Shakespeare, by a Tony Award–winning playwright—now featuring two new chapters “You and your children will be transformed by the magic and mystery of Shakespeare and his stories in an instant.”—Sir Derek Jacobi, CBE Winner of the Falstaff Award for Best Shakespeare Book To know some Shakespeare provides a head start in life. His plays are among the great bedrocks of Western civilization and contain the finest writing of the past 450 years. Many of the best novels, plays, poems, and films in the English language produced since Shakespeare’s death in 1616—from Pride and Prejudice to The Godfather—are heavily influenced by Shakespeare’s stories, characters, language, and themes. In How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare, acclaimed playwright Ken Ludwig provides the tools you need to inspire an understanding, and a love, of Shakespeare’s works in your children, and to have fun together along the way. Ken Ludwig devised his friendly, easy-to-master methods while teaching his own children. Beginning with memorizing short passages from the plays, his technique then instills children with cultural references they will utilize for years to come. Ludwig’s approach includes understanding of the time period and implications of Shakespeare’s diction as well as the invaluable lessons behind his words and stories. Colorfully incorporating the history of Shakespearean theater and society, How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare guides readers on an informed and adventurous journey through the world in which the Bard wrote. This book’s simple process allows anyone to impart to children the wisdom of plays like A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, Macbeth, and Romeo and Juliet. And there’s fun to be had throughout. Shakespeare novices and experts and readers of all ages will each find something delightfully irresistible in How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare.