Better than Shakespeare

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Better than Shakespeare is a podcast dedicated to socialist theatre. Each week we discuss a different play relevant to socialist struggle in its aesthetic, historical, and theoretical context. There are also jokes. The core team is Andy Boyd, Danny Erickson, and Aeneas Sagar Hemphill, but we also ha…

Better than Shakespeare


    • Aug 16, 2022 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 46m AVG DURATION
    • 41 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Better than Shakespeare

    Mad Forest by Caryl Churchill

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2022 65:44


    Andy and Danny discuss the fall of Communism in Romania through Caryl Churchill's play Mad Forest.

    Soft Cops By Caryl Churchill

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 7, 2022 52:52


    On this episode Danny and Andy discuss Caryl Churchill's Soft Cops, why police reform is a pro-police position, and why All Cops are Bastards includes doctors, gym teachers, your boss, and the village executioner.

    A Season in the Congo by Aimé Césaire

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 13, 2022 91:21


    Andy and Danny finish off their read of Césaire's decolonization trilogy with a discussion of Gayatri Spivak's incredible translation of A Season in the Congo! Check it out! If you e-mail me at andyjamesboyd@gmail.com I will obviously not send you a pdf because that would be copyright infringement, buddy!

    Les Blancs by Lorraine Hansberry

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 2, 2022 99:44


    On this episode of BTS, Andy and Danny discuss Lorraine Hansberry's great play Les Blancs! It's about a mission field hospital run by well-meaning white people during an African independence struggle and how that hospital ultimately upholds the white power structure, and you may be surprised to learn the Wall Street Journal didn't like it! But we do. And we think the Wall Street Journal can go to hell.

    The Blacks by Jean Genet

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2021 80:43


    Andy and Danny discuss racism, colonialism, and representation in the context of The Blacks by Jean Genet. Lorraine Hansberry's essay on the play can be found here: https://www.villagevoice.com/2020/06/30/genet-mailer-the-new-paternalism/ And join us next time for a discussion of Hansberry's Les Blancs!

    Occupy Prescott by Andy Boyd

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2021 78:16


    Andy and Danny talk about Andy's play Occupy Prescott, now playing at Jalopy Tavern in a production by Theater in Asylum!

    Randy's Dandy Coaster Castle by Alexander Perez

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2021 61:12


    Andy and Danny discuss the new play Randy's Dandy Coaster Castle with playwright Alexander Perez and director Toney Brown! Tickets available for free at the link below! http://irttheater.org/3b-development-series/randys-dandy-coaster-castle/

    Brecht Poetry Special!

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 6, 2021 46:57


    On this episode of Better than Shakespeare, Andy and Danny take a break from reading plays and read some of Bertolt Brecht's wonderful poetry! His poetry includes the same humor, bitter critique, and utopian hope as his plays, but with a somewhat surprising lyrical tenderness. We hope you enjoy!

    The Tragedy Of King Christophe By Aimé Césaire

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2021 88:04


    Andy and Danny discuss post-colonial transition in The Tragedy of King Christophe by the great playwright and poet Aimé Césaire! E-mail Andy at andyjamesboyd@gmail.com for a scan of the play. It's not easy to find but well worth the effort!

    A Tempest by Aimé Césaire

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2021 140:29


    Andy, Danny, and special guest Fainan Lakha discuss Aimé Césaire's classic play A Tempest, based on a much inferior play by some English guy. This is a rebroadcast of an episode originally published in 2019.

    We Won't Pay! We Won't Pay! by Dario Fo

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2021 63:16


    On this episode of Better Than Shakespeare, Danny and Andy discuss farce as revolutionary propaganda through the play We Won't Pay! We Won't Pay! by Italian playwright Dario Fo! Plus, Andy reveals who Lynn Nottage thinks should win the Nobel Prize instead of Dario Fo. For the record, Andy thinks Lynn should win it.

    Toussaint Louverture by CLR James

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2021 78:12


    On this episode of Better than Shakespeare, Andy and Danny discuss the play Toussaint Louverture by CLR James.

    Three Scenes In The Life Of A Trotskyist - Scene 3

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2021 28:48


    Three Scenes in the Life of a Trotskyist A Play by Andy Boyd Directed by Kim Kerfoot Scene 3: Years of the Great Break Cast: Jeff Gonzalez plays Lev Brett Radke plays Daniel Ben Schrager plays Sean

    Three Scenes In The Life Of A Trotskyist - Scene 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2021 23:27


    Three Scenes in the Life of a Trotskyist A Play by Andy Boyd Directed by Kim Kerfoot Scene 2: Literature and Revolution Cast: Jeff Gonzalez plays Lev Freddie Fulton plays David

    Three Scenes In The Life Of A Trotskyist - Scene 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2021 27:40


    Hello, friends! Please enjoy this original audio play by BTS host Andy Boyd! Three Scenes in the Life of a Trotskyist A Play by Andy Boyd Directed by Kim Kerfoot Scene 1: The Stalin School of Falsification Cast: Jeff Gonzalez plays Lev Brett Radke plays Daniel Ben Schrager plays Louis and Paul Yoni Bronstein plays Ben

    The Trade Federation, or, Let's Explore Globalization Through the Star Wars Prequels by Andy Boyd

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 11, 2021 56:25


    On this episode of Better than Shakespeare, Andy and Danny talk about Andy's play The Trade Federation, out now from NoPassport Press! https://www.lulu.com/de/de/shop/andy-boyd/the-trade-federation-or-lets-explore-globalization-through-the-star-wars-prequels/paperback/product-8wr68g.html You can attend the Book Launch Party on Zoom on Thursday January 14th at 7:30 through this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88248315430?pwd=aVNSMlZudlhpcndhM25BWVcyZ0Q1Zz09 Password: 098666

    The Marriage of Figaro by Pierre Beaumarchais

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 1, 2021 97:32


    Andy and Danny discuss the anti-feudal farce The Marriage of Figaro by Pierre Beaumarchais. We read this translation: https://oll.libertyfund.org/title/holcroft-the-marriage-of-figaro-or-the-follies-of-a-day#preview Here is a clip from Danny's favorite staging of the opera: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAYqk7jppL4

    Geologists by Yang Limin

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2020 64:38


    Andy and Danny discuss Geologists by Yang Limin, which traces the history of China from the 1960s to the 1990s through a group of geologists working in oil exploration in China's far northwest.

    Che Guevara by Huang Jisu, Zhang Guangtian, and Shen Lin

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2020 87:39


    Andy, Danny, and a special guest discuss Che Guevara by Huang Jisu, Zhang Guangtian, and Shen Lin. Note: This is a repost of a previous episode. We recommend listening to this episode along with Geologists by Yang Limin. They provide strikingly contrasting views on the legacy of Communism in China. The script for this play can be found here: https://u.osu.edu/mclc/online-series/noble/

    Romulus The Great By Friedrich Durrenmatt

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2020 80:59


    On this episode of Better Than Shakespeare, Andy and Danny discuss Romulus The Great by Friedrich Durrenmatt!

    The House of Bernarda Alba by Federico Garcia Lorca

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2020 69:50


    Aeneas, Danny, and Andy discuss The House of Bernarda Alba by Federico Garcia Lorca.

    From "Notebook of a Return to the Native Land" by Aimé Cesaire

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2020 1:26


    Willie Johnson reads a selection from "Notebook of a Return to the Native Land" by Aimé Cesaire.

    Hephaestus By Willie Johnson

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2020 75:37


    Andy and Danny talk with Willie Johnson about his new play Hephaestus. Read the play here! https://newplayexchange.org/plays/427722/hephaestus

    A Play Titled After The Collective Noun... by Haleh Roshan

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2020 85:52


    Andy and Danny talk to Halen Roshan about her brilliant, heartbreaking, hilarious play A Play Titled After The Collective Noun For Female - Identifying 20 - Somethings Living In NYC In The 2010s. Content warning: discussion of sexual assault.

    The Hoopoe by Mahmoud Darwish

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2020 34:08


    Danny reads The Hoopoe by Mahmoud Darwish.

    Ballad Of One Doomed By Federico Garcia Lorca, Translated By Langston Hughes

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2020 1:47


    Andy reads Ballad Of One Doomed By Federico Garcia Lorca, Translated By Langston Hughes.

    Beach Glass By Amy Clampitt

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2020 1:50


    Andy reads Beach Glass By Amy Clampitt.

    The Low Road By Marge Piercy

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2020 1:42


    Andy reads The Low Road by Marge Piercy.

    Landlord, What In The Heaven Is The Matter With You by John Handcox

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2020 2:55


    An archival recording of John Handcox, poet laureate of the Southern Tenant Farmers Union, reciting his poem "Landlord, What in the Heaven is the Matter With You."

    Game By Andy Boyd From The Story By Donald Barthelme

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2020 8:03


    Sam Simone and Alexander Stene read Game, by Andy Boyd, adapted from the story by Donald Barthelme.

    The Dice Player By Mahmoud Darwish

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2020 14:29


    Danny reads The Dice Player By Mahmoud Darwish.

    New York Under The Snow By Jose Martí

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2020 14:50


    Andy reads New York Under the Snow by Jose Martí.

    Today By Billy Collins

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2020 0:55


    Annelisa Leinbach reads Today by Billy Collins. She also did this wonderful painting to go with her reading!

    Gramsci's Ashes By Pier Paolo Pasolini

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2020 16:21


    Danny Erickson reads Gramsci's Ashes by Pier Paolo Pasolini.

    The Winds Of The People By Miguel Hernandez

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2020 2:37


    Andy reads The Winds of the People by Miguel Hernandez.

    Meditations In An Emergency By Frank O'Hara

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2020 3:17


    Andy reads Meditations in an Emergency by Frank O'Hara.

    Thin Cities 5 By Italo Calvino

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2020 1:23


    Andy reads Thin Cities 5 by Italo Calvino, part of Invisible Cities.

    Young Poets By Nicanor Parra

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2020 0:23


    Andy reads Young Poets by Nicanor Parra.

    Special Announcement And Ode In Time Of Crisis By Genevieve Taggard

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 16, 2020 4:40


    A special announcement about the response of Better Than Shakespeare to this crisis, and a poem for dark times.

    Love and Intrigue by Friedrich Schiller

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2020 86:42


    On this episode, Andy and Danny discuss Love and Intrigue: A Bourgeois Tragedy by Friedrich Schiller!

    The Second Wakefield Shepherd's Pegeant

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 24, 2019 69:07


    In this episode, Andy and Danny talk Medieval Theatre, revolutionary Christianity, and what Marx meant when he called peasants "sacks of potatoes."

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