Romeo, Juliet, and Other Screwed-up Teenagers: An Irreverent Yet Thorough Guide to Introducing the World's Most Staggeringly Inappropriate Play to a Classroom Filled with Confused Freshmen

“Scott Bailey’s scene-by-scene breakdown of Romeo and Juliet is a funny and insightful deep dive into a play I thought I knew pretty well. An invaluable companion for students, educators, and theatre folk alike!” --Austin Tichenor, Co-Artistic Director, The Reduced Shakespeare CompanyApproximately 80% of American high school freshmen are subjected to studying Romeo and Juliet, a play that romanticizes suicide, encourages young people to disrespect their parents, and contains an endless array of tasteless jokes about bathing suit area body parts and their functions. This book that you are so close to purchasing argues why this particular work of theater (excuse me, theatre) should continue to be taught despite the fact that it appears to be wrong in so many different ways. It also offers an enjoyable, and at times, factually accurate in-depth scene-by-scene analysis of the play unlike anything you’ve ever read in one of those Shakespeare Made Easy books.(It also won't make you feel totally stupid like a Harold Bloom tome might.) And if that weren’t sufficient, this book also serves as a heartfelt, yet profanity-filled memoir of a high school English and Drama teacher who refuses to stop promoting Shakespeare and his works, despite all the reasons it seems to be a questionable thing to do in these modern times. Romeo, Juliet, and Other Screwed-up Teenagers is the perfect book for any educator who is about to teach Shakespeare, either for the first or ninety-first time. It’s also great for any student who is studying the play and wants to sound extra-smart during class discussions. And for those people who just like reading books about Shakespeare and/or snarky passive-aggressive teachers, you might as well read this one too.After graduating from UCLA’s School of Theatre alongside some classmates who became insanely rich and successful, Scott Bailey has been busy teaching high school English and Drama all over the Los Angeles area for 28 years. He was awarded the title of Outstanding Educator by The University of Chicago, for which he was given an official looking certificate and treated to a steak dinner at Ruth’s Chris that came with his choice of side. He has taught Romeo and Juliet well over a hundred times as well as performing the role of Friar Lawrence at The El Portal Theater. (Please forgive the redundant definite articles in its name.) He also once directed a production of the play that simultaneously got him fired from one school and hired at another. (Details inside!) He is also a frequent contributor to Timothy McSweeney's Internet Tendency (if you consider having two pieces posted "frequent"). Read more