We’re back with more Ben Jonson! This episode we consider

When it comes to how he conducted his career, was also look at the how he differed from Shakespeare. Not as a point of judgement, but just to give us a more complete picture about what men did with their writing and how this (ironically) makes it more unfair to try to compare them.

Ultimately, knowing more about Jonson helps us know more

Further Reading

Ben Jonson: A Life by Ian Donaldson

The Cambridge Companion to Ben Jonson by Richard Harp

The Complete Critical Guide to Ben Jonson by James Loxley

Credit where credit is due

Podcast art by ⁠Halie Branson⁠

Music recording by ⁠josdvg⁠

Hi, everyone! Things got a little away from me this week, what with a national election demanding all my attention and energy, so I'm bringing back an old episode.

In this episode, I talk about the Shakespeare we had to read in high school, what those plays were, and some thoughts about why that is.

Whether you loved or hated the Shakespeare unit in high school, you probably had to suffer through at least one play. (And, it was probably Romeo and Juliet!)

How do you feel about Shakespeare now? Have you tried reading or watching a play since high school? Or were you scarred by that unit, turned away, and never looked back?

Welcome back, gentle listeners, to season 2 and the long-awaited discussion of Ben Jonson! Shakespeare’s colleague, friend, maybe sometimes frenemy, it’s up to us to decide. But definitely someone who knew him and admired (perhaps somewhat begrudgingly) his work.

After diving into the world of biography and various survey and companion type books, I now have a more complete picture of Ben Jonson the guy, and am delighted to inform everything that there is the same amount of nerdy minutia to dive into as there for Shakespeare.

In this episode, we’ll talk about Ben Jonson’s life, what we know about him and why we know it, what we don’t know about him, and how we can look at him in relation to Shakespeare. Having more context on the time and people is always a helpful exercise when you want to understand history better and might I suggest that we stop writing Shakespeare biographies and maybe start reading about his fellow playwrights too?

Next time, I’ll be looking at Jonson’s works, his relationship to the theater, why he kept getting in trouble with the censors, and how he’s the same (or not) as Shakespeare.

It’s good to be back, friends!

Further Reading

Ben Jonson: A Life by Ian Donaldson

Credit where credit is due

Podcast art by ⁠Halie Branson⁠

Music recording by ⁠josdvg⁠

What’s it like to go to the theater to see Shakespeare but

The First Folio is one of the most revered books in the

Not exactly. The First Folio of Shakespeare’s plays was the

Gunderson’s play largely captures the human element of the

This is the last short episode before we start the next season in two weeks! Can’t wait to get into it.

Credit where credit is due

Podcast art by ⁠Halie Branson⁠

Music recording by ⁠josdvg⁠

Are you interested in an early 90s indie film that has some

In this episode, I revisit the 1991 film My Own Private Idaho, which some people claim is a loose adaptation of Shakespeare’s Henry IV plays, and that’s true…ish.

If you decide to watch because of the Shakespearean elements, then stay for an interesting story performed movingly by a young River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves.

We’ll get a little into the plot of the movie, how it involves Shakespeare and how much the Shakespeare bits even count. Then we’ll consider the emotional core of both the Henry plays and this movie.

Season two is drawing closer! One more short to go before kicking off with full-length episodes again.

Further watching

My Own Private Idaho (1991)

Credit where credit is due

Podcast art by ⁠Halie Branson⁠

Music recording by ⁠josdvg⁠

Ghostlight is an indie film that at first blush seems to be dealing with some pretty well-worn tropes: we have a family dealing with the aftermath of a traumatic event and has the lead character develops his emotional intelligence through the power of theater.

Sound like a bunch of other movies? It does, but this film is a testament to the fact that if you do a familiar trope well, the result can still end up being impactful.

This movie exercises drama and humor while also approaching Romeo and Juliet in a fresh new way. While Romeo and Juliet itself can feel overdone, especially if your exploring the first stirrings of young love, Ghostlight offers a new perspective not often explored.

Thanks to my guest, Amanda Bain-Wysocki, for bringing this movie to my attention, seeing it with me, and then discussing it with me! I’m guessing that you probably haven’t heard of this small little indie film, but I’d recommend checking it out if you’re of the Shakespearean persuasion. (And even if you’re not, there’s still something you can get from the film.)

This is the first of three shorts before the start of season 2 in October!

Further watching and listening

Ghostlight (2024)

Drive My Car (2021) – Not related to Shakespeare but also worth watchingEpisode 8: Romeo + Juliet (1996) with guest Amanda Bain-Wysocki

Credit where credit is due

Podcast art by ⁠Halie Branson⁠

Music recording by ⁠josdvg⁠

Welcome to the end of season 1 and our year in review!

In this episode, I reflect a little on the year I just had, how I got the podcast started and chose a title, the topics I’ve covered, any new opinions or insight I have and a look into my most (and least) popular episodes.

We close out with some pretty awesome questions asked by all of you! Just stumbled across this episode and didn’t get a chance to submit your question beforehand? Reach out anyway! I’ll get it answered in a future episode.

Thanks to everyone who has joined me in the first year. We’ve had some fun. Here’s to year two!

Further listening

Might I suggest any of my previous episodes?

Credit where credit is due

Podcast art by ⁠Halie Branson⁠

Music recording by ⁠josdvg⁠

Another episode, another silly movie about Shakespeare. This time, I forced my brother to watch Anonymous, the 2011 Roland Emmerich film that puts forth the hypothesis that Edward de Vere was the real author of Shakespeare’s plays.

Whatever you think about the authorship question and the validity of the Oxfordian theory of authorship, can we all agree that this movie is not very good nor very convincing?

We touch on several of the main characters in the movie, which portrayal we liked the most and least, and get a little bit into some of the main points the movie is trying to promote. This is not a deep dive into the world of Shakespeare doubters. We’re just having some fun.

There is a secret cut of this episode where we get more into it, but as Ben said, gotta save that for the Patreon. And because the Patreon doesn’t exist, the air of mystery remains.

Next time I’ll be back with reflections on one year of podcasting! Don’t forget to send any questions you might have my way.

Further reading and watching

Anonymous (2011) (Although I have to admit, I don't really recommend this one.)

Credit where credit is due

Podcast art by ⁠Halie Branson⁠

Music recording by ⁠josdvg⁠

We are back and this week we are talking Shakespeare adaptation! What are the different types of adaptation, what do they accomplish, and what makes some stand out from the rest?

We’re talking movies, books, and plays in this episode, featuring a collection of Shakespeare content I’ve been consuming as I try to think through what makes something stand out and what makes something merely meh.

On the docket we’re thinking about: high school Shakespeare adaptation, movies that reference Shakespeare but don’t fully commit to the bit, the “person who gets cast in a Shakespeare production and then their life becomes Shakespeare” film, what is making commentary on Shakespeare, and then some pieces that think about his life and his works.

There’s so much out here! The list could have grown, but I wanted to think in categories and themes, and as such, there’s a lot still to think about. But this has been a helpful exercise in starting to guide my thoughts on what I want to catch and what I might want to miss.

We’re coming up on a year of Something Shakespeare This Way Comes! Please reach out with any comments, questions, or suggestions as I put together the year-end recap!

Further Reading

Episode 5: Shakespeare in Love (1998) with Ben Roman

Episode 13: Saltburn (2023) and Dead Poets Society (1989) with Gabbi Miller

Further reading and watching

10 Things I Hate About You (film)

The Lion King (original animated film)

Anyone But You (film)

These Violent Delights and These Violent Ends by Chloe Gong (books)

My Own Private Idaho (film)

Were the World Mine (film)

Ghostlight (film)

Macbitches by Sophie McIntosh (play)

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell (book)

The Book of Will by Lauren Gunderson (play)

Shakespeare in Love (film)

Credit where credit is due

Podcast art by ⁠Halie Branson⁠

Music recording by ⁠josdvg⁠

Spoiler alert for this week’s episode: Judi Dench is super cool and also has a ton of interesting stuff to say about Shakespeare.

This episode we’re talking Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent, a collection of conversations about Shakespeare’s plays and character between Judi Dench and Brendan O’Hea, a longtime actor and director who has a history of working with Dench.

Even if you are not the world’s biggest Shakespeare fan, I seriously think picking up this book (or listening to it!) could be worth your while. I discuss some aspects of the book I found illuminating, some of which probably reveals that I’ve never acted onstage and should never be allowed to do so. These items include, Dench’s take on a couple of well-known characters, her approach to acting, and some tips for performing Shakespeare.

Also, you’ll find out which Shakespeare play Judi Dench hates. Ooh, intriguing right?

Literally, how can you resist.

Further Reading

Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench, Brendan O’Hea

Credit where credit is due

Podcast art by ⁠Halie Branson⁠

Music recording by ⁠josdvg⁠