Acting in a play written by Shakespeare or his contemporaries can offer students special insight into the text that they are not likely to obtain otherwise. But it comes with its own unique challenges. This clear and helpful guide was written to assist students in the process, offering: the fundamentals of preparing poetic texts, including a comprehensive yet easy-to-understand guide to scansion suggestions for choosing the best, most helpful editions for study and performance essential background material on Shakespeare acting exercises on everything from learning to speak the verse of a sonnet to performing leading roles.