The State of Shakespeare

The State of Shakespeare episodes:

• 03.13.2024

  Ben Steinfeld 2.0

  Pericles; Act 5, Scene 1 Pericles and MarinaMarch 12, 2024 We welcome one of our favorite guests back to the State of Shakespeare.  Ben Steinfeld catches us up on his own epic journey and on Fiasco Theatre’s production of Pericles, in performances...

  
• 02.28.2024

  Yao Dogbe

  Richard III; Act 5, Scene 1 BuckinghamFebruary 28, 2024 Photo by Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez Actor Yao Dogbe returns to the stage of Chicago Shakespeare Theatre for the highly-anticipated production of Richard III. The inaugural effort by brand-new helmsman Edward Hall, this reimagining of...

  
• 01.22.2024

  Stephen Charles Marzolf

  The Tempest; Act 4, Scene 1 ProsperoJanuary 16, 2024 To the uninitiated, northwest Arkansas may sound like an unlikely paradise for an actor.  But as Shakespeare’s Prospero shows us, magic is found where you choose to make it.  Our guest Steven Charles...

  
• 11.27.2023

  Elena Hollenbeak and Lyn Ackerman

  Macbeth; Act 5, Scene 1 Lady MacbethNovember 21, 2023 Elena Hollenbeak is the winner of the 2023 English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition.  We spoke with the talented Ms. Hollenbeak and her mentor, Dr. Lyn Ackerman, about this year’s competition and what’s so...

  
• 10.30.2023

  Sara Topham

  Romeo & Juliet; Act 3, Scene 2 JulietOctober 24, 2023 Canadian actor Sara Topham met Shakespeare’s Juliet when she was just seventeen and facing the premature overthrow of a promising career.  This could be a story about how a star-crossed young...

  
• 09.29.2023

  Marquis D. Gibson

  Hamlet; Act 2, Scene 2 HamletSeptember 29, 2023 Marquis D. Gibson's Broadway debut was as sudden as it was spectacular. Appearing in the Hamlet inspired Fat Ham, Marquis played the Hamlet character wrestling with a lot of different big questions....

  
• 08.30.2023

  Andrew J. Dunn

  Unrehearsed: A Midsummer Night's Dream The Barefoot Shakespeare CompanyAugust 29, 2023 Memorizing lines comes quickly for Andrew J. Dunn. Putting the fun back in theater is what he is all about, which is why he agreed to produce, publicize and...

  
• 07.12.2023

  Amanda Dehnert

  Love's Labor's Lost The Hudson Valley Shakespeare FestivalJuly 12, 2023 (Photo by John Nordell/The Christian Science Monitor via Getty Images) Ask Amanda Dehnert what she does for a living, and she’ll laughingly say she “imagines things.”  As a visionary theatre creator, she...

  
• 05.26.2023

  Dakin Matthews

  Hamlet; Act 2, Scene 2 HamletMay 26, 2023 When it comes to Shakespeare's secrets, "meaning" and "sense" stand separate, yet actors must master both. So asserts Dakin Matthews: actor extraordinaire, seasoned stage savant of 250+ productions, and the scribe behind Shakespeare...

  
• 03.24.2023

  Miriam Laube

  The Winter's Tale; Act 3, Scene 2 HermioneMarch 23, 2023 Photo: Jenny Graham. Photo: Jenny Graham. For Miriam Laube, 16 is a magic number. 16 years at Oregon Shakespeare Festival and 16 years away from court in Winter's Tale (for...

  
• 03.01.2023

  Chukwudi Iwuji

  Hamlet; Act 3, Scene 1 HamletFebruary 28, 2023 Drop in!   All Chukwudi Iwuji needs is the language, how the words resonate in him, their sounds and meanings and rhythms. Using these, how is he affecting the listener?  When you listen, you will know. Click...

  
• 01.29.2023

  Ian Gould

  Midsummer Night's Dream: Act 4, Scene 1 BottomJanuary 27, 2023 What does it mean to be “smartly stupid,” and how might this approach help an actor reveal delightfully unexpected moments in well-worn texts?  Ian Gould credits his training at the Shakespeare...

  
• 11.30.2022

  Brian Carroll

  Shakespeare's Sceptered Isle November 30, 2022 What did it mean to be “English” in Shakespeare’s day?   How may Shakespeare’s most patriotic play, Henry V, have shaped notions of English identity ever since?  Brian Carroll’s new book, Shakespeare’s Sceptered Isle: Finding English National Identity...

  
• 10.11.2022

  Lynn Robert Berg

  Julius Caesar; Act 2, Scene 1 Brutus October 11, 2022 With double digit years at a trio of theaters, Lynn Robert Berg is on the move. The self-proclaimed character actor has moved from intern to company leader with a skill...

  
• 08.23.2022

  Kurt Rhoads and Nance Williamson

  Romeo and Juliet; Act 3, Scene 5 Romeo and Juliet August 23, 2022 After a lifetime in the theatre, what does Shakespeare still have to teach us about life and love? Long-time stage veterans (and real-life couple0 Nance...

  
• 08.01.2022

  Kevin Rich 2.0

  The Book of Will Colorado Shakespeare FestivalAugust 1, 2022 Who were the men and women who miraculously rescued half of Shakespeare’s plays from being lost forever – and what mystery, tragedy, romance, and drama raged around them as they struggled...

  
• 07.08.2022

  Carl Cofield

  Twelfth Night Act 1, Scene 5July 8, 2022 PHOTO CREDIT - Richard Termine PHOTO CREDIT - Richard Termine Something special is happening in Harlem. The Classical Theater of Harlem is bringing its unique brand of Shakespeare to Marcus Garvey Park. Associate...

  
• 06.21.2022

  The Texas Shakespeare Festival

  Val Winkelman and John Dodd June 18, 2022 In Texas, when something delightful has been marinating for 36 years, you know you’re in for a treat. The Texas Shakespeare Festival has been a staple of East Texas since the 1980's. For...

  
• 05.16.2022

  Toby Malone and Aili Huber

  Aili Huber and Toby Malone Cutting Plays for PerformanceMay 16, 2022 Was this the kindest cut of all?  It began as a friendly argument between fellow Shakespeareans,  Aili Huber and Toby Malone, about how to trim the text of Richard III.  They've...

  
• 03.28.2022

  Nathan Winkelstein

  Henry V: Act 1, Scene 2King HenryMarch 28, 2022 Named for the rowdy Jacobean playhouse that illegally performed plays in England during the years of Puritan rule, the Red Bull Theater is breaking barriers. Using one of Henry V's speeches,...

  
• 02.23.2022

  Mike Lew

  Teenage DickFebruary 23, 2022 What happens if you plunk down Richard III in a modern day High School? You get Teenage Dick. Teenage Dick, Written by Mike Lew, was commissioned and developed by Gregg Mozgala's own theater company, The...

  
• 01.27.2022

  Keith Hamilton Cobb

  The Untitled Othello ProjectJanuary 27, 2022 What is the Untitled Othello Project?  According to Keith Hamilton Cobb, the award-winning playwright who is the driving force behind the ensemble-based “adventure in theatre-making”, it’s much more than a deep and sustained exploration of Shakespeare’s...

  
• 12.11.2021

  Paul Alan Ruben and Scott Brick

  The Tragedy of MacbethAct 5, Scene 5December 10, 2021 Paul Alan Ruben has a sense for the feeling of a piece. The Grammy award winning director has finally turned his sense to Shakespeare. With Scott Brick in the title...

  
• 09.30.2021

  Scott Kaiser 2.0

  Albert's Adventures in Willy WorldNovelSeptember 30, 2021 Prolific author, and two time guest, Scott Kaiser returns to tease his latest book, Albert’s Adventures in Willy World.  It’s a detective story that pokes fun at the “Shakespeare Industry”, set in a fictional wonderland...

  
• 08.26.2021

  Jeffrey Wilson

  Henry VI, Part 3: Act 3, Scene 2GloucesterAugust 25, 2021 Why Shakespeare? Jeffrey Wilson, the author of the book Shakespeare and Trump, explores this question in depth, centering on the character of Richard III. Why is evil so exciting and...

  
• 07.17.2021

  Patrick Harvey

  A Midsummer Night's Dream: Act 3, Scene 1BottomJuly 18, 2021 Live theatre is back!  Our guest, Patrick Harvey, is a member of the inaugural cast of the Connecticut Shakespeare Festival.  He’s playing Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Hartford’s Playhouse on Park. ...

  
• 06.28.2021

  Kamilah Long

  Titus Andronicus: Act 1, Scene 4TamoraJune 28, 2021 Kamilah Long, the Managing Director of Play On Shakespeare, is a force of nature. Growing up in Alabama, she discovered Shakespeare and has never looked back. Kamilah has big plans for...

  
• 05.30.2021

  Michael Witmore – The Folger Shakespeare Library

  Twelfth Night: Act 5, Scene 1ViolaMay 30, 2021 The Folger Shakespeare Library stands in a prominent place in our nation’s capital.  Since its founding, the building, its architecture, contents, and programming have been thoughtfully curated with this in mind.  Dr. Michael Witmore, Director...

  
• 04.30.2021

  Barry Edelstein

  Who better to ask what Shakespeare can teach us about the turbulent times we are living in than Barry Edelstein - the Artistic Director of the Old Globe Theater in San Diego and one of the foremost producers and directors...

  
• 03.19.2021

  Patrick Page

  Jim and Gerritt celebrate ten years of The State of Shakespeare. We listen to some of our most memorable guests from the early days of the podcast and share our favorite moments from the past decade.

  
• 02.28.2021

  Ten Years of Shakespeare

  Jim and Gerritt celebrate ten years of The State of Shakespeare. We listen to some of our most memorable guests from the early days of the podcast and share our favorite moments from the past decade.

  
• 12.12.2020

  Susan Heyward

  The Taming of the Shrew: Act 4, Scene 3KatherineDecember 13, 2020 As a young “bookworm,” she fell in love with Shakespeare’s intoxicating language.   But after an early career playing Shakespeare’s romantic ingenues, Susan Heyward began to wonder whether modern theatre’s relationship...

  
• 10.21.2020

  Andrew Muir

  Author and scholar Andrew Muir is fascinated with two poets: one “the greatest artist of all time” and another “the most important artist since the second World War.”  They may have more in common than mere verses can express.  His...

  
• 10.01.2020

  Milan Dragicevich

  Richard III: Act 1, Scene 2Richard, Duke of GloucesterSeptember 30, 2020 Words, words, words. Milan Dragicevich is fascinated by what he calls "the verbal surface" - a place where rhetoric lies and where you will take your voice to the...

  
• 08.25.2020

  Paul Sugarman

  King Lear: Act 2, Scene 2 Kent August 28, 2020 He is neither a knave, beggar or a coward, but rather a champion of the Bard! Paul Sugarman has been working with Shakespeare his whole life. Most recently, he...

  
• 07.01.2020

  Shirine Babb

  Henry VI, Part III: Act 1, Scene 4Queen MargaretJune 30, 2020 In our first interview recorded during the Covid-19 era, we caught up with Shirine Babb, whose production of Timon of Athens at the Shakespeare Theatre of DC was abruptly interrupted...

  
• 05.31.2020

  Scott Newstok

  How to Think Like ShakespeareMay 31, 2020 What can we learn about the state of modern education by taking a look back at how young pupils were schooled during Shakespeare’s day?   Our guest Scott Newstok shares some collected wisdom from his...

  
• 04.16.2020

  Hassan Jamal

  The L.A. Subway Shakespeare Project April 15, 2020 What do John Cassavettes, August Wilson and the Three Stooges have in common?  They all inspired Hassan Jamal to create the LA Subway Shakespeare Project.  Hassan films short Shakespeare scenes in and around...

  
• 02.23.2020

  Dave Hitz

  The Play On! ProjectJuly 18, 2021 Kenneth Cavender said, translations are like lovers.  The faithful ones aren’t beautiful, the beautiful ones aren’t faithful. Dave Hitz is putting this quote to the test with his ambitious Play On! Project - translating...

  
• 01.29.2020

  Translation!

  Dave Hitz, co-founder of the Play On Project, has a very specific view when it comes to the idea of translation. Is the Play On Project a translation of Shakespeare? Full Interview coming soon!

  
• 11.30.2019

  Jack Cutmore-Scott

  Hamlet; Act 1, Scene 2HamletNovember 30, 2019 A Hamlet for the Modern Age. In about a fortnight, Jack Cutmore-Scott shot Hamlet 360 - a virtual version of Shakespeare's great play. The challenges for the actor add up to amazing...

  
• 10.30.2019

  Bradford Cover

  Love's Labour's Lost; Act 3, Scene 1BerowneOctober 30, 2019 A life in the theater. Bradford Cover grew up surrounded by theater, became an actor and has resurrected the Pearl Theater Co. - creating the Resident Acting Company. His breadth...

  
• 09.27.2019

  William Downes

  Macbeth: Act 1, Scene 7MacbethSeptember 27, 2019 What do you get when you take the First Folio, add a little Original Practice and stir in a smattering of cue scripts? You get William Downes. The Artistic Director of Classics...

  
• 07.31.2019

  Deaon Griffin-Pressley

  Twelfth Night: Act 4, Scene 3SebastianJuly 31, 2019 “If it is poetry, it’s music.” Deaon Griffin-Pressley has gone from Florida to New York, BADA and finally landed at Shakespeare and Company. His travels have given him a unique perspective...

  
• 06.24.2019

  Brian Dykstra

  Polishing ShakespeareJune 24, 2019 Brian Dykstra has written the play Polishing Shakespeare in reaction to the Play On Translation project. Should Shakespeare be translated? If this interview doesn't reveal Brian's answer, his play will. The reading is on...

  
• 05.31.2019

  David Pearson

  As You Like It; Act 2, Scene 7 - Jacques Shakespeare in QatarMay 29, 2019 How is Doha, Qatar like Elizabethan London? David Pearson is 7200 miles from where he grew up and 3200 miles from where Shakespeare lived. ...

  
• 04.11.2019

  Jenny Bennett

  Shakespeare in Taiwan April 12, 2019 ...

  
• 02.25.2019

  Jim Helsinger

  Gertrude and ClaudiusFebruary 25, 2019The Orlando Shakespeare Festival Jim Helsinger is bringing a bold vision to the Orlando Shakespeare Festival. In repertory with Hamlet, he is doing the World Premiere of Gertrude and Claudius, a precursor to Shakespeare's most famous...

  
• 01.30.2019

  Angus Vail

  The Container Globe Falstaff: Henry IV, Part I January 29, 2019 Angus Vail Rocks! While running the business office for the band Kiss, Angus is building the Container Globe: a modern Globe Theater from re-purposed shipping containers. As entertaining...

  
• 12.22.2018

  Ray Dooley

  The Tempest: Act 1, Scene 2ProsperoDecember 22, 2018 JulieBillEngagement If you have a lot of words, you have a lot of need. Ray Dooley has a lot to say. After over 40 years in the business his insights are second...