For this 201 episode we dive back into The Winter’s Tale to talk about Pandosto, its source text, and the healing power of forgiveness. Yes, even for Leontes. We revisit the rhetorical device of aposiopesis, and wonder why we never noticed it literally everywhere in this text before. Comps are the topic of our How to Grad School segment, and we also give you a list of upcoming productions of the Winter’s Tale coming your way in 2019, dish some hot ShakesBubble Gossip, and reveal another matchup for our #DickBracket.
Two Gents 101
In this 101 episode we are seeing double! Two Gentlemen (of Verona), two ladies, two clowns…We’ll help you figure out which is which. Our Rhetorical Device of the Week is erotema (not to be confused with erotica); the Burbage Break is all about who wears the pants in a “pants role”; Aubrey fails at Shakespeare; we talk about body politics and Falstaff in our ShakesBubble Gossip; and announce yet another match up in the third round of our ongoing #DickBracket. Not sure why Proteus was in the Dick Bracket? This episode will show you why! #yourewelcome #sorrynotsorry
Antony & Cleopatra 101
There's beggary in the [hate] that can be reckoned, to bastardize a line from Antony and Cleopatra, and Whamlet proves it in this 101 episode. The Rhetorical Device of the Week is polyptoton; the Burbage Break is all about early modern scribe, Ralph Crane; we have FEEEEEEEEELINGS about Antony and Cleopatra (so many that we forego playing a game); Aubrey tells us all about the moving, incredible experience of seeing 'American Moor' starring Keith Hamilton Cobb in DC; and we announce another round of the #DickBracket, now officially in the Elite Eight phase of the countdown. Strap in, babies, this episode's a doozy.
Sir Thomas More 101
Educator, director, scholar and costumer, Maria Hart, joins us this week to talk about Sir Thomas More in this 101 episode. Maria spent half a decade writing her thesis about this play, so we could not have asked for a better guest expert to round out our January of Sh*tty Plays. The Rhetorical Device of the week is auxesis; Maria's Burbage Break is all about early modern censorship and how Shakespeare and his contemporaries planned for and wrote around it; we discuss the many different "hands" that co-wrote this play and Maria gives future directors advice on how to cast the title role (*ahem* Jeremy Northam always and forever). All that and a bit of hot gossip and #DickBracket results, besides. Thanks, Maria!
Timon of Athens 101
Best-Dressed Special Guest Patrick Aaron Harris joins us again this week to talk about Shakespeare's most misanthropic and cynical (and underrated) play, Timon of Athens! The Rhetorical Device of the Week is acyrologia (aka malaprops); Patrick's Burbage Break is all about early modern customs of hospitality and charity; we talk about the likelihood of a Middletonian intervention in this text, and discuss whether or not Timon needs to get naked before running off to his cave; we've got gossip for *days*; and we reveal the latest results of our #DickBracket. For a play that not too many people like, we sure do have a lot to say (mostly thanks to Patrick).