This episode runs a little long (but so does King Lear's march toward death, so deal with it) because we devote a ton of time to figuring out why people connect with this particular tragedy. The Rhetorical Device of the Week is antimetabole; in the Burbage Break we attempt to issue a correction and end up making it works (sorry Mya) and discuss the phenomenon of "early modern facial blindness;" our Tips and Tidbits delve into the different versions of this text and why they matter; and we use our game, Choices Were Made, to gripe about (mostly) *terrible* Lear production choices. Is Edgar actually Jesus? Should Lear end up in a diaper? Listen and find out.
Titus Andronicus 101
This week we are joined by self-proclaimed Titus Andronicus expert, Catie Osborn, to talk about all things Titus! The Rhetorical Device of the Week is accumulatio; the Burbage Break (brought to you by Catie) analyzes the Peacham Drawing* and what it tells us about Early Modern staging conditions; Catie explains in great detail why everyone should give Titus a second look; and in our game of Line Roulette we put Catie's knowledge to the test. She wins at everything, btw. In our ShakesBubble Gossip we learn what's happening in the ASC's Actor's Renaissance Season and that a MOVIE of TWELFTH NIGHT is set to be released on Jan. 6 (aka the actual twelfth night!). Thanks so much to our special guest!
Look Catie up at www.catieosborn.com
The Peacham Drawing
Midsummer 201
In our first 201 episode, we examine how to interpret alliteration (the Rhetorcal Device of the Week, version 2.0) as a reader and an actor, and we delve into source texts. Then, in a twist *no one* saw coming, what seems like a straightforward review of the Arden 3 edition of Midsummer turns into an all-out interrogation of an editorial emendation of the word "strange" into "swarthe." Chaos and ridiculous nerdiness ensue, and we learn what palaeography and minims are along the way. Once we get back on track, we discuss the debate between scholars regarding Shakespeare's occasion for writing A Midsummer Night's Dream as well as some issues that might help you make the text relevant to a 21st century audience. In our ShakesBubble Gossip, we list a bunch of Midsummer productions* coming your way in early 2018, and briefly allude to a twitter controversy surrounding Othello (don't ask - you'll understand when you get there).
*ShakesBubble Links here:
Alliance Theatre here
Virginia Opera here
Butler Theatre here
MOVIE! here
Midsummer Productions in the UK (via Touchstone) here
Midsummer ballet (in Europe) here
Julius Caesar 101
This week we discover - or re-discover - just how fan-freakin-tastic (#tmesis) Julius Caesar is. The Rhetorical Device of the Week is aporia. Did you already know that? We think not. (That was aporia.) Our Burbage Break is all about early modern blood effects (spoiler alert: it's kinda gross) and the game this week is Line Roulette. And, because Caesar itself is such a concise, beautifully constructed play, we even manage to summarize it in under five mintes! In Tips and Tidbits we learn how this play even came to be in the Folio in the first place, and why this play is always timely and a useful play to use when teaching rhetoric. Addtionally, we provide you with a last-minute gift guide for the Shakespeareans in your life and we spill some *major* tea in our Shakes-Bubble Gossip feature. Happy holidays, Word Nerds! See you in 2018!
Twelfth Night 101
We jump into our tenth episode with an exploration of a beloved twin comedy, Twelfth Night. The Rhetorical Device of the Week is ploce; the Burbage Break is all about the clowns of the King's Men, Will Kempe and Robert Armin, and how Shakespeare wrote clown characters for their specific strengths. In our summary of the play we learn just how much homoerotic anxiety happens when you combine a twin trope with a pants-role, and Aubrey rants about a particularly annoying production choice in our game of the week, Feelings Corner. Jess has a really important announcement for our Shakes-Bubble Gossip, and we also show some love for our friends at Motley Shakes. We also take a brief-but-interesting left turn into the weird, whimsical world of Thomas Heywood.