{"product_id":"the-play-within-the-play-william-shakespeare-9781953725776","title":"The Play within the Play: An Adaptation of Hamlet by William Shakespeare","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Play within the Play \u003c\/em\u003eis an adaptation of \u003cem\u003eHamlet \u003c\/em\u003eby William Shakespeare. In this version (in two acts), the play has been shortened, the sets and cast simplified, and the scene order revised to some extent. Estimated running time is under two hours. The intent is to make it easier for small and community theaters to produce, and for modern audiences to enjoy, this fascinating play.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePublisher's Note: Non-profit academic and community theaters may present this adaptation on the stage royalty-free. For production permissions and other information, please contact TimeBeingMedia.com.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFrom the Introduction: \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere is one aspect of \u003cem\u003eHamlet\u003c\/em\u003e that fascinates me, and that has been my focus for this adaptation: that is the concept of Play. Concepts, I should say, though there is a many in one aspect to it. Half a world away and wholly unknown to Shakespeare, the Japanese term for play, \u003cem\u003easobu, \u003c\/em\u003e refers to theater, and to sham fighting, and to ceremony in general. All of these are found in \u003cem\u003eHamlet\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSo I suspect Play also fascinated Shakespeare. In \u003cem\u003eAs You Like It\u003c\/em\u003e (a much better play written about the same time - 1600 or so), we are told that \"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players\". So Shakespeare obviously had play and playing on his mind at the time.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI think the word \u003cem\u003emerely\u003c\/em\u003e there says so much about what Shakespeare thought of his profession. And in \u003cem\u003eHamlet\u003c\/em\u003e, play and players are layered into nearly every scene... \u003cem\u003eHamlet\u003c\/em\u003e is a play of plays, a ceremony of blood and theater.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis adaptation, of course, can be seen as a play within the play. And the plays within the play, with the play, within the play... is one of Shakespeare's most compelling conceptions.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e William Shakespeare\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1953725775\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781953725776\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Time Being Media, LLC\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 07\/02\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 102\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.28lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.24d","brand":"William Shakespeare","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48874595713279,"sku":"9781953725776","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-play-within-the-play-william-shakespeare-9781953725776","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}