March 16, 2026

Cymbeline - Episode 4 - Almost A Man Already

38 minutes

***This show is brought to you by Quince. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://quince.com/playonpod ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.***

In the wilderness, an old shepherd named Belarius wakes his two sons, Guiderius and Arviragus, telling them to get out of their cave and enjoy the wonders of nature. The boys complain about never being allowed to go to the city. Belarius tells them the city is nothing but treachery, recalling his days as a nobleman in Cymbeline’s court before he was banished for crimes he did not commit. It turns out the two boys are actually Cymbelines’ sons who Belarius kidnapped as babies in order to avenge his exile. Meanwhile, Imogen and Pisanio arrive in Milford Haven. Seeing no sign of her husband, Imogen gets upset. Finally, Pisanio shows her the letter from Posthumus ordering Imogen’s murder. Cursing her husband’s lack of trust in her, she begs Pisanio to follow Posthumus’s orders and kill her. Pisanio refuses, telling Imogen that they should fake her death instead to make Posthumus regret his actions. Imogen agrees, disguises herself as a boy and sets out to find Caius Lucius, who will soon be leaving for Rome from the port of Milford Haven. Pisanio sends her off with the potion the Queen gave him, believing it will soothe her if she becomes sick on the voyage. When Pisanio returns, Cloten confronts him, demanding to know the whereabouts of the Princess. The prince leaves the palace with Posthumus’s clothing, vowing to wear them when he rapes the Imogen. Meanwhile, Imogen gets lost in the wilderness, where she stumbles upon Belarius’s cave.

The PLAY ON PODCAST SERIES, “CYMBELINE”, was written by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE and translated into modern English verse by ANDREA THOME. All episodes were directed by RAKESH PALISETTY and are based on the NATIONAL ASIAN AMERICAN THEATRE COMPANY’S stage production directed by STEPHEN BROWN-FRIED. Radio play by CATHERINE EATON.

Executive Producer: MICHAEL GOODFRIEND

This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA AGREEMENT.

The cast is as follows:

PURVA BEDI as SICILIUS, LORD AND CAIUS LUCIUS

ANNIE FANG as ARVIRAGUS, FRENCHMAN, LADY AND THE WRITER

CHRISTINE TOY JOHNSON as CYMBELINE

ANNA ISHIDA as IACHIMO, ROMAN SOLDIER, AND JAILOR

NAREA KANG as CORNELIUS, MOTHER, SOOTHSAYER, LORD AND MESSENGER

JENNIFER LIM as IMOGEN

KK MOGGIE as POSTHUMUS

MARIA-CHRISTINA OLIVERAS as THE QUEEN AND BELARIUS

SARAH SUZUKI as PHILARIO, GUIDERIUS, AND COMPANION

JEENA YI as CLOTEN AND ROMAN SOLDIER

JULYANA SOELISTYO as PISANIO AND JUPITER

Casting by THE TELSEY OFFICE: KARYN CASL, CSA.

Voice and Text Coach: JULIE FOH

Mix and Sound Design by LINDSAY JONES. Original Music Composition by CAROLINE ENG and LINDSAY JONES, with additional composition, orchestration and arrangement by STEPHEN BROWN-FRIED. Sound engineering and mixing by SADAHARU YAGI. Mix Engineer and Dialogue Editor: LARRY WALSH. Podcast Mastering by GREG CORTEZ at New Monkey Studio. Coordinating Producer: TRANSCEND STREAMING (KYRA BOWIE and LEANNA KEYES).

The Play On Podcast Series “CYMBELINE” is produced by NEXT CHAPTER PODCASTS and is made possible by the generous support of THE HITZ FOUNDATION. Visit NEXTCHAPTERPODCASTS.COM for more about the Play On Podcast Series. Visit PLAYONSHAKESPEARE.ORG for more about Play On Shakespeare.

Subscribe to Play On Premium for ad-free episodes and join our Patreon for exclusive merchandise and early commercial-free releases. Go to nextchapterpodcasts.com for our Bonus Content, where you’ll find interviews with the artists, producers and engineers who brought it all to life. And remember: “FALSEHOOD IS WORSE IN KINGS THAN BEGGARS!”

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