The State of Shakespeare

Milan Dragicevich

Sep 302020

Richard III: Act 1, Scene 2
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.

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Interviews

Paul Sugarman

Aug 252020

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King Lear: Act 2, Scene 2
Kent
August 28, 2020

He is neither a knave, beggar or a coward, but rather a champion of the Bard! Paul Sugarman has been working with Shakespeare his whole life. Most recently, he is bringing Shakespeare to life with the Instant Shakespeare Company. In this rousing interview, Mr. Sugarman discusses his company, using the First Folio and Shakespearean insults.

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Artists, Interviews, Podcasts

Shirine Babb

Jun 302020

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Henry VI, Part III: Act 1, Scene 4
Queen Margaret
June 30, 2020

In our first interview recorded during the Covid-19 era, we caught up with Shirine Babb, whose production of Timon of Athens at the Shakespeare Theatre of DC was abruptly interrupted in March, 2020. Before “quarantine” and “social distancing” and “Zoom” were household words we were just beginning to grasp the impact of the sudden shuttering of our theatres. Shirine shares her thoughts on how to survive the times, the production of Timon of Athens and shares Queen Margaret’s infamous speech from Henry VI, Part 3.

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Artists, Interviews, Podcasts

Scott Newstok

May 312020

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How to Think Like Shakespeare
May 31, 2020

What can we learn about the state of modern education by taking a look back at how young pupils were schooled during Shakespeare’s day? Our guest Scott Newstok shares some collected wisdom from his book How to Think Like Shakespeare, which has us wondering: when education policy makers prioritize standardized testing, digital instruction and virtual learning environments over more traditional methods, could today’s students be losing more than they are gaining?

Click here to visit Scott Newstok’s webpage.

Artists, Interviews, Podcasts

Hassan Jamal

Apr 162020

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The L.A. Subway Shakespeare Project
April 15, 2020

What do John Cassavettes, August Wilson and the Three Stooges have in common? They all inspired Hassan Jamal to create the LA Subway Shakespeare Project. Hassan films short Shakespeare scenes in and around the LA Subways, all in one take, all on the go. Part street theater, part guerilla film, the LASSP is a unique vision in the Shakespearean landscape. Give a listen, then give a look!

Click here to visit the LA Subway Shakespeare Project Site.

Here is a sample, from Titus Andronicus:

Artists, Interviews, Podcasts

Dave Hitz

Feb 232020

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The Play On! Project

July 18, 2021

Kenneth Cavender said, translations are like lovers. The faithful ones aren’t beautiful, the beautiful ones aren’t faithful. Dave Hitz is putting this quote to the test with his ambitious Play On! Project – translating all of Shakespeare’s plays to modern English. Mr. Hitz makes a compelling argument for the project, one that has stirred controversy wherever it goes.

Click here to visit the Play On! Site.

Artists, Interviews, Podcasts

Translation!

Jan 292020

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Dave Hitz, co-founder of the Play On Project, has a very specific view when it comes to the idea of translation. Is the Play On Project a translation of Shakespeare? Full Interview coming soon!

Artists, Asides, Interviews

Jack Cutmore-Scott

Nov 302019

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Hamlet; Act 1, Scene 2
Hamlet
November 30, 2019

A Hamlet for the Modern Age. In about a fortnight, Jack Cutmore-Scott shot Hamlet 360 – a virtual version of Shakespeare’s great play. The challenges for the actor add up to amazing rewards for the audience. Hamlet 360 is sure to cause shock waves in the Shakespeare world.

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Artists, Interviews, Podcasts

Bradford Cover

Oct 302019

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Love’s Labour’s Lost; Act 3, Scene 1
Berowne
October 30, 2019

A life in the theater. Bradford Cover grew up surrounded by theater, became an actor and has resurrected the Pearl Theater Co. – creating the Resident Acting Company. His breadth of knowledge and experience comes to bear on Berowne, the Play On Project and the Sonnets.

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Artists, Interviews, Podcasts

William Downes

Sep 272019

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Macbeth: Act 1, Scene 7
Macbeth
September 27, 2019

What do you get when you take the First Folio, add a little Original Practice and stir in a smattering of cue scripts? You get William Downes. The Artistic Director of Classics on the Rocks joins us to discuss all things Shakespeare. We surprise him with a lightning round of questions, the answers to which surprised even us!

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