Called "One of the most learned and devoted of Shakespeareans," by Harold Bloom, Dr. David Bevington is an American literary scholar who specializes in British drama of the Renaissance, and has edited and introduced the complete works of William Shakespeare in both the 29-volume, Bantam Classics paperback editions and the single-volume Longman edition. Dr. Bevington remains the only living scholar to have personally edited Shakespeare's complete corpus." He will be talking with us about Religion in the 16th Century. I will be asking him to offer a brief explanation of the state of Catholic vs Protestant in England during Shakespeare's lifetime, as well as what, if any, impact this climate had on the life and work of William Shakespeare himself.

In this week's episode, we talk with Pauline Montagna about the focus of an entire chapter in her latest book, Not Wisely But Too Well which makes the claim that Edward Alleyn, and not Shakespeare, was the upstart crow insulted famously by Robert Greene. Alleyn was a rival actr competing in the 16th century with Richard Burbage, Shakespeare's lead performer. Pauline joins us today to unpack her research into this controversial idea and share her argument in favor of Edward Alleyn.

In this week's episode, I'll ask Pauline about: 

- who was Edward Alleyn? 

- Why was he Burbage's rival? Did they fight? 

- What makes you think he might have been the upstart crow? 

and more. 

Join us inside as we explore one of Shakespeare's acting contemporaries, Edward Alleyn.

Whenever Shakespeare’s plays are performed, there are always legends and stories which come up right along with them. We have Macbeth and the Scottish Play, as well as Romeo and Juliet and the famous misconstrued couplet in the final scene.

Over the years, some of these stories have grown into famous anecdotes that no one is really sure where they started. No one, at least, except Paul Menzer. This week at That Shakespeare Life, we are going to sit down with Paul Menzer, professor at Mary Baldwin University, to talk about the truth behind the legends connecting to Shakespeare’s plays, Dr. Menzer is an expert on this particular topic because he literally wrote the book called Anecdotal Shakespeare. In this episode, I’ll be asking Dr. Menzer about :

>>Macbeth and why The Scottish Play became such an important theater legend.

>>We’ll talk about Cymbeline and why smaller plays lack such strong anecdotes, and

>>you’ll hear a story about Richard Burbage which has spanned the centuries attaching itself to actors playing Richard III for centuries.

In this episode I ask Dr. Bart Van Es, author, historian, and Professor in English at the University of Oxford, about Richard Burbage. 

We explore the life of Richard Burbage, Shakespeare’s leading actor and the first man to play the roles of Hamlet, Othello, and King Lear. You'll learn about what Richard Burbage looked like, his family, his hobbies, and how it was he and his father who really gave Shakespeare the foundation he needed to stand on when building a powerful career. 

Jem Bloomfield is an author, blogger, and Assistant Professor of Literature at the University of Nottingham.  His research ranges across Shakespeare, gender, performance and the Bible, with a particular focus on the ways texts are used to focus cultural authority. Dr. Bloomfield’s work has been cited in The Guardian, The New Statesmen, and Contemporary Theater Review. His latest book is titled Shakespeare and the Psalms: Did Shakespeare Help Write the King James Bible? He is here today to talk with us about that very legend and set the record straight on this persistent question.