TED-Ed
Why Should You Read Shakespeare's "The Tempest"?
Why should you read a story about a magician, his daughter, a slave, a monster, a sprite, a witch, and a prince? Find out what William Shakespeare's The Tempest all about and why it is still a worthy read, despite being written over...
TED-Ed
Why Is Aristophanes Called "The Father of Comedy"?
Set your class racing to find copies of Aristophanes’s plays with an engaging introduction. A well-designed video helps college-level viewers who are gaining an understanding of ancient Greek history learn that the social commentary in...
Crash Course
Japan, Kabuki, and Bunraku: Crash Course Theater #23
Kabuki and Bunraku may sound like new age exercise routines, but they're actually types of Japanese theater. An informational video describes the history of theater in Japan during the nineteenth century. The resource includes a...
Crash Course
Pee Jokes, the Italian Renaissance, Commedia Dell'Arte: Crash Course Theater #12
Welcome to the Renaissance, known as one of the most vibrant periods in the world of theater. An informational video provides a thorough overview of the period, noting key changes that took place on the stage. After a lengthy discussion...
Crash Course
Get Outside and Have a (Mystery) Play: Crash Course Theater #10
In the Middle Ages, theater left the church of moved outside to a secular stage. An interesting video describes the transition from pulpit to public venue, discussing common plot lines and other aspects of medieval drama. Animated...
TED-Ed
Why Should You Read "A Midsummer Night's Dream?"
Set the stage for a study of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream with an engaging animated video that is sure to stoke the interest of readers as it gets to the bottom of the key themes of the comedy. The narrator's arguments...
Crash Course
North America Gets a Theater...Riot: Crash Course Theater #29
Welcome to America! A very entertaining video teaches pupils the history of drama and how it made its way to America. It discusses those that were not pleased with the appearance of theater in the New World and even tells the tale of a...
British Council
The Tempest 2: Greed, Wrath and Lust
A magician strands a group of people on a deserted island and The Tempest begins. A video introduces English learners to Shakespeare's dramatic—and final—play. After listening to a summary of the plot and analysis of one of the...
Crash Course
Moliere - Man of Satire and Many Burials: Crash Course Theater #21
Until the reign of Louis XIII, French society did not view acting as an honorable profession. A video describes French theater during the time of popular playwright Moliere. Viewers enjoy an excerpt of the play Tartuffe and learn the...
Crash Course
Shakespeare's Tragedies and an Acting Lesson: Crash Course Theater #15
Who doesn't love a play where most of the characters die? Such deaths are a defining characteristic of many of Shakespeare's tragedies, the topic of an informational video on the Bard and his works. Along with outlining the plot elements...
British Council
Much Ado 2: Fun to Play
Audiences around the world love Shakespeare. A video and set of accompanying tasks, part of the Shakespeare English Exercises series, discusses how audiences in Japan react to Shakespearean plays. The exercises after the video help check...
British Council
Much Ado 1: A Beautiful Trick
Two people hate one another, and then fall in love. The common romantic movie formula first appeared in the play Much Ado About Nothing. As part of the Shakespeare English Exercises series, a video uses the popular play to help teach...
British Council
Lady Macbeth 2: Unchecked Ambition
Can unchecked ambition, as is the case in MacBeth, have disastrous consequences? A video and accompanying activities, part of the Shakespeare English Exercises series, discusses the topic while also teaching key English skills. The...
British Council
Lady Macbeth 1: Top Dog
Who wears the pants in the Macbeth family? Many would argue it's not the Thane of Cawdor, but his wife, Lady Macbeth. As part of the Shakespeare English Exercises series, a video and connected lessons discuss the power and influence...
British Council
Juliet 2: Feisty, Funny and Determined
One of the reasons Romeo and Juliet remains popular over time is the fact that teenagers relate to the main characters. A lesson, part of the Shakespeare English Exercises series, discusses the character of Juliet. While watching the...
British Council
Juliet 1: Falling in Love
Shakespeare's timeless tragedy Romeo and Juliet has many lessons to teach youth today. As part of the Shakespeare English Exercises series, a video and set of activities help English learners connect with the popular play....
British Council
Hamlet 2: A Bad Death
Hamlet's experience with his father's death rings true for those who have experienced the death of their own fathers. A video and set of activities, part of the Shakespeare English Exercises series, provides a unique perspective on...
British Council
Hamlet 1: His Father's Ghost
The lessons in Shakespeare's Hamlet transcend language and culture. An actor describes his view of the play in a short video accompanied by tasks, part of the Shakespeare English exercises series. While listening to the video,...
Crash Course
Why So Angry, German Theater? Crash Course Theater #27
Believe it or not, German theater did not become established until years after theater in other European countries. A video describes the history of German theater starting in the late seventeenth century. After a discussion, viewers...
Crash Course
England's Sentimental Theater: Crash Course Theater #26
How did people in the nineteenth century encourage better decision making? Using playwrights to discuss morality, of course! A video on British theater in the 1800s describes sentimental comedy and the common characteristics found within...
Crash Course
Pre-Columbian Theater, Spanish Empire, and Sor Juana: Crash Course Theater #22
The Aztecs turned the act of making sacrifices into a theatrical production. These native religious practices introduce a video on Pre-Columbian theater. By watching the video, viewers discover the connection between theater and the...
Crash Course
Rules, Rule-Breaking, and French Neoclassicism: Crash Course Theater #20
School children are not the only ones who have rules to follow! During the neoclassical period, the French established five main rules for plays. A video on theater history outlines those guidelines, as well as other elements of theater...
Crash Course
The Spanish Golden Age: Crash Course Theater #19
Heads up! In the Golden Age, women threw cucumbers at other audience members. This detail is just one of many fun facts a video about Spanish theater during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries covers. Other information the resource...
Crash Course
Where Did Theater Go? Crash Course Theater #18
Oh, the drama! According to Plato, poetry is a false representation of reality and, to him, poetry included drama. The Puritans also despised theater, a topic the informational video explores. The narrator describes the controversial...