Reduced Shakespeare Company Podcast

Veteran actor Ken Marks talks about creating the role of Uncle Ben in the infamous musical Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark. Ken talks about the dangers and the adventure of not only surviving the huge technical spectacle that is the physical production of Spiderman, but the creation of the musical as well. Featuring important backstage safety tips and a special holiday appearance from jazz guitarist Eric Essix. (Length 19:55)

Theatre pundit and arts blogger Howard Sherman discusses the powers of social media, the value of backstage access, and the evolving nature of arts communications. Featuring behind-the-scenes tidbits from the American Theatre Wing's Downstage Center Podcast and suggested tag lines for self-branding. (Length 22:02)

The New Victory Theatre in New York City presents fantastic theatre for all ages that is daring, challenging, entertaining, and (most importantly) affordable. Director of Programming Mary Rose Lloyd talks about the kind of work she sees all over the world, how she's able to bring it to New York, the power of theatre to challenge and provoke, as well as the responsibility (appropriately enough, since Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark is playing right next door) to keep it entertaining and appropriate. (Length 20:25)

The Reduced Shakespeare Company took time off from its successful run of The Complete World of Sports (abridged) at the New Victory Theatre in New York City to aim its satirical guns at the much-debated film "Anonymous" and the theories that underlie it. Joined by theatrical pundit and raconteur Howard Sherman, the members of the RSC (Reed Martin, Matt Rippy, Austin Tichenor, and office manager Alli Bostedt) improvised their review and analysis immediately after the film in the offices of the New Victory Theater. The RSC has reduced all of American history, the Bible, all the great books, Hollywood's greatest films, and the complete world of sports, in addition to the show that started it all The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged). In November 2011, the RSC will premiere its eighth stage show The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged) at Merrimack Repertory Theatre in Lowell, MA. Howard Sherman is an arts management consultant, blogger and Twitter aficionado who has held executive and staff positions with a variety of companies, including the American Theatre Wing, Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, Goodspeed Musicals and Hartford Stage. He blogs at www.2amtheatre.com and tweets as @hesherman. Listen and leave comments below. Tickets for The Complete World of Sports (abridged) at the New Victory are available here, and tickets for The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged) at Merrimack Repertory Theatre are available here. (Length 26:53)

Comedians walk the line of appropriateness all the time, but sometimes the line changes. We discuss the (surprisingly few) changes we made to make The Complete World of Sports (abridged) appropriate for our run at the family-friendly New Victory Theatre. Featuring serious conversations about immature euphemisms, chains of responsibility, and how we get to have our laughs and eat them too. WARNING: Contains immature language. (Length 21:06)

When Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor directed the non-RSC cast in the premiere of The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged), Kyle Stoner, Phil Ferrero, and Rafael Manzo were the understudies, and they talk about what it's like to rehearse a script that's still being written, and when improv works and when it doesn't. We'll also hear from Jennifer King, artistic director of Napa Valley Conservatory Theatre, and our own Reed Martin, who shares his understudy adventures. (Length 21:10)