Henry VIII 201

Our winter break is officially over and we hope you did your homework because Dr. Yasmine Hachimi joins us to talk about Henry VIII (the man, and sometimes Shakespeare’s play) and his most infamous wife, Anne Boleyn. In this longer-than-usual conversation we focus on the Netflix miniseries Blood, Sex, and Royalty, but also several other TV series and books that feature Anne and other Tudor queens. We examine why Anne in particular is the subject of this type of historical hyper-focus (spoiler alert: it mostly boils down to sexism…) and why we feel the need to sexualize historical queens at all. Yasmine also graces us with a fantastic reading list and tons of other recommendations if you’re interested in learning more. Thanks for joining us, Yasmine!

Here’s what we featured in our Happy Hour segment:

• Aubrey’s rec: Wednesday on Netflix

• Jess’s rec: Using museum collections in your classes

• Yasmine’s rec: Beverly Jenkins novels like Forbidden

Here’s what we talked about in our ShakesBubble Gossip segment:

• Yasmine’s Must-Read list:

  • Read Yasmine’s article and then watch the show referenced in it!

  • The Final Year of Anne Boleyn by Natalie Grueninger

  • Blood, Fire, and Gold by Estelle Paranque

  • The House of Dudley by Joanne Paul

  • Dig podcast’s episode about Amy Robsart’s mysterious death

  • The Boleyns of Hever Castle by Claire Ridgway and Owen Emmerson

  • The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn by Eric Ives

  • The Creation of Anne Boleyn by Susan Bordo

Fuenteovejuna 101

It’s our first ever 101 for a Spanish Golden Age play! Today we’re talking about Lope de Vega’s Fuenteovejuna and all the wild, wonderful customs and traditions of the early modern Spanish theatre. Our Meet the Playwright segment takes you through de Vega’s impressive (and horny) biography; Jess delights with her multitude of voices in A Taste of Text; we take you through the real event that this play is based on - true crime, again, huzzah! - and Aubrey compares the structure and culture of Spanish playhouses to the English ones we usually talk about, plus the added layer of textual instability that comes with second-language translation. The differences may surprise you! Not only that, but this play gives you the perfect excuse for your mistakes and/or crimes: just say “Fuenteovejuna did it!”

Here’s what we featured in our Happy Hour segment:

• Aubrey’s rec: follow the @teachingwithcorazon instagram account!

• Jess’s rec: Patronize your local massage school for some self-care on a budget!

Here’s what we talked about in our ShakesBubble Gossip segment:

• This story about OSF’s Artistic Director

• Ian Smith’s new book!

• Hedgepig Ensemble Theatre’s 2022 Expand the Canon titles

Birth of Merlin 101

Sooooooo William Rowley’s The Birth of Merlin actually has very little to do with Merlin or any other part of the Arthurian legend, and it’s more of a history play than its title would suggest. We re-introduce you to playwright William Rowley, who apparently loved to write himself into all of his plays as a “fat clown;” we give you A Taste of Text from Act IV involving a little antic spirit; we talk about how this play doesn’t fit neatly into any particular genre because it is doing The Literal Most at all times, but for all that it’s not even that great; then we gossip a bit and that’s that. Don’t believe anyone that tells you this play was written by Shakespeare, and definitely don’t believe them if they say it’s their favorite play.

Here’s what we featured in our Happy Hour segment:

• Aubrey’s rec: Queen City Mischief and Magic Festival

• Jess’s rec: Seven and a Half Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

Here’s what we talked about in our ShakesBubble Gossip segment:

• Lazarus Theatre UK’s live-streamed performance of Dr. Faustus coming on Oct. 6

• Fall Season opens at ASC

Henriad 201

This episode is a Hurly Burly first, both because we’re rolling 201 content for three plays - 1 & 2 Henry IV and Henry V - all into one episode, but also because we have a MAJOR SCOOP in ShakesBubble Gossip that you get to hear all about here first! The endlessly charming Brandon Carter joins us to talk about tackling the arc of the first Henriad as Prince Hal/King Henry, being the first (and maybe only?) African American to play the role in a series of connected productions, and spill the hot hot tea about what else is happening in his career. You’ll have to listen to the end to catch it, but he’s such a delight that you won’t mind one bit.

Here’s what we featured in our Happy Hour segment:

• Distributed Leadership research, for anyone looking for a less hierarchical way of operating in the workplace

• Bonding on Netflix

Here’s what we featured in our ShakesBubble Gossip segments:

• Open access special edition of Literature Compass on PCRS: includes Medieval and Renaissance topics together, and a couple of the articles also come with teaching guides.

1 Henry VI 201

We return to the War of the Roses with this 201 dive into 1 Henry VI, a history play that even Jess likes. We learn all about the real St. Joan of Arc and how her story and image got twisted to conform to English propaganda and the patriarchy (eye roll), and Aubrey illuminates the moment between Margaret and Suffolk in act 5 that demands to be delivered to no one but the audience. We also Keep Up with the Queen’s Men and give you a quick and dirty summary of George Peele’s The Old Wife’s Tale (which may or may not be the most underrated comedy of its time). Slight microphone issues aside, we hope you enjoy the episode.

Here’s what we recommended in this week’s Happy Hour feature:

• Games for Actors and Non-Actors by Augusto Boal

• Brandy C. Williams’s #ShakeRace syllabus

• Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory

• Help flip the senate! Go to warnockforgeorgia.com and electjon.com to learn more about the runoff elections in Georgia this coming January!

Here’s what we featured in our ShakesBubble Gossip segments:

• Here are some ways to get your digital 1 Henry VI fix:

  • The Show Must Go Online from earlier this year

  • 2013 Globe version available to rent on the Globe Player

  • 1983 production available on Amaz*n

  • Digital Theatre + (check with your local public library)

• Macbeth Folger BTS

• We Acknowledge Ours Roundtable