Reduced Shakespeare Company Podcast

It's William Shakespeare's Birthday Week! On this milestone 750th episode (!), Nicole Galland discusses the fun and intimidating challenge of making Shakespeare a character in her new novel Master of the Revels, and the chutzpah required to put words in the great poet and playwright's mouth. Nicole shares which parts of the novel are autobiographical (and to what degree), and how even a genius like Shakespeare had gatekeepers; how Edmund Tilney (Queen Elizabeth I’s master of the revels) was both censor and showman; understanding metrics of success (and then ignoring them); how even the greatest writers — maybe especially the greatest writers — walk around in a daze, lost in thought, figuring out story elements and language choices; and how her novel is, ultimately, a celebration of the countless unsung behind-the-scenes champions of playwrights and artists. PLUS: A special appearance by Gary Andrews, author of Finding Joy, and the artist behind the extraordinary portrait above. The post Depicting William Shak

Shakespeare's Birthday Month continues with Part Two with our conversation with Dr Edel Semple from University College in Cork, Ireland, and Dr. Ronan Hatfull from the University of Warwick, talking about Shakespearean Biofiction onstage, screen, and this week on the page, too. We share love for both Hamnet the novel by Maggie O’Farrell and Hamnet the play (by Irish companies Dead Centre and the Abbey Theatre); brushes with greatness (in the forms of playwright Edward Bond and comedian Eddie Izzard); and we discuss all the big questions: how intimidating it can be putting words into Shakespeare’s mouth; how biofiction can speculate realistically or fantastically about where Shakespeare’s genius comes from; whether Shakespeare is, in fact, worth it; how Shakespeare compares to Leontes in The Winter's Tale; how we can avoid spoilers for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier; what's amazing about Lauren Gunderson’s The Book of Will; and, amazingly, the good things in Roland Emmerich’s film Anonymous. (Pictured, cloc

Dr Edel Semple (bottom right, above) from University College in Cork, Ireland, and Dr. Ronan Hatfull (bottom left) from the University of Warwick convened a seminar entitled “Shakespearean Biofiction on the Stage and Screen” for this year’s annual conference of the Shakespeare Association of America, where we discussed the how and why of, among other things, we made William Shakespeare a character in William Shakespeare's Long Lost First Play (abridged). Edel and Ronan discuss how the seminar went and talk about the similarities between academic seminars and RSC performances; how incredible planning goes into making things casual and relaxed; what red leather pants really signifies (in both their American or British meaning); how adaptation is also a form of biofiction; shout-outs to all the contributors; layers of irony; what our version of Shakespeare might look like as played by teenagers; how the Shakespeare in Ben Elton’s Upstart Crow is and isn’t like Homer Simpson; climbing up on high horses; and, as a

Dramaturg Kate Pitt joins us for a deep dive into the creation of the script for Hamlet's Big Adventure! (a prequel), on which she cast her dramaturgical magic (and which we'll finally get to tour once this stupid pandemic is over). Kate discusses HBA's intertextual conversation with Shakespeare’s classic tragedy, and its biofictional elements, and reveals the identity of the most confusing Hamlet ever; how a prequel can (and should) reveal insights into Shakespeare's play; how old Hamlet is; the importance of double confirmation; how both Ophelia and Hamlet have All. The. Feels; the value of deploying random skills; the question of how old Hamlet is, anyway; how the gravedigger is an unreliable narrator; the struggle of theater as a career and what to say about it to your kids about it; and finally, possible spoilers (especially if you know anything at all about the career of UK comedian Tommy Cooper). Plus: jokes for everyone! Poster Art by Lar DeSouza. (Length 32:01) The post Hamlet’s Prequel Adventure! ap

Robert McDonald is the director of special events at The Book Stall in Winnetka, IL, and tell us exactly why supporting independent bookstores — and all small businesses, including theater companies! — is not only a good but an important idea. Featuring changing landscapes; romantic notions of bookstores, and the ways in which those notions are true (and not); ways to pivot; the importance of learning new skills and finding individuality; parental warnings and regrets; who the true essential workers are (aside from the obvious ones); important social niceties; who Bookshop.org is genuinely helping; and finally, how to measure convenience, and how Amazon is really not convenient and is probably doing more harm than good. (Length 21:39) The post Supporting Independent Bookstores appeared first on Reduced Shakespeare Company.

"Beware the Ides of March..." because March 15 is also the day in 1973 that George McFly was killed by Biff Tannen in one of the series' darkest timelines of Back to the Future. Jeffrey Weissman, who played George in Back to the Future II and III, talks about playing Marty McFly's father (and other stories from the film's set); the unreduced story of how he got the role; lessons learned from roles in Clint Eastwood's Pale Rider and Twilight Zone: The Movie; the importance of actor diversification; subtle and nuanced performances in The Show Must Go Online; and a return to his Shakespearean and comedy roots. (Length 19:44) The post Remembering George McFly appeared first on Reduced Shakespeare Company.

Pat Verducci is a screenwriter, writing coach and consultant, and old UC Berkeley classmate and collaborator, and this week offers the encouraging wisdom that most of us are storytellers even if we don't know it! Pat discusses how training in different disciplines can help a writer; the importance of barfing out that first draft because you can’t edit a blank page; the benefit of a routine; the wearing of different hats and writing like a director (while directing like a writer); the value of images vs. words in different media; the merit of constantly trying new things; life-changing college collaborations (left); and ultimately, the tricks of finding the right voice, both for your characters and you. (Length 20:45) The post Advice For Writers appeared first on Reduced Shakespeare Company.

Jeffrey Sweet’s Something Wonderful Right Away, an oral history of The Compass Players and Second City was first published in 1978 and it’s arguably still one of the definitive works about the rise of Chicago improvisation and maybe the defining actor training method of the second half of the 20th-century. Jeffrey discusses how the book came to be and talks about his encounters with such greats as Barbara Harris, Sheldon Patinkin, Jules Feiffer, Mike Nichols, Anne Meara, and Elaine May; how specific movies and plays revealed to him a specific style; reveals the joy and wonder of shared realities; what it means to have gotten a B from Martin Scorcese; gives a shout-out to oral history pioneer Studs Terkel; how poverty can be theatre’s friend; how the only two essential elements to theater are actors and audiences (not playwrights!); the devastating truth that playwriting is not literature; and finally, further proof that following your passion can frequently lead you to a career. (Length 20:45) The post Someth

We tell our RSC actors to always ask themselves, "Yes, it's silly...but is it Truly Silly?" This week, we talk to the man who taught as that: film editor Doug Purgason (left), an alum of the University of California, Berkeley, Drama Department (along with Reed, Austin, RSC founding member Jess Winfield, and RSC performing alums David Letwin (UK), John Tichenor (US), and Phil Abrams (US, Israel).) Doug explains how he came upon this youthful wisdom and discusses the dangers of short-changing the audience; the importance of spelling and punctuation; committing to the extreme belief and behavior of what you’re saying; how the truly silly “ethos” applies to his current work; the importance of not rejecting absurdity; and finally, the fundamental understanding that, if the actors don’t care enough to invest in the truth of what’s happening, then why should the audience? (Length 20:59)  The post Truth In Silliness appeared first on Reduced Shakespeare Company.

Kamilah Long is the new managing director of Play On Shakespeare, the company dedicated to exploring the world of Shakespeare by commissioning living playwrights — many of them women, many of them playwrights of color — to create new translations and adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays. Like all of us, Play On Shakes is changing and evolving through the course of this pandemic, and Kamilah discusses how they're continuing the meet the needs of its audiences, both now and in the future. Featuring the looming presence of Shakespeare’s shadow; biblical comparisons; a commitment to doing no harm; the consequences of the pandemic, both good and bad; the wonder of playwrights getting paid and being in the room; a soon-to-come exciting new podcast; and the unfortunate demise of Shakespearean phrases like “jive turkey.” (Length 17:53) The post Meet Kamilah Long appeared first on Reduced Shakespeare Company.

Master of the Revels is Nicole Galland’s sequel to her New York Times best-selling novel The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O., and picks up right where that fast-paced adventure takes off. It's a thrilling tale of time-travel, witchcraft, and Shakespeare, and Nicole describes how the novel came to be; how she dipped into Shakespearean fiction before with her memoir I, Iago; some twisted love letters; how characters evolve from one novel to another; a climax at the very first public performance of Shakespeare’s Scottish Play; and how a years-long passion for Edmund Tilney has resulted in an extraordinary new novel. With a special appearance by (speaking of Shakespeare's original productions) Ben Crystal. (Length 19:42) The post The Revels Master appeared first on Reduced Shakespeare Company.

The "grand old man of the theatre" energy of the late Christopher Plummer lives on in our production of Completely Hollywood (abridged), through our old friend, actor and Broadway fight director Thomas Schall (left), who, in this special bonus podcast episode, remembers the extra-close encounter he had with the legendary actor while appearing in the ill-fated (is there any other kind?) 1988 production of William Shakespeare's Scottish Play. Featuring: rehearsals with Mr. Plummer's golden retriever; a revolving door of actors, directors, and designers; bon mots from Lady M herself, Glenda Jackson; old-school grandness; immense charm; some unfortunate emergency dentistry; and how the story has both grown in theatrical legend, and -- until now -- mercifully been forgotten. (Length 16:51)  The post Remembering Christopher Plummer appeared first on Reduced Shakespeare Company.

RSC company manager Alli Bostedt has just discovered (through the genealogical detective work of her husband, RSC web dude Davey Naylor), that she's the 30th great granddaughter of Scottish King Duncan I, the one slain by Macbeth in both real-life and Shakespeare's tragedy. Alli and Davey share how they made this very cool discovery and it how it will radically change their lives (SPOILER ALERT: It probably won't); some minor confusions with Hamlet; how Shakespeare changed history like the Tarantino of his day; a reminder of Davey’s great love for British Kings and Queens; and how royal etiquette demands some pretty goddamn more respectful behavior backstage from now on or heads will roll. (Length 19:50) (Pictured: King Duncan I's 30th great-granddaughter Alli and 31st great-grandson Arthur.) The post Alli’s Great(x30)Grandpa Duncan appeared first on Reduced Shakespeare Company.

Author, journalist, and theater advocate Howard Sherman talks about his new book, Another Day's Begun: Thornton Wilder's Our Town in the 21st Century, a fascinating oral history featuring conversations with over a hundred theater artists talking about productions of this seminal work from Chicago to Miami, from off-Broadway to the UK, and from professionals to students to Kate Powers' transformative production at Sing Sing Correctional Facility. Featuring the two plays that framed World War II; how Howard’s opinion of Our Town changed during the writing of this book; how every production is telling its own story to its own community; how the play prompted dramatic new considerations about the American criminal justice system; and how the community of Grover’s Corners is always populated anew by the community of actors and audience members coming together at every performance. (Length 28:07) The post Another Day’s Begun appeared first on Reduced Shakespeare Company.

The animated film Balto celebrated its 25th Anniversary last month, and RSC members Adam Long, Reed Martin, and Austin Tichenor played the sidekick sled dogs Nikki, Kaltag, and Star...until they, like most of the cast, were replaced with different actors. Their voices stayed in the film, however, and this week Reed (left, with the statue of Balto in Anchorage, Alaska in 2012) and Austin remember the process of how they got the gig, how it went, and what happened next. A fun and funny remembrance featuring revelations about the film’s original title; having one degree of Balto himself, Kevin Bacon; big thanks to director Simon Wells and producer Steve Hickner; clues to executive producer Steven Spielberg’s changing enthusiasm; shout-out to other film projects we were in (Carry On Columbus, Liquid Television: Dogboy); how animated films are recorded first; a special appearance from our co-star and fellow "extra voice" Mike McShane; and how Balto is, appropriately enough, the perfect pandemic movie. (Length 18:4

Suzy Nakamura, a familiar face from The West Wing, Dr. Ken, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Modern Family, Veep, and over a hundred film and TV credits, is in London shooting the second season of Avenue 5, Armando Iannucci’s comedy starring Hugh Laurie (left) about an interstellar cruise ship that gets knocked off course and struggles to return to Earth. Suzy talks about her journey from Second City to Los Angeles in the 90s; the early rounds of auditions; adventures in babysitting; the rewards and challenges of being in the room; memories of sitting around LA’s Farmer’s Market; fond recollections of the London A-Z Street Atlas; the origin story of the character of Ginger from The West Wing; the pleasure and catharsis of playing characters wildly different from yourself; being told to quiet down from the Harry Potter tour next door; and extolling the talent and genius that is Hugh Laurie. (Length 19:19) The post Meet Suzy Nakamura! appeared first on Reduced Shakespeare Company.

Dr. Jeffrey R. Wilson, author of Shakespeare and Trump, now has a much more fun book to talk about, Shakespeare and Game of Thrones! Joining us in the discussion are Dr. Kavita Mudan Finn, a professor and scholar of medieval and early modern literature, and Senior Editor at The Public Medievalist; and Dr. Shiloh Carroll, whose book Medievalism in A Song of Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones was published by Boydell & Brewer in 2018, and who's also the associate editor of Slayage, the journal of the Whedon Studies Association. Featuring tips on engaging with Shakespeare the same way we engage with more pop culturey things like Game of Thrones; mutual inspiration from the Wars of the Roses; some helpful publishing tips; playing “Marry/F/Kill: The Shakespeare Edition”; thinking of fan-fiction as “transformative fiction;” thoughts on proposed casting for the Games of Thrones sequels; full-circle influences; proposals for future long-form interpretations of Shakespeare’s plays; and which fans we’re most afraid of: S

For this last podcast of 2020 (and thank goodness this annus horribilus is over!), we present highlights from our favorite episodes from over 14 years of regular weekly podcasting! Featuring solid categorization; excessive candidates; important work; stories of process; helpful tips; new partners and old friends; and ultimately, passionate chats about things both serious and ridiculous. (Length 23:05) The post My Podcast Faves appeared first on Reduced Shakespeare Company.

Inspired by the Berko Speakeasy, this week we present a festive tale by Canadian novelist Robertson Davies, from his slim volume High Spirits: A Collection of Ghost Stories. Abridged and read by Austin Tichenor. Featuring: ghostly visitations; poor relations; spectral elitism; Norwegian sneering; drafty accommodations; phantom arthritis; and something called…a rumpus room. (Length 24:34) The post Holiday Ghost Story appeared first on Reduced Shakespeare Company.

Two-time Olivier Award-winner Adrian Scarborough talks about the latest edition of The Berko Speakeasy which has turned its annual holiday edition of festive favo(u)rites into a virtual international affair, allowing folks from all over the world to enjoy excellent short stories performed by terrific actors. Adrian discusses the pleasures and challenges of moving to a virtual format and reveals some other writing projects; the creativity and fun of editing; how he learns from masters and excellent teachers; the power and difficulty of a festive background; sobering up from being drunk with power; and how short stories provide more bang for your buck (and quid). Featuring smooth holiday music from guitarist Eric Essix off his album, My Gift To You. Get your tickets here, and follow the Berko Speakeasy on Twitter here! (Length 18:48) The post 731. Berko Speakeasy Christmas appeared first on Reduced Shakespeare Company.