In 1587, when William Shakespeare was twenty-three, the acting troupe Queen's Men played in his hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon with one player short. Shakespeare's childhood fascination with theater suddenly found a perfect outlet -- he joined the Queen's Men and replaced the missing actor. Shortly thereafter young William traveled to London in pursuit of an acting career. But acting soon gave way to an even more glorious adventure when Shakespeare realized that he might have a talent for writing plays.Setting the playwright in context to his personal life, social, historical and political events, other writers of influence, and more, you will quickly gain a deep understanding of Shakespeare and the plays he wrote. Read Shakespeare in an Hour and experience his plays like never before. Know the playwright, love the play!The book features:¿Shakespeare in an Hour, the main essay of the book¿Shakespeare In a Minute, a snapshot chronology¿A complete listing of Shakespeare¿s work¿A list of Shakespeare¿s contemporaries in all fields¿Excerpts from Shakespeare¿s significant works¿An extensive bibliography grouped according to type of reader¿An index of the main essay.Playwrights in an Hour is a series devoted to the most produced and studied playwrights in the English language, from the Greek masters to contemporary writers, and written by leading authorities in the field. Each short book places the playwright and his or her work in historical, social, and literary context.Christopher Baker is senior dramaturg at Hartford Stage, where he has been since 1998, and a visiting lecturer at the University of Massachusetts. He previously served as the dramaturg for The Shakespeare Theatre, PlayMakers Repertory Company, and the Alley Theatre and taught at the University of North Carolina and the Hartt School. As a director he has staged many works, including his own play for children, Calliope Jam. A contributor to the book The Production Notebooks, his articles have appeared in Theatre Journal, Hog River Journal, American Theatre magazine, the Hartford Courant, and the book The Lively ART.