King Lear: The Applause Shakespeare Library
Worth buying if: You want a production-friendly text with clear editorial support.
Skip it if: You seek an academic critical apparatus with exhaustive scholarship.
Exact edition: Edition shown · ISBN-13 9781557831798. The Amazon link uses this ISBN, so the product page should open to the edition shown here.
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Summary
This edition of King Lear pairs Shakespeare’s profound tragedy with editorial notes and performance-oriented guidance by John Russell Brown to aid actors, directors, and engaged readers seeking practical insight into staging and interpretation.
Why this book now
For anyone returning to the play for production, study, or fresh reading, this practical edition foregrounds performative choices that keep Lear immediate and watchable.
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Best for readers who...
Good fit if you want...
- You want a production-friendly text with clear editorial support.
- You study acting, directing, or close readings of Shakespearean drama.
- You seek an academic critical apparatus with exhaustive scholarship.
- You prefer modernized, heavily annotated classroom editions.
- You are specifically hunting for the newest framing rather than a backlist perspective.
Decided it fits?
Exact edition: Edition shown · ISBN-13 9781557831798
Worth buying if: You want a production-friendly text with clear editorial support.
Skip it if: You seek an academic critical apparatus with exhaustive scholarship.
Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.
Reader guide
Cues to help you decide faster.
Reading commitment
Light Short sit-downs
At about 240 pages, expect a focused few sittings for reading and additional time for digesting notes if using it for rehearsal or classroom discussion.
What stands out here
This Hal Leonard release emphasizes stagecraft and interpretation: readable text plus practical editorial commentary from theatre scholar John Russell Brown.
Best way to approach it
Read the play straight through to feel its emotional arc, then revisit Brown’s notes scene-by-scene while marking choices for performance or discussion.
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Exact edition: ISBN-13 9781557831798
Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.