Reduced Shakespeare Company Podcast

Laura T. Fisher (left) has put together a document called Chicago Theatre Standards, a document and philosophy that "seeks to mentor institutions, theatre-makers, teachers, students, parents and anyone who would like to learn more about procedural preventions and potential responses to unsafe practices, with a special focus on harassment, bullying and discrimination." Laura discusses what led her, along with Lori Myers, to create the #NotInOurHouse movement and explains how organizations and individuals can respond to creepy and unwanted behavior that doesn't necessarily rise of the level of the criminal. Featuring the importance of following inner compasses, the luck of catching viral waves, the virtues of being helpful, the dangers of being proscriptive and divisive, the importance of process and preventions, the trickiness of gray areas, recognizing and combating abusive strategies, and most of all, the necessity of preventing the exploitation of a culture of ‘yes’. (Length 23:50)

Kevin Douglas’ new play Plantation! is having its world premiere right now at the Lookingglass Theatre in Chicago, in a production directed by Lookingglass founding member David Schwimmer and starring eight phenomenal actresses. It’s a family comedy that deals with race and legacy and family and atonement, and in addition to its many laughs, some of which are definitely uncomfortable, its ending takes audiences absolutely by surprise and bring them to tears. Kevin discusses his creative process, explaining why he decided to create a comedy in the first place, and features the danger of clinging, the benefit of listening to actors, the value of a spoonful of sugar, and how Kevin’s next play will solve all the world’s problems. (Length 25:05)

Jim Ortlieb and Gregory Linington, who played John Hemings and Henry Condell in the midwest premiere of Lauren Gunderson’s The Book of Will last fall of 2017, return to the RSC Podcast to discuss the challenges and rewards of a "reduced" rehearsal period. Over pizza and beer at Chicago's Candelite restaurant, Jim and Gregory chat about being prepared but also staying open, similar-but-different approaches to the work, the liberating importance of “pre-hearsal”, the artistic value of pub time, the time-honored dilemma of religion vs entertainment, the subleties of defining character, the beauty of playing against the text, the gift of intimacy, and the values that constitute true “Chicago theatre.” (Pictured (left to right): Austin Tichenor, Jim Ortlieb, and Gregory Linington recording this podcast live at the Candlelite in Chicago, while Dana Black hovers.) (Length 27:32) 

Meet Marco Antonio Vega, the newest member of the Reduced Shakespeare Company! Marco performed with us last week in two sold-out standing-ovation performances in South Padre Island, TX, and comes to us from the Utah Shakespeare Festival, where he played Puck in their production of William Shakespeare's Long Lost First Play (abridged). Marco talks about how he first discovered Shakespeare and reveals some of his early influences, and his gratitude to teachers, mentors, and an older sister. Featuring rapping Pucks, supportive parents, perfect background music, holy irreverence, and the miracle of completing almost a third of the canon at such a young age. (Length 18:25)

The Goodman Theatre in Chicago's latest production, a world premiere by Rogelio Martinez called Blind Date, chronicles the courtship and ultimate conference in Geneva between American president Ronald Reagan and Soviet Union general secretary Mikhail Gorbachev in 1985. Chicago actors Rob Riley and William Dick play Reagan and Gorbachev and talk about the challenges and rewards of playing two such seemingly familiar historical figures. Featuring the wonders of YouTube, the dangers of sketch comedy, massive and mostly-read biographies, reboot opportunities, gifts for character actors, the challenges of rewrites, and best-selling Broadway Play Publishing playwrights. (Length 24:08)

“I’ll so offend to make offense a skill, Redeeming Time when men think least I will.” — William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part I Kate Powers is the creator and artistic director of the Redeeming Time Project, a program which uses Shakespeare to effect positive change for the incarcerated and hopefully, eventually, the formerly incarcerated. Featuring opportunities to practice empathy, gateway drugs (in a good way!), overcoming language barriers, tools for self-reflection, dismantling preconceived ideas, a special appearance by the Q Brothers, and, as always, showing us what it means to be human. Recorded LIVE at the 2018 Shakespeare Theatre Association Conference. (Length 23:46)

Anne Morgan is the literary manager of the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, VA, which has created the “Shakespeare’s New Contemporaries” project, a ground-breaking undertaking to discover, develop, and produce a new canon of 38 plays inspired by and in conversation with Shakespeare’s originals. Anne sat down at this year’s Shakespeare Theatre Association conference, hosted by Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, to discuss the origins of this very exciting project, its ultimate scope, and what’s involved with administrating this wide-ranging, blind-reading, open-application process. Featuring outstanding opportunities for emerging or unrepresented playwrights, the power of embracing Shakespeare’s original staging practices, the importance and value of learning from your actors and learning from your audience, the removal of unconscious bias, and the important difference between dramaturgs and dramaturds. Recorded LIVE at the 2018 Shakespeare Theatre Association Conference. (Length 17:45)

Back in October of 2017, we had the great good fortune of visiting Prague Shakespeare Company in the beautiful Czech Republic, and we got to speak with Jared Doreck, Steve Josephson, and John Boston, the cast of PSC's production of William Shakespeare's Long Lost First Play (abridged). Featuring expat adventures, working with Ray Bradbury, bilingual productions of The Winter’s Tale, crazy performance schedules, multiple casting in repertory, playing in Mozart’s footsteps, getting to play the coveted role of Tiberio, bows that go on forever, and the craziness of completing Shakespeare’s entire canon in a single year — including Shakespeare’s long lost first play! Recorded LIVE at Prague’s famous Cafe Louvre. (Length 20:45)

Long-time journalist and host of National Public Radio's All Things Considered Robert Siegel retired last week. Robert was the man who first brought the Reduced Shakespeare Company on to the NPR airwaves in 1994 and introduced us to the largest American audience we'd ever had up to that point. To celebrate his retirement, we offer the very first interview we did with Robert on All Things Considered, from June 23, 1994, during which we talk about and perform excerpts from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), followed by our second interview with Robert, from July 31, 1995, in which we discuss and perform bits from what was then our brand-new show The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged). Featuring impossibly young voices, zippy tempos, wobbly-sounding keyboards, brief excerpts from our BBC World Service program The Reduced Shakespeare Radio Show, unaired outtakes from a piece we produced for NPR's "In Character" series, and gratitude to a great journalist, network-builder, and friend. #ThanksRobert (Length 27:07)

We're back! After a two-week holiday break, we return to our weekly schedule of the RSC Podcast -- now in its twelfth night year! After taking some quality personal time, Austin considers whether the podcast should shift its format or focus; reviews other podcasts he listens to regularly (and urges listeners to do the same); wonders whether there are parts of the podcast people regularly fast-forward through; and speculates what our next stage show will be (and urges listeners to do the same). It's good to be back!

Lifelong Sonoma, California resident Reed Martin was forced to evacuate his home in October, along with his family and thousands of others, because of the devastating wildfires that destroyed almost 250,000 acres, killing at least 44 people and hospitalizing at least 185. Reed discusses what it was like to be surrounded by the seventeen separate wildfires that raged through six counties and threatened property, people, animals, and businesses, such as the famous Sonoma and Napa wineries, and reveals what one does when faced with sudden and oncoming danger, the feeling of constantly (still!) being on high alert, how you can help our actor Dodds Delzell, and trying to look on the bright side of future wine harvests. (Length 15:51) 

’Tis the season! Christopher Moore, the author of Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal; Fool; The Serpent of Venice; Sacre Bleu; The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove: and the upcoming Noir, talks about his “heart-warming tale of Christmas terror” The Stupidest Angel, how it came to be written, how it fits with the rest of his oeuvre, and also what’s coming next. Featuring a return to Pine Cove, the fun of playing with existing characters, purposely misleading cover art, inclement weather, writing the thing you want to read, the secret to writing moving or funny novels, and how one creates a wonderful celebration of — and antidote to — our favorite winter holiday. (Length 22:45)

In her new play The Book of Will, Lauren Gunderson imagines what Shakespeare’s fellow actors John Heminges and Henry Condell had to accomplish to publish the First Folio, the first collection of Shakespeare’s plays. In the Northlight Theatre production in Chicago, actors Jim Ortlieb (a veteran of Broadway, TV, and film) and Gregory Linington (whose stage, film, and TV credits across the country include 12 seasons at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland) play John and Henry and share insights into what it's like to create these roles. Featuring research, textual clues, King’s Men actors defined by NBA analogies, the difference between real life and art, the anticipation of 19th century actor/managers, the trick of getting across information, and the absolute fundamental Disney-related difference between these two literary saviors. (Length 22:27) (Jim Ortlieb as John Heminges (left), Dana Black as his daughter Alice, and Gregory Linington as Henry Condell in the Northlight Theatre production of Lauren Gunderson's The Book of Will. Photo by Liz Lauren.)

Pat Reid, the creator, editor, and publisher of Shakespeare magazine, talks about how the magazine began, why it briefly stopped, and how it has risen again. Download all the issues here, then hear Pat discuss how his love of Shakespeare led to this passion project, the complexities of publishing, the importance of fandom, the ironies of branding, the shock and surprise at immediate positive feedback, the glorious idea of treating a 400-year-long gone author as if he's still alive, the time his love's labour was almost lost, and how it seems that all's well has indeed ended all well. (Length 17:05) 

In this delayed Halloween episode, one scary clown discusses another. Former Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey circus clown Reed Martin (right) reviews the new film adaptation of Stephen King's It, paying particular attention to the accuracy and creepiness of the infamous Pennywise (played by Bill Skarsgård, left). Featuring apocryphal stories, the possible origins of coulrophobia (the fear of clowns), the difference between successful and unsuccessful adaptations of Stephen King novels, attention to detail, really scary online groups, and the realization that maybe some irrational fears aren’t quite so irrational after all. (Length 16:50)