Henry VI, Part 3: Act 3, Scene 2 Gloucester August 25, 2021
Why Shakespeare? Jeffrey Wilson, the author of the book Shakespeare and Trump, explores this question in depth, centering on the character of Richard III. Why is evil so exciting and good so boring? Is deformity a sign of his evil or is the deformity and social stigma the cause of it? We explore the textual, ethical, interpretive problems that Shakespeare presents in the modern age.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Act 3, Scene 1 Bottom July 18, 2021
Live theatre is back! Our guest, Patrick Harvey, is a member of the inaugural cast of the Connecticut Shakespeare Festival. He’s playing Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Hartford’s Playhouse on Park. In this interview, Patrick shares why he especially loves playing characters who speak in prose – hint: it’s not all about the verse.
Titus Andronicus: Act 1, Scene 4 Tamora June 28, 2021
Kamilah Long, the Managing Director of Play On Shakespeare, is a force of nature. Growing up in Alabama, she discovered Shakespeare and has never looked back. Kamilah has big plans for Play On Shakespeare and performs Tamora from Titus Andronicus. If you have doubts about the Play On Project, Kamilah goes a long way to dispelling them.
The Folger Shakespeare Library stands in a prominent place in our nation’s capital. Since its founding, the building, its architecture, contents, and programming have been thoughtfully curated with this in mind. Dr. Michael Witmore, Director of the Folger Shakespeare Library, reveals how Shakespeare’s works influenced our nation’s founders and helped to shape a philosophy of government and the very structure of our constitution. We also learn how the Folger Library continues to nurture the thought leaders of today and is creating astonishing digital resources for the future.
The cast of Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, directed by Barry Edelstein, running August 6 – September 10, 2017. Photo by Jim Cox.
Louisa Jacobson as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare and directed by Barry Edelstein, runs August 11 – September 15, 2019 at The Old Globe. Photo by Jim Cox.
Grantham Coleman in the title role of Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, directed by Barry Edelstein, running August 6 – September 10, 2017. Photo by Jim Cox.
Aaron Clifton Moten as Romeo and Louisa Jacobson as Juliet. Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare and directed by Barry Edelstein, runs August 11 – September 15, 2019 at The Old Globe. Photo by Jim Cox.
(from left) Billy Campbell as Leontes, Natacha Roi as Hermione, A.Z. Kelsey as Florizel, and Maya Kazan as Perdita in William Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, directed by Old Globe Artistic Director Barry Edelstein, Feb. 8 – March 16, 2014 at The Old Globe. Photo by Jim Cox.
Who better to ask what Shakespeare can teach us about the turbulent times we are living in than Barry Edelstein – the Artistic Director of the Old Globe Theater in San Diego and one of the foremost producers and directors of Shakespeare working today? Recorded just days after the January 6th, 2021 uprising at the Capital, we discuss the current crises facing the country and in the world of Theater. What is the Old Globe doing to keep the curtain up and how is the company setting the stage for a post-pandemic future? (Monologue: Hamlet Act II scene 2)
Villain? Master Painter? Sociopath? Surfer? Patrick Page has spent a lifetime acting Shakespeare. He has become fascinated by villains, leading to a one man show “All the Devils are Here.” What does it take to play a villain well? Patrick has some fascinating answers.
Jim and Gerritt celebrate ten years of The State of Shakespeare. We listen to some of our most memorable guests from the early days of the podcast and share our favorite moments from the past decade.
The Taming of the Shrew: Act 4, Scene 3 Katherine December 13, 2020
As a young “bookworm,” she fell in love with Shakespeare’s intoxicating language. But after an early career playing Shakespeare’s romantic ingenues, Susan Heyward began to wonder whether modern theatre’s relationship with Shakespeare is as healthy as it once seemed. Is it time to break up and explore “language affairs with other playwrights”?
Bob Dylan and William Shakespeare: The True Performing of It. October 25, 2020
Author and scholar Andrew Muir is fascinated with two poets: one “the greatest artist of all time” and another “the most important artist since the second World War.” They may have more in common than mere verses can express. His latest book “Dylan & Shakespeare: The True Performing of It” explores why. From live performances to influencing genres to the “instability of revered verse”, Muir has spent a lifetime studying the two Bards. And it is so much more than words, words, words.
Richard III: Act 1, Scene2 Richard, Duke of Gloucester September 30, 2020
Words, words, words. Milan Dragicevich is fascinated by what he calls “the verbal surface” – a place where rhetoric lies and where you will take your voice to the borders of your personality. Milan believes that rhetoric is not just the art of persuasion but a chance to contribute to something bigger than ourselves.
