Acting Shakespeare is Outrageous! Playing the Bard for Beginners

In this review of Acting Shakespeare is Outrageous!: Playing the Bard for Beginners the bottom line is clear: this book is for beginning actors and teachers who need a practical, confidence-building approach to Shakespeare. Herb Parker argues that seeing Shakespeare as intentionally presentational and delightfully exaggerated makes the language less intimidating and more performable. The review finds the book most valuable for actors who struggle to connect emotion to verse, because it supplies exercises, improvisations and coaching points that turn dense text into active choices and dynamic scenes.

Key Features

• Outrageous framing: Encourages actors to treat scenes as extraordinary situations, which frees them from striving for strict realism and enables bolder choices.
• Practical exercises: Offers concrete improvisations and exercises that help actors inhabit Shakespearean language through action, not just analysis.
• Coaching points: Supplies targeted coaching tips that actors and teachers can apply directly to rehearsals and auditions for clearer speech and intention.
• Language-first method: Emphasizes using Shakespeare's words as a performing tool, helping actors discover rhythm and meaning in the verse.
• Beginner-friendly focus: Tailored to newcomers, the book breaks down intimidating scenes into manageable steps and choices.

Who It's For

Acting Shakespeare is Outrageous! is best for drama students, early-career actors, and acting instructors who want a hands-on approach to speaking verse and creating theatrical choices. It works particularly well for those who learn by doing and need exercises to move from textual study to embodied performance.

Actors seeking deep scholarly analysis or a historical compendium of performance practice should look elsewhere; this is not a research volume but a practical handbook focused on performance techniques and imaginative risk-taking.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Clear practical guidance that makes Shakespeare feel accessible and performable for beginners.
• Exercises and improvisations that translate language into action and encourage risk-taking.
• Coaching points useful for classroom work, rehearsals, and audition preparation.

Cons

• Not a scholarly or historical reference, so readers expecting academic depth may find it limited.

Specifications

Title	Acting Shakespeare is Outrageous!: Playing the Bard for Beginners
Author	Herb Parker
Audience	Beginning actors, drama students, acting teachers
Focus	Practical exercises, improvisations, coaching points
Approach	Language-first, presentational, non-realistic performance
Use cases	Rehearsal practice, audition preparation, classroom exercises

Our Verdict

Acting Shakespeare is Outrageous! is a compact, effective manual for beginners who need to turn Shakespearean text into active performance. Herb Parkers emphasis on outrageous situations and language-as-action gives practical tools that save rehearsal time and build actor confidence, making it good value for students and teachers focused on performance skills rather than academic study.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this book include exercises I can use in class?
Yes, the book contains exercises, improvisations and coaching points designed for classroom and rehearsal use.

Is it suitable for complete beginners?
Yes, it is aimed at beginners and breaks down Shakespearean scenes into manageable, performable steps.

Will it replace scholarly texts on Shakespearean performance?
No, it is a practical performance guide rather than a detailed historical or scholarly study.