Reading on Your Own

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

To Kill a Mockingbird Student Survival Guide
This hypertext guide provides explanations for over 400 words, allusions, and idioms used in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Be sure to also check out the excellent Related Links for more information on the novel and the issues raised in it.

Our Town: A Play in Three Acts by Thornton Wilder

Thornton Wilder
This biography of Wilder notes that Our Town was seen by the critic Brendan Gill as "a nightmare of passive awareness felt through all eternity" but was "generally misinterpreted as a slice of Norman Rockwell-like Americana." It goes on to say that
"[a]lthough the subject matter was for Wilder unusually provincial, his themes were universal and the daily events in the lives of ordinary people became deeply touching."

Plays of America from American Folklore for Young Actors by L. E. McCullough

Monologues for Young People
If you are interested in performing some of the world’s best-known monologues, visit this site for text from such authors as Shakespeare, Chekhov, and Ibsen. A brief description of each character is also provided.

Life in the Elizabethan Theater by Diane Yancey

Elizabethan England: Popular Amusements and Entertainment
Students at Springfield (Ill.) High School created this site that provides an illustrated history of leisure during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. It includes brief descriptions on sports, festivals, drama, and music.

Elizabethan Costuming Page
This is a fun page to explore the hidden seams behind an Elizabethan drama. You can read about the influence of Queen Elizabeth on fashion or follow detailed instructions and make your own "gathered kirtle" on this comprehensive page on costuming.

Proper Elizabethan Accents
This page, which is intended for employees of Renaissance Faires, will help you learn to speak Elizabethan English correctly. It includes a pronunciation guide, vocabulary, and grammar tips.