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.

Romeo and Juliet 201

Episode 16: Romeo & Juliet 201

In our second 201 episode, we go "narrow and deep" into topics related to Romeo and Juliet. We revisit the rhetorical device of pleonasm and how the Nurse uses it for comedic effect; from Jess's corner we learn a little production history, a little print history (an example of secretary hand shown on the left), and a little poison history; Aubrey's corner (or rather her soapbox) is mostly in defense of Juliet's equivocation habit and why we should not underestimate her or her "lady brain;" and, finally, in our ShakesBubble gossip we give you a quick and dirty run down of all the R&J productions* coming to theatres near you!

*Links:

Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Seattle Shakespeare

RSC

CB Productions

SF Shakes

St. Louis Shakespeare Festival

Shakespeare Tavern

Hartford Stage

Shows all over the UK here

More shows in the US here

Othello 101

Two white girls trying to discuss the racial quagmire that is Othello...what could go wrong? You'll just have to listen to find out (and we sincerely hope the answer is "nothing" because we try really hard to be conscientious about our words, you guys). The Rhetorical Device of the Week is epanorthosis; the Burbage Break is all about the early modern definition of "moor" and how early modern actors conveyed and interpreted "blackness" on stage. In our Tips and Tidbits we discuss the idea of "color conscious casting" and why it is NEVER ok to whitewash the title character; and in our ShakesBubble Gossip we return to the twitter storm that started it all, and the awesomeness that is a Noh adaptation of Othello.

Oof.

It's a lot, y'all.

Buckle up.