No Script: The Podcast

This week on "No Script," Jackson and Jacob discuss one of theatre's classic comedies - "The Importance of Being Earnest." This 1895 play by Oscar Wilde has earned a place as one of the most produced plays in the English language. But is it still funny? Listen in to hear what J&J think. ------------------------------ Please consider supporting us on Patreon. For as low as $1/month, you can help to...

Early in their college years, Jackson and Jacob produced a lovely 10-minute play by Jeffrey Sweet called "Cover." Now, years later, J&J return to Jeffrey Sweet for this new episode of No Script. Sweet's play "Bluff" is funny, gripping, and intensely theatrical. It's a simple story told brilliantly. Listen in!  ------------------------------ Please consider supporting us on Patreon. For as low as $...

A girl's soccer team warms up for a game - six weeks of games, actually. As the team stretches, the audiences watches these women engage life's biggest questions... and friendship's pettiest arguments. Listen in this week as Jackson and Jacob take on the play that's sweeping the nation - Sarah DeLappe's "The Wolves."  ------------------------------ Please consider supporting us on Patreon. For as...

In Season 1, Jackson and Jacob discussed Annie Baker's Pulitzer Prize winning script "The Flick." Now, in Season 2, they turn to one of her earlier, better known works. "Circle Mirror Transformation" is a delightful, touching look at a community center theatre class. Listen in as Jackson and Jacob break down Baker's use of silence and subtext.   ------------------------------ Please consider suppo...

It is the final week of Miller Month here on No Script. Three plays down . . . one to go. And boy, it's a big one. We've saved perhaps Miller's most incredible, powerful, important script for last. Of course, it's "Death of a Salesman." Listen in as J&J weave their way through Miller's poignant narrative about Willy Loman and his family.  ------------------------------ Please consider supporting u...

Week 3 of Miller Month is here. We're almost halfway through. Can you believe it? This week, listen in as Jackson and Jacob explore the play that saved Miller's career . . . "All My Sons." It's the story of past sins, long-held shame, and country healing after WWII.   ------------------------------ Please consider supporting us on Patreon. For as low as $1/month, you can help to ensure the No Scri...

In this second week of Miller Month, Jackson and Jacob discuss Arthur Miller's devastating tragedy "A View From the Bridge." It's a tale of jealousy, inappropriate affection, and disastrous consequences - does this sound like a Greek tragedy or what? Listen in! ------------------------------ Please consider supporting us on Patreon. For as low as $1/month, you can help to ensure the No Script Podc...

Miller Month has officially arrived. In this first week, Jackson and Jacob dive into Miller's imagining of the Salem Witch Trials - "The Crucible." What happens when a town, and a whole society, let paranoia and revenge rule their courts? Listen in as J&J discuss theocracy, revenge, and what really counts as evidence. ------------------------------ Please consider supporting us on Patreon. For as...

How do we carry grief? What manifestations does grief have in our daily lives, our relationships? In his 2007 Pulitzer Prize winning script "Rabbit Hole," David Lindsay-Abaire paints a portrait of a family in grief. This week on No Script, Jackson and Jacob explore that portrait, looking at the ways in which Lindsay-Abaire uses things like blame and object negotiation to guide his characters throu...

Years ago, Jacob discovered a copy of this play in a used bookstore. He fell in love with the script and it has claimed the top spot on his directing wish-list ever since. Now, he and Jackson dive into the rich story and beautiful language of "Galileo" by Bertolt Brecht. The play is a fictionalized account of Galileo's life, focusing especially on his conflict with the Catholic Church after he dis...

For the first time on No Script, Jackson and Jacob are discussing a script they have actually acted in together - Dale Wasserman's "Man of La Mancha." Loosely based on the famous story of Don Quixote, "Man of La Mancha" follows the mad knight in his quest to vanquish evil and sway the heart of his beloved Dulcinea. Join us as J&J discuss Quixote's infectious spirit, his comic sidekick, and the pli...

Is there a hell? This question has inspired much debate in the Christian world. And it is at the core of Lucas Hnath's play "The Christians." Just after his newly built church building is paid off, Pastor Paul announces that he is leading the church in a new direction - they will no longer believe in hell. The play follows the aftermath of this decision. Listen in as Jackson and Jacob explore the...

In the aftermath of the 1989 Romanian Revolution, Caryl Churchill conducted interviews with witnesses and survivors. That material was developed into her much loved script "Mad Forest." Fascinating imagery defines the play, and Churchill's characters are empathetic and human. This week on "No Script," Jackson and Jacob dive into this complex and rich piece of dramatic literature.  ----------------...

One of America's defining male playwrights is David Rabe. This week on No Script, Jackson and Jacob take on his chaotic, foul look at 1980s Hollywood - "Hurlyburly." The play is the story of the friendship between a group of young Hollywood professionals. The core of this friendship seems to be cocaine, womanizing, alcohol, and parties. Listen in as J&J dig to find the nugget of gold in Rabe's swe...

Christopher Durang's "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike" is a delightful, character-driven comedy. It won the 2013 Tony Award for Best Play and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play. The script follows three adult siblings as they confront an ever changing world. This week on No Script, listen in as Jackson and Jacob talk Chekhov, technology, and - yes - voodoo. -----------------------------...

Season 2 is here!!! In this opening episode, Jackson and Jacob return to Lynn Nottage, whose work they discussed in the very first No Script episode ever. This time, J&J discuss "Ruined," the winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Based on interviews with survivors, "Ruined" is the story of several women as they attempt to navigate the treacherous waters of a civil war in the Democratic Repu...

In their final episode of Season 1, Jackson and Jacob take on a recent Pulitzer Prize winning script - Ayad Akhtar's "Disgraced." The play follows Amir, a young lawyer looking to make partner at his firm. His wife Emily is breaking into the art world with a new collection based on Islamic forms. But Amir feels some hostility towards the Islamic heritage of his family. When an art collector friend...

Only two more episodes left in our first season! This week, Jackson and Jacob explore Edward Albee's classic two-hander, "The Zoo Story." Peter is out enjoying a beautiful Sunday afternoon when he is approached by Jerry. Their interaction makes up the whole of this long one-act. Join us as we explore human relationships and the nature of violence.  ------------------------------ We had so much fun...

Imaginary friends, ancient mythologies, modern mental medicine... these things all come together in American playwright Mary Chase's 1944 play "Harvey." This week's conversation continues the pattern of pulling from Pulitzer Prize winning scripts -  "Harvey" won in 1945. Join us as Jackson and Jacob discuss this comedic mainstay of community and educational theatre.  ------------------------------...

Eugene O'Neill is well known for his dark, brooking tragedies. But in their first discussion on an O'Neill play, Jackson and Jacob take on his one and only comedy: "Ah, Wilderness!" The play follows the Miller family, who are enjoying another wonderful Fourth of July holiday. Trouble brews when Richard Miller - a rebellious 16 year old - is dumped by his girlfriend Muriel and goes on a wild binge...

Stephen Adly Guirgis recently won a Pulitzer for his play "Between Riverside and Crazy." So to honor the prolific playwright, Jackson and Jacob head back 20 years to one of Guirgis' early plays: "Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train." This piece is one of Guirgis' most well-known scripts, and its shocking, fast-paced dialogue is characteristic of the masterful American playwright. Listen in as J&J discuss t...

"The Laramie Project" is a fanscinating play about a tragic subject - the torture and murder of University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard. After the murder (and subsequent trial of the attackers) Moises Kaufman takes members of the Tectonic Theater Project to Laramie, Wyoming to interview community members. Their journey is what makes up the play. This week on No Script, Jackson and Jacob pars...

Is Cyrano Jacob's dream role? Does Jackson think Christian is as empty-headed as he seems? These questions and more are discussed on this week's episode of "No Script: The Podcast." The guys dive into a classic piece of Western literature - Edmond Rostand's "Cyrano de Bergerac."  ------------------------------ We had so much fun talking about this play, and we’d love to keep the conversation going...

CONTENT WARNING: This play/episode contains serious and lengthy discussions about mental illness and suicide.  Marsha Norman's "'night, Mother" may be one of the darkest plays discussed on "No Script" thus far. It follows the story of Jessie and her mother Thelma. They live together in a country home. One seemingly normal evening, Jessie tells Thelma that she plans to kill herself. What follows is...

Amy Herzog's script 4000 Miles was a finalist for the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Leo has just biked across the continental United States, and experienced a life-altering tragedy along the way. His grandmother Vera lives alone in New York, and is incredibly isolated. Herzog crams these two strong-willed people together inside Vera's apartment, and what follows is a beautiful character study.  J...