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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Important explanation of original practices Shakespeare and cue script techniqueBy Vince EmerySince 1995; when the Shenandoah Shakespeare Express (now the American Shakespeare Center) first conducted its 6-week Center for Renaissance and Shakespeare Staging; and 1997; when Queen Elizabeth II opened the new Globe Theatre in London; the topics splashing the biggest waves in the Shakespearean sea have been those dealing with original practices theatre--the methods by which plays were originally written; rehearsed; staged; and acted in Shakespeares time.Developments in original practices have impacted historical and biographical research; the editing of Shakespeares texts (and those of his contemporaries); classroom techniques; and especially the staging; direction; and acting of Shakespeares plays today. The original practices pioneered by the American Shakespeare Center; Shakespeares Globe; and the Original Shakespeare Company have spread around the world. Now teachers use original practices strategies in dozens of graduate; undergraduate; and high school courses; and more than thirty companies have performed hundreds of productions using original practices techniques.Don Weingust is an actor; director; writer; professor of drama; and the director of the Center for Shakespeare Studies. He was given complete access to preparations and performances by the Original Shakespeare Company and was also given access to Shakespeares Globe; and supplemented his experiences with research into the origins of original practices to create this book for scholars; students; directors; actors; and lay-readers who would like to deepen their appreciation of Shakespeares works.This is an important book because Weingust provides the only authoritative overview of the origins of the original practices movement; the controversies it generated; and the reasons for its fast-spreading success. He begins with historical background; giving scant coverage of pioneer William Poel; but the best summary I have found of the observations of Richard Flatter in his controversial 1948 book Shakespeares Producing Hand and of the near-hysterical reactions of Flatters critics. Weingust then shows how Flatters work influenced Neil Freeman and Patrick Tucker; and how Freeman; Tucker; and the new Globe Theatre in turn influenced other scholarly and theatrical projects; leading to a greater reliance on play texts from the First Folio and a lesser use of the revised play texts provided by current editions of the plays.The final third of Weingusts book is titled "First Folio techniques in performance: The Original Shakespeare Company and the International Shakespeares Globe Center." It covers the late-1990s production of plays using original practices and the cue script technique; reviewing unexpected problems and successes; and discussing the results achieved and using them to draw conclusions applicable for other productions. Though Weingust mostly focuses on the careful review of First Folio texts to uncover implied staging and acting directions; he also discusses other aspects of original practices: rehearsals; staging; prompting; and audience interaction.Although Weingusts book can be useful to directors and actors; he is not trying to write a how-to book. (If you are looking for an original practices/cue script technique how-to book; I recommend Patrick Tuckers Secrets of Acting Shakespeare: The Original Approach.) Weingust aims for readers to understand the origins; successes; and controversies of the original practices movement; and he succeeds. He also attempts to persuade readers that original practices--especially careful use of First Folio texts--can provide great value to scholars; teachers; actors; and readers of Shakespeare. I believe he succeeds in this goal as well; and recommend this book to anyone who wants gain insight into Shakespeares works. The book includes a list of works cited and a commendable; thorough index.