King John; Act 3, Scene 1 ConstanceAugust 5, 2025

Words, words, words. A love of words makes Tracy Michelle Arnold the perfect candidate to run the Language Project at American Player's Theater. With the focus on language, words, syntax, punctuation, Arnold is the perfect guest for the State of Shakespeare. The Language Project is the latest innovation that this gem of theater in Spring Green, Wisconsin has brought us.

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Click here for information about American Players Theater and The Language Project.

Twelfth Night Folger TheaterJune 18, 2025

“Most wonderful!” Olivia’s (ahem) climactic outburst isn’t just a line, it’s the line that catches the spirit of director Mei Ann Teo’s current production of Twelfth Night at the Folger Theatre. Teo, who also serves as Artistic Leader at Ping Chong and Company, teases how to treat Shakespeare’s classic as if it’s a new love (er… play.)

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https://www.folger.edu/whats-on/twelfth-night

Shakespeare, Appreciated Hamlet; Act 5, Scene 2May 29, 2025

Gideon Rappaport, author of Appreciating Shakespeare, has released a newly annotated edition of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Can modern readers and actors truly grasp Shakespeare’s work as he intended? Rappaport believes they not only can, but they must.

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Gideon's Media Connections:

Appreciating Shakespeare

Shakespeare's Real Take

Gideon's podcast

Anonymous Agnostic Antichrists

March 31, 2025

The Authorship Question may ebb and flow in popularity, but the mystery behind the origins of the Bard’s works remains endlessly intriguing. What better way to explore the rich world of Shakespeare’s contemporaries than by investigating who might have truly penned the plays? Our guest, author Derek Hunter, has spent over thirty years pursuing the possibilities. His tetralogy, Anonymous Agnostic Antichrists, presents four compelling theories.

Amazon: Anonymouse Agnostic Antichrists

Shakespeare in the U.S.February 24, 2025

As the Artistic Producer and Dramaturg at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C., Drew Lichtenberg has a front-row seat to the unfolding drama at one of the globe's most powerful artistic and political nexuses. In a recent essay for The New York Times, he shared hard truths about the state of Shakespeare in contemporary America. Over the past half-decade, the number of Shakespeare productions has declined steeply. What might be driving this trend, and is it likely to change?

New York TImes: Who's Afraid of William Shakespeare

New York TImes: Cancel Shakespeare

Shakespeare in the Theatre: Shakespeare Theatre Company.

Falstaff; Act 4, Scene 2 Henry IV, Part 2January 10, 2025

Falstaff is Shakespeare’s greatest comic creation.  John Ahlin is the greatest ‘Simon Says’ player in the world.   Discover how this talent helped launch a career that has seen him play the role sixteen times… and counting.   Just don't call it a bit!

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Macbeth; Act 3, Scene 1 MacbethSeptember 20, 2024

From Whiffenpoof to Macbeth.  Graham Stevens has worn many hats in his career, none of which fits as comfortably as Macbeth's crown. How does he bring all of his diversity of skills to bear in the role of the Scottish King? And it isn't just the kilt...

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The American Shakespeare Center July 30, 2024

Vanessa Morosco likes asking the big questions. As Executive Director of the American Shakespeare Center, she is perfectly positioned to do just that. Using Original Practices, Vanessa and ASC are re-centering the focus on Shakespeare for the 21st Century.

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Henry IV, Part I; Act 5, Scene 1 WorcesterJune 30, 2024

Inside-out or outside-in?  Accomplished stage actor and teacher Jasmine Bracey gives Stanislvaski his due, but argues for a more visceral approach to crafting character.  Either way, her objective is all about change.

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Click here for more information on the Backroom Theater Project.

Fight Direction ShakespeareMay 30, 2024

There’s more to choreographing stage combat than beating shields and bashing heads. Fight Director Rod Kinter works closely with Actors, Directors and Designers on "Designing the Fight". Safety and repeatability are paramount, but swords are optional.

Click here for more information about Rod Kinter