That Shakespeare Life

William Shakespeare's oldest daughter, Susanna, married Dr. John Hall when she was 24 years old. John was a faithful son in law to William Shakespeare, and as a medical doctor in Stratford had a unique look at what it was like to live and work in a small town of the 16th century England. John Hall's surviving case books help Shakespeare historians piece together many realities about Shakespeare's life, not the least of which is some of the medicinal herbs and treatments the bard and his family may have used while living in Stratford. To help us get to know Dr. John Hall, his medical practice, and his relationship to William Shakespeare, Dr. Sara Read is here to explore the life and works of the good doctor from Stratford Upon Avon. Dr. Sara Read is a lecturer in English at Loughborough University and is a specialist in early modern health and medicine. Her first academic monograph along with her history publication from 2015 focused on the reproductive health of women in the 16th century, while most recently she has co-authored a popular book on the history of 16-17th century disease and illness called Maladies and Medicine: Exploring Health and Healing, 1540-1740. Sara and her co author were featured in Shakespeare Magazine's 13th Issue, which came out this year, sharing some of the more bizarre medical practices which were common in Shakespeare's lifetime. Sara joins us today to focus on one of the topics covered in her book: the life and practices of Shakespeare's son in law, Dr. John Hall, and what studying his life can tell us about William Shakespeare.

William Shakespeare’s oldest daughter, Susanna, married Dr. John Hall when she was 24 years old. John was a faithful son in law to William Shakespeare, and as a medical doctor in Stratford had a unique look at what it was like to live and work in a small town of the 16th century England. John Hall’s surviving case books help Shakespeare historians piece together many realities about Shakespeare’s life, not the least of which is some of the medicinal herbs and treatments the bard and his family may have used while living in Stratford. To help us get to know Dr. John Hall, his medical practice, and his relationship to William Shakespeare, Dr. Sara Read is here to explore the life and works of the good doctor from Stratford Upon Avon. Dr. Sara Read is a lecturer in English at Loughborough University and is a specialist in early modern health and medicine. Her first academic monograph along with her history publication from 2015 focused on the reproductive health of women in the 16th century, while most recently she has co-authored a popular book on the history of 16-17th century disease and illness called Maladies and Medicine: Exploring Health and Healing, 1540-1740. Sara and her co author were featured in Shakespeare Magazine’s 13th Issue, which came out this year, sharing some of the more bizarre medical practices which were common in Shakespeare’s lifetime. Sara joins us today to focus on one of the topics covered in her book: the life and practices of Shakespeare’s son in law, Dr. John Hall, and what studying his life can tell us about William Shakespeare.

In Shakespeare's play, Two Gentlemen of Verona, one character has a pet dog. The dog's name is Crab. The part in the play is very small, but remains included by Shakespeare, which leads to some interesting questions about animals and their role in Shakespeare's history. He must have included Crab strategically, but why? Animals in history are connected mostly to farming, agriculture, and perhaps display by royalty to demonstrate their vast exploits into trade and international travel. However, when it comes to the companion animal, the pet dog or cat, I invited Jennifer Jorm, to visit with us today and talk about whether Shakespeare, or his contemporaries, would have had pets, and what the audience's reaction would have been to seeing a character on stage with a pet dog like Crab.

We take it for granted that Shakespeare's theater was similar to ours, when in fact, the experience of stepping inside The Globe or other Elizabethan playhouses was quite different for Shakespeare than for us today. To take us behind the curtain and explore the inside of The Globe theater, Richard Dutton is our guide today, helping explore the sights, sounds, and smells inside a real Elizabethan theater. Richard Dutton is a specialist in the theater of William Shakespeare, having written twenty nine books in all about Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, and other early modern dramatists as well. He joins us today to take a look inside some of the unexpected theater conventions that were normal for Shakespeare, and might be surprising for us today.

In this episode, I'll be asking Richard about :

• What were the sights and sounds someone experienced upon entering The Globe?
• Shakespeare's plays reference a prayer to the Queen at the end of a production--why did they pray?
• Philip Henslowe is cited as having side jobs related to theater. In the business of theater, would all theater owners capitalize on their options for income this way?
• What about snacks? Did they have popcorn at the theater?
• ...and more!

Shakespeare is often portrayed wearing bright purple poofy pumpkin pants, characteristic both of the time period and our impression of William. Today, Ninya Mikhaila, a professional historical costumer, joins us to share her experiences of recreating 17th century clothing, and tell us all about how William Shakespeare would have dressed.

Shakespeare is often portrayed wearing bright purple poofy pumpkin pants, characteristic both of the time period and our impression of William. Today, Ninya Mikhaila, a professional historical costumer, joins us to share her experiences of recreating 17th century clothing, and tell us all about how William Shakespeare would have dressed.

Douglas joins us today to discuss marketing in the 16th century. With new plays performed as often as every afternoon, and a large portion of his target audience being illiterate, how did Shakespeare fill seats and manage to sell enough tickets to stay in business? Douglas Bruster is a professor of English at the University of Texas at Austin. His research centers on Shakespeare, drama, and literary history. His discoveries have been featured in such venues as The New York Times and National Public Radio. Douglas has written extensively on Shakespeare, publishing six books on Shakespeare and early modern drama including Drama and the Market in the Age of Shakespeare, as well as Shakespeare and the Power of Performance. He is editor of Thomas Middleton's The Changeling, the morality plays Everyman and Mankind, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. In addition to the University of Texas, he has taught at Harvard University, the University of Chicago, and the University of Paris.

In this episode, I'll be asking Douglas about :

• The flags above The Globe and their meaning
• Getting the word out about plays when your population can't read
• How did Shakespeare tell people what plays would be performed?
• ...and more.