Pericles 201
This week we dive deep back into Pericles to talk about the perils of traveling while female (in early modern plays, that is…and maybe now, too…), and bemoan what online study guides get absolutely wrong about this play. We revisit apposition (a type of addition) as the main rhetorical trait of our title character. We talk about what “fully funded” actually means in our How to Grad School segment. Finally, we can neither confirm nor deny that we may or may not also fall down a Journey rabbit hole. Join us for the…journey…
Also, here’s that link to Erin Bartram’s spreadsheet we talk about in the How to Grad School segment.
And the link to info about the staged reading of The Macbeth Travesty in Tuscaloosa, AL.
A Chaste Maid in Cheapside 101
While the title alone should be enough to pique your interest, we devote this entire episode to the “finer” points of Middleton’s A Chaste Maid In Cheapside because we want you to love it as much as we do. We introduce a new 101 feature, “A Taste of Text,” in which we read the shortest scene in the play to give you a sense of its linguistic flavor; we re-introduce the contemporary, Thomas Middleton; we give you a fast and furious summary of this goofy city comedy as well as a LOT of dramaturgical background for all the allusions it contains; we play a round of Line Roulette; and Jess talks about a Haley Bachrach article on the play Six. Gird your loins and summon your Gossips because it’s an action-packed episode!
Here’s a link to Haley’s article: Six’s Sexist Agency
Romeo & Juliet 301
In this 301 episode we examine the Q1 variations of Romeo & Juliet and how some of the most crucial differences between it and the “authoritative” Q2 have MAJOR performance implications for a few of our favorite characters. We also discover that early modern page signatures are not helpful in locating act and scene breaks. (We struggle so you don’t have to. #yourewelcome)
All's Well That Ends Well 201
Aubrey’s feelings are back for a second round with her favorite play, All’s Well That Ends Well (and Jess is just along for the ride). We revisit the rhetorical implications of Bertram’s use of hyperbaton (aka “Yoda-speak”), as well as the concept of bed tricks, and talk about some first day of school pointers we wish we had known in our How To Grad School segment. We also closely examine Bertram and his many foibles as, perhaps, the dramatic hinge of the entire play, as well as the dramatic stakes at play in Act 2, scene 5, when Helen literally begs Bertram to kiss her. To kiss or not to kiss? Find out in this episode!
Here are the theaters producing All’s Well in the next year:
www.jermynstreettheatre.co.uk/show/alls-well-that-ends-well/
Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland, May 30–October 13, 2019
Macbeth 301
There is quite literally nothing we want to talk about more for our Macbeth 301 than the 19th century’s Macbeth Travesty by Rush Moore. This gem of a spoof features terrible rhymes, delicious profanity, and completely inappropriate pairings of Scottish folk tunes with the OG Macbeth’s dark subject matter. It’s so very, very bad it’s good.
Also, here’s the link to the David Sterling Brown article we mentioned in the gossip section.
Tamburlaine 101
Our feelings about Tamburlaine “The Great” (ahem you mispronounced “The Worst”) are no secret, but we tell you his entire saga - parts 1 and 2! - in this episode anyway. Jess discusses the dramaturgical problems with an extremely unlikeable protagonist, and Aubrey lists the nearly innumerable moments of on-stage violence facing a production team crazy enough to put on this play. We gossip about a few productions you may have missed over the summer, among other things, and have some laughs along the way. Enjoy!
Measure for Measure 201
In this episode, we compare and discuss the good, the uncomfortable, and the absolutely terrible production choices perpetrated in a couple of different productions of Measure for Measure we witnessed over the summer. We also revisit the rhetorical device of acyrologia (aka malapropisms) used to charming effect with our buddy, Elbow. And, in a new installment of “How To Grad School” we share some thoughts on what first-gen grad-schoolers need to know in order to catch up with their second- or third-gen peers. If you or someone you know is in an upcoming production of Measure, let us know!
Much Ado About Nothing 201
Guess who’s back?! Ya girls are back with a vengeance - and new theme music! - to dive a little deeper into Much Ado About Nothing! We revisit the rhetorical device of anadiplosis (repetition of endings at the next beginning), and discuss the knotty mess of embodied truth and character backstories in Much Ado. And, of course, it wouldn’t be a proper episode if we didn’t rabbit-hole down a side topic or two. We’re happy to be back!
Love's Labor's Lost 101
It’s the last episode of Season 2 and also our Canon Completion Episode!!! The final Rhetorical Device of the Week is epatheton; the final Burbage Break is about the absent mother trope; we play a new game in honor of the end of the season and the canon called Yearbook Superlatives; we reveal the results of the SAA #DickBracket straw poll (spoilers: academics overthink stuff); finally, we give you a taste of what to look forward to in Season 3. See you in September!
Also here’s the link to that article we gushed about in our Gossip segment.
3 Henry VI 101
In our penultimate episode of Season 2, we check in on the third part of Henry VI, you know…just to see how he’s doing (hint: not great). The FINAL Rhetorical Device of the Week (EVER) is stichomythia; the Burbage Break is all about the amazing online resource, Digital Renaissance Editions; we briefly break down that family tree and summarize the play; we play a new hybrid game of “Jess Fails At Line Roulette” wherein Jess makes an incredible scholarly discovery (literally…in-credible…)! You’ll have to listen to find out what it is! #scatalogicalplays #yourewelcome
Here’s the resource Jess mentioned in the Burbage Break today: