That Way Madness Lies: 15 of Shakespeare’s Most Notable Works Reimagined

Thoughtfully curated by Adler (His Hideous Heart), this sumptuous anthology reframes Shakespeare’s work, linking themes to contemporary concerns while bringing a critical eye to the originals’ cultural assumptions. Anna-Marie McLemore’s “King of the Fairies” refocuses A Midsummer Night’s Dream to reveal the experience of the brown-skinned changeling at the center of Titania and Oberon’s quarrel. Adler’s “I Bleed” transposes The Merchant of Venice into the tale of a Jewish high schooler forced to deal with a menacing white supremacist classmate. Other pieces set in contemporary U.S. high schools include “We Fail,” Samantha Mabry’s haunting, Macbeth-inspired tale of football rivalry in small-town Texas, and Kiersten White’s “Partying Is Such Sweet Sorrow,” which conveys Romeo and Juliet solely through text messages. Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy’s “Some Other Metal” follows two bickering members of a space-hopping acting troupe, who sort out their feelings while performing in Much Ado About Nothing. Riffing on the names of Coriolanus and real-life rapper Tory Lanez, Tochi Onyebuchi assembles “The Tragedy of Cory Lanez” in a music magazine multi-person interview. With its range of narrative styles and diverse protagonists, this collection offers much to savor. Ages 12–up. [em](Mar.) [/em]