How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare (49 page)

While at Haverford College, I was fortunate enough to study with Ralph Sargent, who, over tea once a week, taught me about Shakespeare, and even more about grace and kindness. My thanks, in memory, to Ralph and his wife, Louise. Thanks also to Elizabeth Allen, who helped inspire this book and the practice it describes. When my daughter, Olivia, came home from Elizabeth’s first grade class spouting a line of Shakespeare, the idea of teaching my children to memorize Shakespeare was born.

Enormous thanks to my brother, Gene, for his encouragement and support—there was never a better brother or a finer human being; to my sister-in-law Carol; to Jim Davidson, fine friend and fellow writer whose own wonderful books are always my greatest encouragement; to Simon Reade, writer, producer, and former literary manager of the Royal Shakespeare Company, who first suggested that I write this book and who set me an example with his own joyous book
Dear Mr. Shakespeare;
to Marty and Lenore Schneiderman, best of friends and lifelines to the world beyond Shakespeare; to Harry and Kathie Teter—we follow their example with love and gratitude; and to Kenny Stilwell and Charles “Papa” Williams for keeping music in our lives.

Finally, of course, for their forbearance and patience, my ultimate thanks go to my wife, Adrienne, with whom I’ve shared all manner of Shakespeare over the years, and my children, Olivia and Jack, for putting up with me but enjoying Shakespeare.

About the Author

KEN LUDWIG is an internationally acclaimed playwright who has had numerous hits on Broadway, in London’s West End, and throughout the world. His first play on Broadway,
Lend Me A Tenor
, won two Tony Awards and was nominated for seven. He has also won two Laurence Olivier Awards (England’s highest theater honor), two Helen Hayes Awards, and the Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America. His work has been commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Bristol Old Vic, and his plays have been performed in over thirty countries in more than twenty languages. His best-known works include
Lend Me A Tenor
,
Crazy For You
(which won the Tony and Olivier Awards for Best Musical),
Moon Over Buffalo
,
Leading Ladies
,
Shakespeare in Hollywood
,
The Game’s Afoot
, and adaptations of
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
,
The Three Musketeers
,
Treasure Island
, and
The Beaux’ Stratagem
. He holds degrees from Harvard, where he studied music with Leonard Bernstein, Haverford College, and Cambridge University.

WWW.KENLUDWIG.COM

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