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

Roaring Girl 101

Season 6 begins with a ROAR(ing Girl) courtesy of Thomases Dekker and Middleton. The famous city comedy features real-life legend Mary Frith, aka Moll Cutpurse, but not with nearly the stage time such a character deserves; we give you a brief introduction to the lesser-known Thomas of this collab team, Dekker, and also a Taste of Text where Moll’s voice really shines. Jess gives you a refresher on the city comedy genre, as well as the real life Moll and we deliver a little personal gossip. We hope you enjoy our roaring return. It’s good to be back!

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

• Aubrey’s rec: Dipsea

• Jess’s rec: Open Access Textbooks

As You Like It 301

Why As You Like It now? We cover many possible answers to this question, but also take some long, healthy bird walks into other topics both relevant and irrelevant as we make our way through those thoughts. We also dive deep into the New Oxford edition’s notes on AYLI (because it gets real sexist real quick) and attempt to unravel the printing mystery of why there is no quarto edition of this play. We gossip a little bit about the ethics of book reviews in Shakespeare journals and how Jon Snow…err…Kit Harrington is playing Henry V right now, once again disproving Aubrey’s claim that “no one’s doing the Henrys right now.” This episode is our season 5 finale; watch out for extras released during our hiatus, but otherwise we will see you for season 6 this fall. Go find your Green World!

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

• Aubrey’s rec: Get you a snuggly onesie! Try the fun prints at TomboyX

• Jess’s rec: the wonders of an epilator! Also the Up and Vanished podcast

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

• Henry V at the Donmar Warehouse and coming to a theatre near you with NT Live!

Taming of the Shrew 201

Today’s episode tackles one issue and one issue only, and that is to refute the assertion that The Taming of the Shrew is about “romance” (whatever the F that means). We examine a variation in the text between First Folio printing and several modern editions that seem to either soften or double down on Petruchio’s “domination” of Katherine, and eventually come to the conclusion that no matter which way you slice it, the entire charade is unnecessary. We unpack the term “romantic” and why our mothers’ opinions on romantic love might not have aged well, as well as quite possibly the only interpretation of Shrew that could make its protagonists journey actually romantic. No spoilers. #consentissexy

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

• Aubrey’s rec: Shout outs to AFSP and MHA for being incredible mental health resources!

• Jess’s rec: Isaac Fellman’s Dead Collections

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

• Check out Romeo & Juliet starring Meg Rodgers and Friend-of-the-Pod Brandon Carter at ASC

Spanish Tragedy 201

Today we put on our teacher hats and model the kind of thinking we ask our students to do. After a four-year hiatus, we return to Thomas Kyd’s ur-revenge tragedy that started them all, The Spanish Tragedy, to discuss how the F*ck we’re supposed to unpack it for 21st century learners. Jess starts with examining the difference between revenge and justice which, though nebulous, proved an easier topic to broach with her students than the concept of dumb shows and masques. Um…they don’t talk? There are masks and sometimes dancing? (There’s more to it than that, but you’ll need to listen to catch it all!)

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

• Aubrey’s rec: WFA (Women’s Football Alliance- professional tackle football!) look up your nearest team! PLAY SOME FOOTBALL.

• Jess’s rec: Detransition Baby by Torrey Peters and the wholesome joy that is Ted Lasso

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

• RSC’s first-ever disabled actor playing R3

• RSC’s 37 plays initiative 

• White People in Shakespeare book out this fall

• Fatal Throne novellas

• Theatre J’s Expanding the Canon project

• Also that nonsense in American Conservative, but we refuse to link to it.