The State of Shakespeare

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.

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 3KatherineDecember 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...

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...

Richard III: Act 1, Scene 2Richard, Duke of GloucesterSeptember 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. Click her...

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.

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.

How to Think Like ShakespeareMay 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 lear...

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 l...

The Play On! ProjectJuly 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 g...

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!

Hamlet; Act 1, Scene 2HamletNovember 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. Click here to follow along with the text. Click here for a First Folio version o...

Love's Labour's Lost; Act 3, Scene 1BerowneOctober 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. Click here to follow along with the text. Click here for a First Folio...

Macbeth: Act 1, Scene 7MacbethSeptember 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! Click here to follow alo...

Twelfth Night: Act 4, Scene 3SebastianJuly 31, 2019 “If it is poetry, it’s music.” Deaon Griffin-Pressley has gone from Florida to New York, BADA and finally landed at Shakespeare and Company. His travels have given him a unique perspective on Shakespeare, Acting and how his Art will change the world. Click here to follow along with the text Click here for a First Folio Version of the text Click h...

Polishing ShakespeareJune 24, 2019 Brian Dykstra has written the play Polishing Shakespeare in reaction to the Play On Translation project. Should Shakespeare be translated? If this interview doesn't reveal Brian's answer, his play will. The reading is on July 1st. Information about the reading and The Resident Acting Company.

As You Like It; Act 2, Scene 7 - Jacques Shakespeare in QatarMay 29, 2019 How is Doha, Qatar like Elizabethan London? David Pearson is 7200 miles from where he grew up and 3200 miles from where Shakespeare lived. How did he end up in Qatar and how do they do Shakespeare in this small desert country? The answers are amazing. Click here to follow along with the text. Click here for a scanned version...

Shakespeare in Taiwan April 12, 2019 Shakespeare in America Jenny Bennett, a fourth generation theater creator, has been doing #Shakespeare since she was knee high to a grasshopper. From Harlem, to Staunton, Virginia, all the way to Taiwan, she listens with her eyes and looks with her ears while she explores the intersection between communication and language.

Gertrude and ClaudiusFebruary 25, 2019The Orlando Shakespeare Festival Jim Helsinger is bringing a bold vision to the Orlando Shakespeare Festival. In repertory with Hamlet, he is doing the World Premiere of Gertrude and Claudius, a precursor to Shakespeare's most famous play. Based on John Updike's novel, Gertrude and Claudius lends depth to the characters in Hamlet and holds a few surprises too!...

The Container Globe Falstaff: Henry IV, Part I January 29, 2019 Angus Vail Rocks! While running the business office for the band Kiss, Angus is building the Container Globe: a modern Globe Theater from re-purposed shipping containers. As entertaining as he is determined, Mr. Vail talks all the possibilities and obstacles he sees in this brilliant way of bringing Shakespeare to life. Oh, and he als...

The Tempest: Act 1, Scene 2ProsperoDecember 22, 2018 JulieBillEngagement If you have a lot of words, you have a lot of need. Ray Dooley has a lot to say. After over 40 years in the business his insights are second to none. Breaking down Act 1 of the Tempest, Ray makes a leap into acting principles that every actor needs to hear. Click here to follow along with the text

Twelfth Night November 27, 2018 Shakespeare in Detroit, Black Ops Theater Company JaMeeka Holloway Burrell is on the rise.  The founder and Artistic Director of Black Ops Theater Company  just directed Twelfth Night at Shakespeare in Detroit.  Having discovered Shakespeare at The Oregon Shakespeare Festival, JaMeeka approaches her work with fresh eyes, frank questions and aims to bring Shakespeare...

Romeo and Juliet; Act 3, Scene 2 Juliet October 19, 2018 Zuzanna Szadowski is playing Juliet and Yelena in Uncle Romeo Vanya Juliet.  What is in store when Chekhov characters have the Shakespeare play as their subtext?  A world of possibilities is realized in this thrilling production from the minds of Bedlam! Click here to follow along with the text. Click here for a First Folio version of the te...

Titus Andronicus; Act 5, Scene 1AaronSeptember 28, 2018 Jackson Dean sees the English Speaking Union's Shakespeare competition as more of a celebration of Shakespeare.  Having won this past years competition, he has lots to celebrate.  With an affinity for villains and a keen sense of text, Jackson's future looks bright. Click here to follow along with the text. Click here for a First Folio versio...

John Patrick lays out a bold new vision for the future of training actors.  Could we all be Acting Teachers? Listen to his full interview here.