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

City Nightcap 101

This week we’re talking about The City Nightcap by Robert Davenport, a bewildering play by an even more bewildering (read: mysterious) author. We try to help you Meet the Contemporary, but Bobby Davs left us very little to go on; our Taste of Text is sure to amuse (and confuse) you; we talk a LOT about all the kicking happening in this play, as well as why it - among other things - is so problematic (read: sexist AF). If you have the chance to see this play, awesome, but if you don’t you’re not really missing much aside from a unique barnyard-themed masque and the most hilarious not-a-bed-trick bed trick of all time. Have a great holiday season and we’ll see you in January!

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

• Aubrey’s rec: get your stir crazy dog a Flirt Pole!

• Jess’s rec: Take yourself out for something nice - treat yo’self!

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

• “New” portrait of “Shakespeare”

• Dr. Patricia Akhimie named new executive director of the Folger Institute!

Twelfth Night 302

This week we return to the classic romantic comedy, Twelfth Night, to talk about the recent production at the American Shakespeare Center (directed by the amazing Jenny Bennett) and how it's a great example of how queering your casting and production concept can unlock new takes on a well-known, popular play. We also gossip about Jess's experience at the recent Early Modern Trans 2 Conference, as well as some...um...highly questionable choices made by a certain theatre company for their ill-fated production of Romeo & Juliet. Bottom line, when in doubt: queer it up and say NO to Nazis.

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

• Aubrey’s rec: Circe by Madeline Miller

• Jess’s rec: If at all possible, get back to in-person conference attendance. It’s good for the soul!

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

• Nataki Garret’s response to NPR article

• Podcasts & Feminist Shakespeare Pedagogy by Varsha Panjwani–free to download!

• EmoTrans2 Conference

Troilus & Cressida 201

Well, we hope you like feminist rants, because that’s what most of this episode devolved into. In this 201 we go off on Troilus and the rest of the men of Troilus and Cressida to interrogate why the Greeks and Trojans hinged all of their masculinity and self worth on Helen and Cressida’s status as chaste virgins. We also take a brief birdwalk to examine the folio text of this play to check an odd prose-to-verse switch in act 3 scene 2. Finally, we dust the cobwebs off of a favorite game, Line Roulette, and find out why a line about Achilles’ Mermidons cries encapsulates this entire play full of whiny boys.

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

• Aubrey’s rec: A-A-R-F animal rescue organization

• Jess’s rec: Ocean Vuong’s On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous

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

• Ummm…Jess got a Shakespeare tattoo?

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