Of course, I realize that anyone can download the teacher-sample full scripts, get easily rid of the watermark, then use or stage the scripts with their students or cast. Teachers just think that everything should be free for them, especially if someone is stupid enough to leave it out in the open. I am obviously, but how else is one to teach a group that thinks they are so smart, when in fact they know almost nothing about Shakespeare, or the craft of acting, or the craft of public speaking, for that matter? They almost never practice it with their students.
My problem is this: Yes I would love to, nay deserve to, earn something for all these years of resource building. To get teachers to appreciate the possibilities of my texts however, I should allow them to read the whole scripts. Not that they will. Then, of course they are just stolen and possibly spread further for free. The bigger picture says spread all your work, Rodger, for free; there is nothing like it anywhere. People visit from around the globe, almost daily. Help the young people learn how to use language. The other part of me just detests the teachers who might say, “What he did was easy, I could have done that.” Not in a million years, not ever!
Othello is not done yet. Go ahead, some teacher, cut and format the text as I did for the first 12. Perhaps note it as well and record it, playing all the parts clearly. Amuse me. Not AI, do it yourself! Then, of course, SOL depends completely on one’s ability to hear, hear thought, then make suggestions to clarify them. Most people consider that ability one’s directorial talent. It is a gift.
I am not stupid; I am talented; and I care about young people! I am helping them practice! What are you doing? If you are teaching Shakespeare the old way, reading TrAnSlAtIoNs, colouring cartoons, or watching films, you are still failing. Without the ‘out loud’ Will is just a pontifical wank! The Will I suggest has been created to practice.
Stupid-me, has made Shakespeare Out Loud possible.
What will smart-you now do?