Ariana has a chat with director Bronwyn Barnwell about her Radio Shakespeare Lab production of Love’s Labour’s Lost with her dream cast! We are joined by some of the actors from her production to discuss the play and process including Charlie Morton, Preston Perrin, Ly Poe, Alexander Mushore, with Ian Gould.

Among many things, we talk about the remarkably difficulty of the language of this play, the unique process of creation in isolation, metatheacricality, character doubles, rhyming, romantic fools, women as strong political figures called away for duty, how each character is clever in a distinctive way, Boyet as a Puck-like figure, significance of nationalities, math and numerology, and dirty language.

Be sure to catch Love’s Labour’s Lost over on Radio Shakespeare Lab over the next five Fridays!

Anddd we are on to our Act 5 ofTaming of the Shrew discussion…ok here we go.

Among many things we talk Kate and Petruchio turning into spectators and watching other public disorders, flashbacks to the induction where character upon character reinforces the lie, Bianca’s personality change, hierarchy and freedom, the weird of dynamics of the end, and what on earth happens to Sly.

Our Ensemble for this production includes: Brittany Chandler, Mairi Chanel, Caryl Farkas, Elizabeth Glass, Morgan Hollingsworth, Grayson Kirtland, Zoe Margolis, Nicholas Koy Santillo, Ali Tallman, Will Wilder facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

On to part 2 of our discussion of Act IV of Taming of the Shrew! (This episode covers scenes 3-5.)

We talked imitating behaviors, entitlement and reality checks, changing social perceptions, appearance vs value, provoking reactions and contradictions, ethical dilemmas, and the act of taking responsibility .

Our Ensemble for this production includes: Brittany Chandler, Mairi Chanel, Caryl Farkas, Elizabeth Glass, Morgan Hollingsworth, Grayson Kirtland, Zoe Margolis, Nicholas Koy Santillo, Ali Tallman, Will Wilder facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

We move on to part 1 of our discussion of Act IV of Taming of the Shrew! (This episode covers scenes 1 & 2.)

Among many things we discussed Grumio’s garbled thoughts, status relationships within Petruchio’s household staff, servants noting behavioral changes, Kate beginning to prevent violence, Shakespeare implicating the entire audience, entitlement and teamwork, the ethical dilemma of Petruchio’s behavior, Bianca and Kate both being referred to as headstrong haggards (or strong-willed birds of prey), and Tranio’s constant status shifting. 

Our Ensemble for this production includes: Brittany Chandler, Mairi Chanel, Caryl Farkas, Elizabeth Glass, Morgan Hollingsworth, Grayson Kirtland, Zoe Margolis, Nicholas Koy Santillo, Ali Tallman, Will Wilder facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

And off we go to Act 3 of Taming of the Shrew! 

We discuss how all of Bianca’s suitors are under false pretenses, how the suitors are more interested in competing with each other than actually getting to know Bianca, the connection to the Lord’s game of messing with Christopher Sly, the lack of danger or class barriers in Lucentio’s and Hortensio’s disguises, Kate trying out new tactics, Petruchio’s rejection of societal norms, and the heavy cultural baggage of staging this play. 

Our Ensemble for this production includes: Brittany Chandler, Mairi Chanel, Caryl Farkas, Elizabeth Glass, Morgan Hollingsworth, Grayson Kirtland, Zoe Margolis, Nicholas Koy Santillo, Ali Tallman, Will Wilder facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

It’s time for Act II of Taming of the Shrew when Kate and Petruchio finally meet! 

Among many things we discussed entering the private realm of the household, sibling rivalry and family dynamics, fighting over the same object, the bidding war over Bianca versus the war of words for Katherine, and challenging received interpretations of the play and the central relationship.

Our Ensemble for this production includes: Brittany Chandler, Mairi Chanel, Caryl Farkas, Elizabeth Glass, Morgan Hollingsworth, Grayson Kirtland, Zoe Margolis, Nicholas Koy Santillo, Ali Tallman, Will Wilder facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

Join us as we dive into the play within the play, Act I of Taming of the Shrew!

Among many things we talk about bro energy, the play’s emphasis on education for both young men and young women, Katherine as truth-teller, the complicated relationships between status and violence, performances of submission, and how the entire plays is based on disguises and lies, the set up for a classic farce.

Our Ensemble for this production includes: Brittany Chandler, Mairi Chanel, Caryl Farkas, Elizabeth Glass, Morgan Hollingsworth, Grayson Kirtland, Zoe Margolis, Nicholas Koy Santillo, Ali Tallman, Will Wilder facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

Oh goodness, it’s time for Taming of the Shrew. Welcome to a brand new difficult and complicated play and enjoy our discussion of the unique and puzzling “Induction” at the start of the play.

We talk about what exactly the induction is and its significance, actors as vagrants, the Lord as a wanna-be immersive theatre director, the thematic set up of people pretending to be what they are not and the danger of the theater, and a deep dive into whose reality are we lost in?

Our Ensemble for this production includes: Brittany Chandler, Mairi Chanel, Caryl Farkas, Elizabeth Glass, Morgan Hollingsworth, Grayson Kirtland, Zoe Margolis, Nicholas Koy Santillo, Ali Tallman, Will Wilder facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

Oh boy…here we are. We have gotten to Act 5 of Two Gentlemen of Verona…

We discuss Silvia constantly being under surveillance, male friendship erasing romantic love, is it all a parody, celebrations of male mediocrity, property and possession being the ending themes of the play and desperately wondering where the clowns are, we really miss them.

Our ensemble for Two Gentlemen of Verona includes Samantha Blinn, Miles Blitch, Sam Gilroy as Valentine, Larry Gleason, Ellyn Heald, Jane Henzerling, Isabel Karp, Mitchel Kawash, Colin Kohrs, facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

Finally, we get to spend a bit of time with Silvia & Julia in Act 4 of Two Gentlemen of Verona!

Among many things we discuss the outlaws as threatening/non-threatening, the strength of Silvia’s character, how Proteus language is transforming again into desperation and veering on violence, Lance’s devotion to Crab as the purest love in the play and a refreshing scene of female solidarity that ends this act.

Our ensemble for Two Gentlemen of Verona includes Samantha Blinn, Miles Blitch, Sam Gilroy as Valentine, Larry Gleason, Ellyn Heald, Jane Henzerling, Isabel Karp, Mitchel Kawash, Colin Kohrs, facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.