In the glorious American Blues Theater production of Always...Patsy Cline, Molly Hernández discusses how her character of Louise brings a lively theatricality to what could be "just" a well-produced jukebox musical. Molly shares how she was encouraged to bring her authentic "chaos gremlin" self to the role; how this show differs from other shows she's done in Chicago (including Lookingglass Theater's Lookingglass Alice); the privilege of playing in theaters ranging from giant auditoriums to tiny storefronts; how she brings all her skills to convey an improvised unpredictability; and how The Actor's Gymnasium not only trained her to be a circus artist but literally changed her life. (Length 20:42)

In his own personal Year of Lear, Daniel Mothershed (above) is playing both King Lear and the Fool in the Bowls With The Bard production of King Lear, immediately after directing the second production of Austin Tichenor's adaptation of Christopher Moore's novel Fool. Daniel discusses this experiment with theatrical duality; how the RSC Podcast interview with famous Fool Adrian Scarborough unlocked Daniel’s interpretation (plus appreciation for the even deeper cut of this "Drawing on Shakespeare" conversation); shout-outs to previous Lears; and the potential danger of playing both roles driving you genuinely mad. (Length 24:40)

Chicago's City Lit Theater presents the world premiere of Kingsley Day's and James Grossman's Scaramouche: The Swashbuckling Musical! and City Lit's executive artistic director Brian Pastor and the show's director Beth Wolf discuss how this ambitious musical came to be. Brian and Beth reveal the secrets to being a good producer (spoiler: it’s creative problem solving) and directing new works; leaning into a show's style and heightened language; balancing a season both artistically and financially; the value of ambition and the power of intimate spaces; getting the word out; and how audiences must recognize their own responsibility to BYOF (Bring Your Own Fandango). (Length 21:30)

Improv: The Play at Chicago’s IO Theatre pairs an actor and an improviser performing a two-person scripted scene where only the actor knows their lines, followed by a team of improvisers who perform an extended improvisational scene inspired by the scripted scene they all just watched. Producer and cast member Cory Hardin reveals the show's inspiration from friend of the pod Matt Walsh (Veep); how narrative emerges in improv rather than being consciously created; how the goal is to stop thinking already and get out of your own head; and the incredible importance of teaching the value of joy and play to actors, and commitment and sincerity to improvisers. (Length 22:09) 

Helen Joo Lee and Lucky Stiff are two of the nine solo performers guiding audiences through the Goodman Theatre production of David Byrne and Mala Gaonkar's Theatre of the Mind, a uniquely interactive and immersive theatrical experience now running in Chicago through July 12, 2026. Helen and Lucky share stories about the audition process and reveal the new skills they get to call upon; how so many wildly different actors become David Byrne; the value of controlled violence and being a not-so-secret potty mouth; the variety of special interactions they've had with different audience members; how the show is like the world’s loveliest, sweetest escape room; and the power of giving (and receiving) a gender-affirming haircut. (Length 21:03)

At Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Pericles boldly goes where no Pericles has gone before. Artistic Director Brian Isaac Phillips discusses how his space-age setting for Shakespeare's underrated Romance is weirdly more relatable than the maritime travel in the original; how they've changed very little language (apart from some references of ‘sea’ to ‘sky’); how there's nothing new under the sun (from any galaxy); how he and his cast are playing it straight and not campy or spoofy; how companies don't program Pericles unless they have a passion for it, which always shows; how this bucket-list show gives both actors and audiences the opportunity to complete their personal canons; and the rewards of producing a less-well-known play that carries less baggage for audiences than, say, Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet. (Length 21:33)

Professor Caroline Bicks holds the inaugural Stephen E. King Chair of Literature at the University of Maine, and is the first scholar to be granted extended access by King to his private archives. That research has led to Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King, her new book that digs deep into King's original manuscripts and discovers connections to William Shakespeare along the way. Bicks reveals how she was able to confront her fears sparked by King's books and meeting the man himself; how King initially conceived The Shining as a Shakespearean tragedy; how King's depictions of teenagers reaching "mental puberty" corresponded with her own investigation into Shakespeare's works; the importance of "public-facing scholarship;" and the incredible value of reading books for their literary value at the same time you're already reading for pleasure. (Length 30:35)

Playwright Jacques Lamarre returns to discuss his epic new work, Circus Fire, which commemorates one of the worst fire disasters in U.S. history, and which Hartford's Theaterworks is producing as part of its 40th anniversary season. Jacques reveals the origins of his own fascination with the topic; how this is the largest production Theaterworks has ever mounted; how it's already been extended twice, despite some public controversy; where Jacques got his start as a playwright (and who gets the credit and/or blame); the inspiration he takes from Tectonic Theater’s The Laramie Project; how this event changed live performance across the country; how even a story of tragedy needs – like the circus itself – moments of joy. (Length 31:27) 

Actor, author, director, and educator Ben Crystal returns to discuss his book Shakespeare on Toast, which just celebrated its 10th anniversary and is now available in short entertaining clips on Instagram. Ben shares how the book came to be and the origins of its terrific title; how he and his father wrote the definitive work for the 21st century Shakespeare's Words: A Glossary and Language Companion, and how the books continues to be improved and an online resource; how bringing his scholarship to social media combines his academic and artistic skills; incredible insights into 17th-century language from 21st-century students; and the importance of providing a holistic way into Shakespeare's works. (Length 28:02)

Matthew Croke, former clown, RSC actor, and current podcast consigliere, returns to discuss where the RSC Podcast should go in its next 1000 episodes. Matt and Austin discuss the huge recent bump in German listeners; share tips and cautionary tales for our fellow content creators; compare podcast editing platforms Descript and Riverside; tease a possible new recurring segment; reveal the importance of breaking eggs when you're learning to make an omelette; engage in shameless product placement; and strategize how we can continue to build our community of RSC fans and theatre lovers. (Length 27:15)