8 Shakespeare Play Bundle – Innovative Shakespeare in 30

Shakespeare in 30 minutes? Let me count the ways… This Shakespeare play bundle contains eight abridged Shakespeare scripts.

Each William Shakespeare play in this series has been adapted for teens to tackle in a half an hour. Perfect for ELA, ESL, and drama camps.

You can use these Shakespeare play scripts for…
✅ Reader’s Theatre (1-2 class periods)
✅ Staged Readings (one week)
✅ Full productions (3-4 weeks+)
This resource has been tested and performed with students in grades 6-12.

Which 8 abridged plays are included in this Shakespeare play bundle?
✨ The Comedy of Errors: a slapstick abridgment with a focus on the twins’ antics. 10 roles

✨ Deceiving of Christopher Sly: a mashup of Taming of the Shrew and the play from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Flexible casting, 9-15 roles.

✨ Juliet & Romeo: an exploration of role reversal with an emphasis on combat scenes

✨ Macbeth & the Witches: an abridgment focused on Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Banquo, and the witches. 7 roles and 11 extras (apparitions, parade of kings)

✨ A Midsummer Night’s Dream: an abridgment with all subplots, 14 roles

✨ Much Ado about Nothing: an adaptation focused on mime and strong vocal choices. 13 roles

✨ The Tempest: an abridgment with all subplots. 13 roles and extra mariners

✨ Twelfth Night: an abridgment focused on Malvolio’s mistreatment, with a strong dose of cultural references. 6 roles.

Why do you need eight plays?
Well, each cast has a different number of actors, and none of them are a perfect 32 (or 34, or 28, or however many kids you have in class).

If you want all of your students to be involved, why not break them up into groups and have them work on different plays? This is a great way for students to get acquainted with more works by Shakespeare in a short amount of time.