Stage It book with support material

Stage It offers ready-to-use school plays for ages 9–12, designed for teachers who want simple, engaging classroom performances.

Stage It: Making Shakespeare Come Alive in Schools

This step-by-step guide and its downloadable Support Material are designed for busy teachers with and without drama experience to engage primary / elementary and middle school students in a school play of varying lengths. The approach has been shown to be effective even for students who struggle in the classroom.

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars

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Music & Drama Education Awards 2026 Finalist!

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  • “This book is possibly the most useful resource around. Stage It is student-centered and encourages us to let our students do first and understanding will follow”.

    Lynne Collinson, Editor, Word Matters, Society of Teachers of Speech and Drama

  • “Stage It is the most practical and engaging approach to teaching younger students Shakespeare—or any literary content— that I have seen in over two decades as a drama educator”.

    - Jennifer Shirley, Drama Curriculum Specialist at The Juilliard School

  • “Push back the desks and get your students engaged in learning in a way that they will never forget! Stage It is a brilliant and thoroughly researched guide that brings the magic of theater into the classroom”.

    - Maureen Dillon, Retired Teacher, Croton-Harmon Schools

  • “Stage It not only dispels the misconception that Shakespeare is inaccessible to younger students but also provides invaluable techniques that significantly enhance language acquisition and comprehension”.

    - André Del Valle, Head of School, Mary McDowell Friends School

  • “Stage It is an essential tool for the classroom. It provides a detailed map of how to “stage” a play from beginning to end and demystifies the notion that Shakespeare’s plays have to be done in a certain classical style”.

    - Albert R. I. Elias, Founder, Director of Creative Stages NYC, LLC

  • “Stage It stands as a meticulously crafted roadmap for our frontline educators, illuminating the transformative power of arts education”.

    - Jennifer Wintzer, MFA, Former Stages of Learning Master Teaching Artist; Program Manager, Olin Business School, Washington University in St. Louis

Four Plays Included!

  • Developmentally appropriate adaptations for ages 9-12

  • Field tested

  • Royalty free

  • PDF format for easy download from the publisher’s website here.

Stage It Hamlet book cover: Shakespeare acting script and teaching resources for students aged 9-12.
Stage It Henry V book cover: Shakespeare acting script and teaching resources for students aged 9-12
Stage It Henry V book cover: Shakespeare acting script and teaching resources for students aged 9-12
Stage It Julius Caesar book cover: Shakespeare acting script and teaching resources for students aged 9-12
Learn more about each play
Learn more about each play

More Resources

In addition to the four plays, Stage It provides the following downloadable resources below at no additional cost.

Student Paraphrasing Worksheets

Students put Shakespeare into their own words! Provided as a PDF for easy duplication, this handy resource is paired with the Contemporary English Version (teacher’s guide) in each play.

Culminating Performance Program Template

This leave-behind for school community members who attend the culminating performance is also provided in MS Word format for easy editing. It contains fields for the cast and helpers along the way.

Shakespeare Certificate

Your students screwed courage to the sticking place to thwart instruments of darkness in commitment to the Bard. It’s time to dub them “Shakespeare Thespians”!