Twelfth Night 201
This week for the next in our 201 series, we go narrow and deep into some unanswered (perhaps unanswerable?) questions lingering around Twelfth Night. The Rhetorical Redux is about the use of accumulatio in the play; Jess ponders pants roles and hiding in plain sight; Aubrey asks WTF the title has to do with the play at all. We also provide a list of Twelfth Night productions* on their way to you this year (that is, if you live in the US, UK, or Canada).
Productions Near You:
Indian adaptation of 12N! https://scroll.in/reel/874788/vishal-bhardwaj-to-adapt-shakespeares-comedy-twelfth-night
Directed by Brendan O’Hea. Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, London, 7 – 8 May, 10 May and 6 September (020 7401 9919); Chilham Castle, Kent, 26 May (matinee only). Part of the Voter’s Choice tour. www.shakespearesglobe.com/whats-on-2018/twelfth-night [P]
The Chameleons Amateur Dramatic Society. Compass Theatre, London, 24 – 26 May (01895 673 200) www.hillingdontheatres.uk/index.php/events/twelfth-night/ [A]
Bristol Old Vic and Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh. Directed by Wils Wilson, Bristol Old Vic, Bristol, 17 October – 10 November (0117 987 7877) www.bristololdvic.org.uk/index.php?id=1723 [P]
National Theatre Live, in cinemas (click here to find local cinemas, dates, and time)
Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Montgomery, Alabama, April 20–May 6, 2018
Theatre for a New Audience, Brooklyn, New York, May 10–27, 2018
Seattle Shakespeare Company, Seattle, Washington, to May 31, 2018 [tour]
Trinity Shakespeare Festival, Fort Worth, Texas, June 19–July 8, 2018
Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, June 21–July 15, 2018
Cleveland Shakespeare Festival, Cleveland, Ohio, July 20–August 5, 2018
A Company of Fools, Ottawa, Ontario, July 2–August 18, 2018
Theater at Monmouth, Monmouth, Maine, July 5–August 19, 2018
The Public Theater, New York, New York,July 17–August 19, 2018 [Free Shakespeare in the Park]
Shakespeare's Globe, London, England, May 7–September 6, 2018 [Including tour]
The EmilyAnn Theatre & Gardens, Wimberley, Texas, August 31–September 23, 2018
Merchant of Venice 101
We don't like The Merchant of Venice very much, which is why we invited Super Special Guest Host Patrick Aaron Harris on the pod this week to help us out for our Merchant 101 episode. The Rhetorical Device of the Week is epizeuxis (aka Jess's favorite device); the Burbage Break, curated this week by Master Master Harris, is about the many different kinds of Shakespeare adaptations; in our Tips & Tidbits feature Patrick delineates the textual confusion about "the Sallies" and has some recommendations for how to treat this play more like a romantic comedy and less like an anti-semitic tragi-comedy (pro tip: it all boils down to the RINGS). We play a round of Line Roulette with Patrick as our game of the week, and we have LOTS to say about SAA's #ShakeAss controversy in our ShakesBubble Gossip. Thank you again and again to our guest host, Patrick Aaron Harris!!
Coriolanus 101
In this episode, we get all hot and bothered over Coriolanus (and Aufidius, too... #CoryandAufy5Ever)! The Rhetorical Device of the Week is epanalepsis; the Burbage Break is a list of book recommendations* in honor of Women's History Month; we play "Jess Fails at Shakespeare" once more; and in our Tips and Tidbits we talk about some weird textual anomalies and make the case for why Coriolanus and Aufidius are #hottt for each other. We also treat you to a sexy reading of the sexiest soliloquy of all time. #MAKETHEMKISS #yourewelcome
*These are the books Jess mentions in this week's Burbage Break:
Shakespeare, Race, and Colonialism by Ania Loomba (Oxford University Press, 2002)
Passing Strange: Shakespeare, Race, and Contemporary America by Ayanna Thompson (Oxford University Press, 2011)
Rosalind: Shakespeare’s Immortal Heroine by Angela Thirwell (Pegasus Books, 2017)
Enter Three Witches by Caroline B. Cooney
Portraits of Shakespeare by Katherine Duncan-Jones
All's Well 101
Listeners beware: Aubrey has WAY too many feelings about All's Well That Ends Well! So many, in fact, that some had to be relegated to a future 201 episode. Anyway...the Rhetorical Device of the Week is paradox; the Burbage Break is all about bed tricks; we introduce a new game called "Jess Fails at Shakespeare;" and in our Tips and Tidbits we point out some cool stage directions and Aubrey makes the case for why you should like this play more than you (probably) currently do. No, really, It's great. You should love it. Seriously.
Hamlet 201
It's time to re-visit your *favorite* broody BFF, Hamlet! In this 201 episode, we deep-dive into aporia, textual instability, and female agency in Hamlet. We also take a detour into Fantasy Casting (#sorrynotsorry) to argue about who could complete the cast list of Hamlet that begins with Viola Davis as Gertrude. In our ShakesBubble Gossip, we give you a run-down of all the upcoming productions of Hamlet in the US and UK*, as well as issue a correction about which King James was a Catholic and which was Calvinist.
* Listed in full here:
Winter's Tale 101
This week we talk about The Winter's Tale (aka Jess's second-favorite play). The Rhetorical Device of the Week is ellipsis; the Burbage Break is all about stage directions, including the *most famous* one of them all; Jess plays Line Roulette; and this week's ShakesBubble Gossip features a blog post by Haley Bachrnach about so-called "gender blind casting."* We also discuss the importance (or lack thereof) of the bear, forgiveness, and magic, though not necessarily in that order.
*Link to Haley's blog post here
Macbeth 201
In our third 201-level episode, we discover how ploce is used throughout the text of Macbeth to haunting effect. Jess doubles down on how there is no F-ing curse, ok?! She then elaborates on Thomas (T-Mids) MIddleton's contribution to the witch scenes and songs in the middle of the play. Aubrey breaks down exactly why the Porter's jokes are not at all funny anymore (and also just sorta breaks down in general). We also list the many, many, MANY productions of Macbeth coming your way* (including one opera!) in our ShakesBubble Gossip section.
*Productions Listed Below:
The National Theatre in London, starting Feb 26, details here
Sacramento Theatre Company, Feb 21, details here
RSC! Starting March 13, details here
Chicago Shakes, starting April 25, details here
MACBETH OPERA!! Royal Opera in London!! Starting March 25, details here
More productions in the UK here
More productions in the US/Canada here
Henry V 101
The question on everyone's mind (no doubt) is: can Whamlet make it through the entire episode without snickering about balls? Answer: a *resounding* NO. But in our 19th episode covering Henry V, balls are way more relevant than you might imagine. The Rhetorical Device of the Week is paronomasia (aka the PUN); the Burbage Break is all about one of Henry V's source texts; the Chorus is a hot topic in our Tips & Tidbits; Aubrey uses our game of the week, Feelings Corner, to let you in on some family lore; and our ShakesBubble Gossip debunks the "new source" for Shakespeare's plays everyone is screaming about this week. Oh, and more balls. So many balls. #TudorBalls #tooterballs #huuuuuuhhhhhh
1 Henry IV 101
Episode 18 is all about the first part of Henry IV (aka one of Aubrey's favorite plays, and one of Jess's least favorite). The Rhetorical Device of the Week is apposition; the Burbage Break is all about OP (aka "original practices"); we give you a quick and dirty run-down of the Plantagenet family tree and a glimpse into the three very different character worlds of this play. Aubrey discusses the many character foils in the Tips & Tidbits section, and we introduce a new game. Is this a play about a calculating machiavel or a coming-of-age tale about a prince who slums it during his gap year? That's a choice that you can make.
Much Ado 101
In this episode we find out exactly how many meanings the word "nothing" has and the true depth of Jess's hatred of Claudio (spoiler alert: it's a hatred deeper than did ever plummet sound #yourewelcome). The Rhetorical Device of the Week is metonymy; the Burbage Break is all about the "lost plays" of the early modern period; our summary of Much Ado is quicker than usual because it's such an easy play to follow; and our ShakesBubble Gossip is all about a (sometimes) scathing review of STC's Hamlet. Also, #BelieveWomen, y'all.