Shakespeare Reading Group Resource Page

You can organize a group on your own, or divide the responsibility among a number of different people. Here are the different jobs needed for a successful reading.

Organizer - The Organizer sends out the invitations and tracks how many people are coming to the reading. My group coordinates via e-mail, though you may prefer to use another invitation management system. Or, you can just keep things informal, and hold the reading with the people who show up. This page has your back.

Host - The Host provides the space and, if desired, food. My group used to have an a running joke that the food served and brought would have something to do with the play being read (starting when I made a Caesar salad for the Julius Caesar reading, but I think that tradition pretty well died out after I tried to pass off bagels as "Much Dough About Nothing"). Readings can be held at someone's home, or the host can secure a public spot, like a consenting restaurant or a beer garden.

Facilitator - The Facilitator selects the play, assigns the roles, and generally manages the reading while it's going on. It would be helpful to be somewhat familiar with the play. Make sure there will be enough copies of the play for all of the readers. This resource page is designed mainly to assist the Facilitator.

Readers - Without the readers, there is no reading! In my group, each reader is responsible for bringing his or her own copy of the play, though I usually try to bring a few extras if I have them.