Tabling - The Podcast

Ariana has a chat with director Bronwyn Barnwell about her Radio Shakespeare Lab production of Love's Labour's Lost with her dream cast! We are joined by some of the actors from her production to discuss the play and process including Charlie Morton, Preston Perrin, Ly Poe, Alexander Mushore, with Ian Gould. Among many things, we talk about the remarkably difficulty of the language of this play, the unique process of creation in isolation, metatheacricality, character doubles, rhyming, romantic fools, women as strong political figures called away for duty, how each character is clever in a distinctive way, Boyet as a Puck-like figure, significance of nationalities, math and numerology, and dirty language. Be sure to catch Love's Labour's Lost over on Radio Shakespeare Lab over the next five Fridays! 

Anddd we are on to our Act 5 ofTaming of the Shrew discussion…ok here we go. Among many things we talk Kate and Petruchio turning into spectators and watching other public disorders, flashbacks to the induction where character upon character reinforces the lie, Bianca's personality change, hierarchy and freedom, the weird of dynamics of the end, and what on earth happens to Sly. Our Ensemble for this production includes: Brittany Chandler, Mairi Chanel, Caryl Farkas, Elizabeth Glass, Morgan Hollingsworth, Grayson Kirtland, Zoe Margolis, Nicholas Koy Santillo, Ali Tallman, Will Wilder facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

On to part 2 of our discussion of Act IV of Taming of the Shrew! (This episode covers scenes 3-5.) We talked imitating behaviors, entitlement and reality checks, changing social perceptions, appearance vs value, provoking reactions and contradictions, ethical dilemmas, and the act of taking responsibility . Our Ensemble for this production includes: Brittany Chandler, Mairi Chanel, Caryl Farkas, Elizabeth Glass, Morgan Hollingsworth, Grayson Kirtland, Zoe Margolis, Nicholas Koy Santillo, Ali Tallman, Will Wilder facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

We move on to part 1 of our discussion of Act IV of Taming of the Shrew! (This episode covers scenes 1 & 2.) Among many things we discussed Grumio's garbled thoughts, status relationships within Petruchio's household staff, servants noting behavioral changes, Kate beginning to prevent violence, Shakespeare implicating the entire audience, entitlement and teamwork, the ethical dilemma of Petruchio's behavior, Bianca and Kate both being referred to as headstrong haggards (or strong-willed birds of prey), and Tranio's constant status shifting.  Our Ensemble for this production includes: Brittany Chandler, Mairi Chanel, Caryl Farkas, Elizabeth Glass, Morgan Hollingsworth, Grayson Kirtland, Zoe Margolis, Nicholas Koy Santillo, Ali Tallman, Will Wilder facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

And off we go to Act 3 of Taming of the Shrew!  We discuss how all of Bianca's suitors are under false pretenses, how the suitors are more interested in competing with each other than actually getting to know Bianca, the connection to the Lord's game of messing with Christopher Sly, the lack of danger or class barriers in Lucentio's and Hortensio's disguises, Kate trying out new tactics, Petruchio's rejection of societal norms, and the heavy cultural baggage of staging this play.  Our Ensemble for this production includes: Brittany Chandler, Mairi Chanel, Caryl Farkas, Elizabeth Glass, Morgan Hollingsworth, Grayson Kirtland, Zoe Margolis, Nicholas Koy Santillo, Ali Tallman, Will Wilder facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

It's time for Act II of Taming of the Shrew when Kate and Petruchio finally meet!  Among many things we discussed entering the private realm of the household, sibling rivalry and family dynamics, fighting over the same object, the bidding war over Bianca versus the war of words for Katherine, and challenging received interpretations of the play and the central relationship. Our Ensemble for this production includes: Brittany Chandler, Mairi Chanel, Caryl Farkas, Elizabeth Glass, Morgan Hollingsworth, Grayson Kirtland, Zoe Margolis, Nicholas Koy Santillo, Ali Tallman, Will Wilder facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

Join us as we dive into the play within the play, Act I of Taming of the Shrew! Among many things we talk about bro energy, the play's emphasis on education for both young men and young women, Katherine as truth-teller, the complicated relationships between status and violence, performances of submission, and how the entire plays is based on disguises and lies, the set up for a classic farce. Our Ensemble for this production includes: Brittany Chandler, Mairi Chanel, Caryl Farkas, Elizabeth Glass, Morgan Hollingsworth, Grayson Kirtland, Zoe Margolis, Nicholas Koy Santillo, Ali Tallman, Will Wilder facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

Oh goodness, it's time for Taming of the Shrew. Welcome to a brand new difficult and complicated play and enjoy our discussion of the unique and puzzling “Induction” at the start of the play. We talk about what exactly the induction is and its significance, actors as vagrants, the Lord as a wanna-be immersive theatre director, the thematic set up of people pretending to be what they are not and the danger of the theater, and a deep dive into whose reality are we lost in? Our Ensemble for this production includes: Brittany Chandler, Mairi Chanel, Caryl Farkas, Elizabeth Glass, Morgan Hollingsworth, Grayson Kirtland, Zoe Margolis, Nicholas Koy Santillo, Ali Tallman, Will Wilder facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

Oh boy…here we are. We have gotten to Act 5 of Two Gentlemen of Verona… We discuss Silvia constantly being under surveillance, male friendship erasing romantic love, is it all a parody, celebrations of male mediocrity, property and possession being the ending themes of the play and desperately wondering where the clowns are, we really miss them. Our ensemble for Two Gentlemen of Verona includes Samantha Blinn, Miles Blitch, Sam Gilroy as Valentine, Larry Gleason, Ellyn Heald, Jane Henzerling, Isabel Karp, Mitchel Kawash, Colin Kohrs, facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

Finally, we get to spend a bit of time with Silvia & Julia in Act 4 of Two Gentlemen of Verona! Among many things we discuss the outlaws as threatening/non-threatening, the strength of Silvia’s character, how Proteus language is transforming again into desperation and veering on violence, Lance’s devotion to Crab as the purest love in the play and a refreshing scene of female solidarity that ends this act. Our ensemble for Two Gentlemen of Verona includes Samantha Blinn, Miles Blitch, Sam Gilroy as Valentine, Larry Gleason, Ellyn Heald, Jane Henzerling, Isabel Karp, Mitchel Kawash, Colin Kohrs, facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

What time is it? Betrayal time! Off we go with Act 3 of Two Gentlemen of Verona. In this pivotal act, we discuss the difference between male vs female ‘honor,’ the awkward circling between the Duke and Valentine, Silvia as a sacred being, Proteus discovering his skill as a manipulator and getting drunk off of the power and the necessary collective exhale of Lance and Speed parodying the catalogue of womanly virtues. Our ensemble for Two Gentlemen of Verona includes Samantha Blinn, Miles Blitch, Sam Gilroy as Valentine, Larry Gleason, Ellyn Heald, Jane Henzerling, Isabel Karp, Mitchel Kawash, Colin Kohrs, facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

We move on to Act II of Two Gentlemen of Verona. We discuss servants freely sassing their employers, Valentine’s metamorphosis, how the women drive the romantic plots forward, courtly versus romantic love, how the character Lance is always undercutting or parodying the previous scene, Proteus’s transformation and his character conflict centered around Valentine, not his sweetheart, Julia, and how Crab, the dog, is the best scene stealer in the canon! Our ensemble for Two Gentlemen of Verona includes Samantha Blinn, Miles Blitch, Sam Gilroy as Valentine, Larry Gleason, Ellyn Heald, Jane Henzerling, Isabel Karp, Mitchel Kawash, Colin Kohrs, facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

We’re doing our first comedy! Welcome to our discussion of Act I of Shakespeare’s early and troubling comedy, Two Gentlemen of Verona. Among many things, we discuss starting plays mid-conversation, the importance of establishing both the friendship and the status imbalance between Valentine and Proteus, parallels to the toxicity of incel culture, generational relationships, the precision of physical comedy in Julia’s letter speech, and the trope of the servant being five steps ahead of their employer. Our ensemble for Two Gentlemen of Verona includes Samantha Blinn, Miles Blitch, Sam Gilroy as Valentine, Larry Gleason, Ellyn Heald, Jane Henzerling, Isabel Karp, Mitchel Kawash, Colin Kohrs, facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

And thus we conclude Henry V with our discussion of Act V! Among many topics, we discussed how the act’s Chorus speech departs from hype man to interim narrator, the danger in Shakespeare’s contemporary references, the purpose of the final scene with Fluellen, Gower, and Pistol, Burgundy and smarmy metaphors, family becoming transactional in royal families, the existence of hope for a somewhat equal and productive partnership between Katherine and Henry, the deliberate destabilizing of the entire play with the final epilogue. Our ensemble for Henry V includes Nazlah Black, Esther Boles, Zoe Burke, Andrew Codispoti, Xdzunúm Danae, Zoë Goslin, Isabel Karp, Colin Kohrs, Alexander Lane, Julia Larsen, Amy Meilander, Jesse Van Buren, facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

We work our way through the the second half of Act IV of Henry V - this episode covers scenes 4-8. Among many things, we talk about how the boy grounds us with his moments alone with the audience, the difficulty of conveying how quickly the battle turns against the French, the startling moments where the language of violence is mingled with the language of eroticism and intimacy, Fluellen, WIlliams, and Henry: the honesty test, and how after the boys are killed, somehow the men revert to a childlike state. Our ensemble for Henry V includes Nazlah Black, Esther Boles, Zoe Burke, Andrew Codispoti, Xdzunúm Danae, Zoë Goslin, Isabel Karp, Colin Kohrs, Alexander Lane, Julia Larsen, Amy Meilander, Jesse Van Buren, facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp. Here is the link to the Orson Wells clip of getting into character as Falstaff: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJ6v7GHYDbM

We work our way through the beginning of Act IV of Henry V - this episode covers the Chorus speech through scene 3 (all of the pre-battle scenes). Among many things, we discussed the complicated metaphorical transformation of Henry into the sun across three plays, how he is affected by the responsibility he feels for the army, how the ghosts of his past come back to haunt him on the eve of battle, the entanglement of the role of the king with personal identity, the English army feeling desires for dignity in the midst of fear, the different class experiences of warfare and Henry’s yearning for a smaller world. Our ensemble for Henry V includes Nazlah Black, Esther Boles, Zoe Burke, Andrew Codispoti, Xdzunúm Danae, Zoë Goslin, Isabel Karp, Colin Kohrs, Alexander Lane, Julia Larsen, Amy Meilander, Jesse Van Buren, facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

We work our way through the end of Act III of Henry V - this episode covers scenes 4-7. We puzzle over the singular scene almost entirely in French, how it amplifies the conflict of communication, and as a continuation of the consequences of war, we question if Shakespeare brings the Frenchmen onstage so they can make fun of themselves, or perhaps praise their wine? We take a moment to mourn Bardolph, talk about Fluellen’s knowledge of the ‘ancient wars,’ imagine the Dauphin in the camp as the rich kid at home without his parents for the first time, and, rather alarmed at the implied relationships of the soldiers and horses…we are left with the question: how many fools does it take to replace Falstaff? Our ensemble for Henry V includes Nazlah Black, Esther Boles, Zoe Burke, Andrew Codispoti, Xdzunúm Danae, Zoë Goslin, Isabel Karp, Colin Kohrs, Alexander Lane, Julia Larsen, Amy Meilander, Jesse Van Buren, facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

We work our way through the beginning of Act III of Henry V - this episode covers the Chorus and scenes 1-3. Among many things, we discuss the cinematic imagery of the Chorus, the hammering momentum of Henry’s “Once more unto the breach” speech, how it is immediately undercut comedically, puzzling through the significance of regional accents being written into the dialogue, and our realization that for the first two acts of the play we were talking about war, now we are steeped in it and all the myriad perspectives on war and violence. Our ensemble for Henry V includes Nazlah Black, Esther Boles, Zoe Burke, Andrew Codispoti, Xdzunúm Danae, Zoë Goslin, Isabel Karp, Colin Kohrs, Alexander Lane, Julia Larsen, Amy Meilander, Jesse Van Buren, facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

Moving on to our discussion of Act II of Henry V! We talk about the expositional nature of the Chorus in Act II, our feeling that Falstaff is missing from the play and the changing cast of comedic figures in the tavern gang trying to make up for his absence, the huge challenge of the prose scenes, the unabashedly pro-English lens of the play, Shakespeare as the myth maker of Henry V as the warrior king, and queering discourse and the othering of the French. Our ensemble for Henry V includes Nazlah Black, Esther Boles, Zoe Burke, Andrew Codispoti, Xdzunúm Danae, Zoë Goslin, Isabel Karp, Colin Kohrs, Alexander Lane, Julia Larsen, Amy Meilander, Jesse Van Buren, facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

We’re heading to the finish line of the this history tetralogy…and we’re excited to share Henry V over the next 3 weeks with you, our dear audience! Here is our discussion of Act I. Among many things, we discuss how the chorus activates the audience at the top of the play, the public and private personas of the clergy, we contrast how Henry V is talked about versus the experience of interacting with him, we note the lack of factionalism within the English court, and how the presentation of the “tun of treasure” (tennis balls) constitutes Henry V’s first public test as King. Our ensemble for Henry V includes Nazlah Black, Esther Boles, Zoe Burke, Andrew Codispoti, Xdzunúm Danae, Zoë Goslin, Isabel Karp, Colin Kohrs, Alexander Lane, Julia Larsen, Amy Meilander, Jesse Van Buren, facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

And thus, we conclude our journey of Henry IV, Part II with our discussion of Act V! We celebrate the return to the country justices and one last drinking scene, we talk Falstaff’s long con and how he loses his heart to Hal in the process, we discuss the demands of of public leadership, status negotiations within the royal family, the incarceration of the working class, the pain of saying goodbye to childhood and carelessness, and conclude talking about catharsis and collective action in the epilogue. Our ensemble for Henry IV, Part II includes Samantha Blinn, Rhoda Bodzin, Amber Devlin, Eric Devlin, Ellyn Heald, Marty Madden, Mike Marcou, Liam Mitchell, Danielle Reddick, Noah Segard, facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

We tackle the massive Act IV of Henry IV, Part II. Among many thing we talk about the opacity of specific grievances from the rebellion, the super degraded and violent imagery that the Archbishop employs, how important beverages are and the virtues of drinking, how the King seems to be constantly pulled between his two opposing interpretations of Hal, care having a very negative and corrosive connotation in the play, and the conflict and conflation of family and power. Our ensemble for Henry IV, Part II includes Samantha Blinn, Rhoda Bodzin, Amber Devlin, Eric Devlin, Ellyn Heald, Marty Madden, Mike Marcou, Liam Mitchell, Danielle Reddick, Noah Segard, facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp. *Also as a side note: Humfrey is indeed the Duke Humfrey of the famous Oxford library!

On to Act III of Henry IV, Part II… We talk about how Shakespeare teaches us that Kings are incapable of sleeping, how both sides in the civil war characterize the opposing side as a disease upon the realm, the introduction of Justice Shallow mixing dialogue about the cost of livestock, reliving youth, profound enumerations of friends gone, and Falstaff taking a back seat in the scenes to introduce new comedic characters in acts two and three. Our ensemble for Henry IV, Part II includes Samantha Blinn, Rhoda Bodzin, Amber Devlin, Eric Devlin, Ellyn Heald, Marty Madden, Mike Marcou, Liam Mitchell, Danielle Reddick, Noah Segard, facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

Moving on to Act II of Henry IV, Part II! Among many things, we talk the Hostess and Falstaff’s money and romantic entanglements, the discordant realities between Falstaff and the Lord Chief Justice, the furthering of Hal and Poin’s friendship, the introduction of the glorious Doll Tearsheet and the ferocious and fantastical Pistol, and the poignancy of Hal trying and failing to ‘go back to what it was.’ Our ensemble for Henry IV, Part II includes Samantha Blinn, Rhoda Bodzin, Amber Devlin, Eric Devlin, Ellyn Heald, Marty Madden, Mike Marcou, Liam Mitchell, Danielle Reddick, Noah Segard, facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

Time to start a new play! Join us as we commence our journey through Henry IV, Part II with our Act I discussion with a brand new ensemble! We discuss the striking appearance of the character of Rumor at the start of the play, the insecurity of information and fake news, Northumberland’s emotional disassociation, the clash of Falstaff and the Lord Chief Justice, and the rebellion’s acrobatic metaphors. Our Ensemble for Henry IV, Part II includes Samantha Blinn, Rhoda Bodzin, Amber Devlin, Eric Devlin, Ellyn Heald, Marty Madden, Mike Marcou, Liam Mitchell, Danielle Reddick, Noah Segard, facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

We conclude our exploration of Henry IV, Part I with our Act V Discussion! Join us as we talk diplomacy and tactics, family and political pragmatism, Hal’s plan and how it’s working, Hotspur’s end and the failure of words, and the puzzle of Falstaff’s innocence and cynicism. Also for more detailed information about Prince Hal’s actual injury check out the link below - warning, it’s pretty grotesque. https://www.medievalists.net/2013/05/prince-hals-head-wound-cause-and-effect/ Our ensemble for Henry IV, Part I includes Brittany Chandler, Andrew Codispoti, Deborah Davis, Sam Gilroy, Lynn Goodwin, Mitchel Kawash, Nicholas Koy Santillo, Genevieve Simon, Kelly Strandemo, Alexandra Tatarsky, facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

It’s rebel time…we take on Act IV of Henry IV, Part I. Among many things, we chart the rebellion’s political spins, the royal family coming together as the Percy Family falls apart, military tactics, and class segregation in the army. Our ensemble for Henry IV, Part I includes Brittany Chandler, Andrew Codispoti, Deborah Davis, Sam Gilroy, Lynn Goodwin, Mitchel Kawash, Nicholas Koy Santillo, Genevieve Simon, Kelly Strandemo, Alexandra Tatarsky, facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

On to Act III of Henry IV, Part I ! In this pivotal act, we examine Glendower’s significance as a Welsh folk hero, the status games within the rebellion leadership, the power and very different energies of the three female characters of the play, pin pointing moments of character change in the text, the emotional resonance of repeated sounds, and many other things!! Our ensemble for Henry IV, Part I includes Brittany Chandler, Andrew Codispoti, Deborah Davis, Sam Gilroy, Lynn Goodwin, Mitchel Kawash, Nicholas Koy Santillo, Genevieve Simon, Kelly Strandemo, Alexandra Tatarsky, facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

We take the whole episode to look at the longest scene in the play, the epic tavern scene, Act II, Scene IV of Henry IV, Part I. Breaking it down into four mini scenes, we discuss Falstaff’s skill at wriggling out of tight spots, the complicated psychology of Hal and Falstaff “playing the king,” and “banishing the world,” and tracking the private moments in this public tavern space. Our ensemble for Henry IV, Part I includes Brittany Chandler, Andrew Codispoti, Deborah Davis, Sam Gilroy, Lynn Goodwin, Mitchel Kawash, Nicholas Koy Santillo, Genevieve Simon, Kelly Strandemo, Alexandra Tatarsky, facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

Moving on, we delve into the first half of Act II of Henry IV, Part I. Join us as we examine the details and textures of the world of the play, transitioning from the throne room to a truck stop, everyday dangers, and a deep dive into the complexities of the relationships between Falstaff and Prince Hal and between Hotspur and Lady Percy. Our ensemble for Henry IV, Part I includes Brittany Chandler, Andrew Codispoti, Deborah Davis, Sam Gilroy, Lynn Goodwin, Mitchel Kawash, Nicholas Koy Santillo, Genevieve Simon, Kelly Strandemo, Alexandra Tatarsky, facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

And so begins a brand new play! We continue the history tetralogy with Act I of Henry IV, Part I. We delve into the violent imagery of the body the opens the play, the through line of thievery from the tavern to the throne room, highly complex father-son dynamics and twisted clock metaphors. Our ensemble for Henry IV, Part I includes Brittany Chandler, Andrew Codispoti, Deborah Davis, Sam Gilroy, Lynn Goodwin, Mitchel Kawash, Nicholas Koy Santillo, Genevieve Simon, Kelly Strandemo, Alexandra Tatarsky, facilitated and directed by Ariana Karp.

Director Emma Rosa Went takes us to finish line with our Act V discussion of Hamlet! Among many things, we discuss how the play moves from a philosophical interrogation of death to a visceral confrontation in the gravediggers scene, how class distinctions and politics crop up in Act V, the significance of the skull Hamlet encounters being a court jester, and … funyuns. Our company for Hamlet includes: Olivia Rose Barresi, William Cary, Harrison Densmore, Zoë Goslin, Patrick Harvey, Colin Holmes, Ariana Karp, Finn Kilgore, Julia Larsen, Andrea Lopez Alvarez, Joe McGurl, Erin Noll, Tim Palmer, Isabel Smith-Bernstein, and Else C. Went.

Director Emma Rosa Went leads us through Act IV of Hamlet! Join us as we discuss the palpable tension between Claudius and Hamlet, the strange absence of nature imagery and plethora of imagery about the human body in the play thus far, the high impact of Ophelia as a character and that focusing on what she is trying to communicate illuminates the play, and of course, deus ex pirates. Our company for Hamlet includes: Olivia Rose Barresi, William Cary, Harrison Densmore, Zoë Goslin, Patrick Harvey, Colin Holmes, Ariana Karp, Finn Kilgore, Julia Larsen, Andrea Lopez Alvarez, Joe McGurl, Erin Noll, Tim Palmer, Isabel Smith-Bernstein, and Else C. Went.

Pushing forward with director Emma Rosa Went thru the behemoth that is Act III of Hamlet! We examine truth and performance, the changing and deepening of character relationships, and the emotional violence committed against the two very isolated women in the play. Our company for Hamlet includes: Olivia Rose Barresi, William Cary, Harrison Densmore, Zoë Goslin, Patrick Harvey, Colin Holmes, Ariana Karp, Finn Kilgore, Julia Larsen, Andrea Lopez Alvarez, Joe McGurl, Erin Noll, Tim Palmer, Isabel Smith-Bernstein, and Else C. Went.

Director Emma Rosa Went forges on, leading our company of theatre makers through Act II of Hamlet. Among many things, we discuss how suddenly things are weird in the castle, the nature of spying and truth, Hamlet’s need to see his story reflected back to him through the medium of theatre, and the significance of the Priam-Pyrrhus-Hecuba speech! Our company for Hamlet includes: Olivia Rose Barresi, William Cary, Harrison Densmore, Zoë Goslin, Patrick Harvey, Colin Holmes, Ariana Karp, Finn Kilgore, Julia Larsen, Andrea Lopez Alvarez, Joe McGurl, Erin Noll, Tim Palmer, Isabel Smith-Bernstein, and Else C. Went.

Tabling & ISC Santa Fe are delighted and honored to have director-extraordinaire Emma Rosa Went lead a company of theatre makers through the mammoth undertaking of working through Hamlet! Join us for a lively discussion of Act I where we discuss the jumpiness of the start of the play, ghosts being afraid of Latin, the subjectivity and distortion of time, and the differences between the two main families among many other things. Brilliant dramaturg Isabel Smith-Bernstein also takes us on an exploration of themes of Hamlet framed by the flowers of Ophelia. Our company for Hamlet includes: Olivia Rose Barresi, William Cary, Harrison Densmore, Zoë Goslin, Patrick Harvey, Colin Holmes, Ariana Karp, Finn Kilgore, Julia Larsen, Andrea Lopez Alvarez, Joe McGurl, Erin Noll, Tim Palmer, Isabel Smith-Bernstein, and Else C. Went. Also we have a new release schedule! Starting tomorrow February 16th, you can hear the corresponding radio play tracks with original music over on our Radio Shakespeare Lab Podcast the day after the act discussion on Tabling! Tabling episodes released Mondays and Thursday, Radio Shakespeare Lab released Tuesdays and Fridays!

And so ends our most lyrical history of Richard II. Among many things, our group talked about the emotional importance of the relationship between Queen Isabel and Richard, fierce Shakespearean mothers, the family impact of civil strife, and Richard devastating and beautiful prison speech in Act V. Our cast of Nazlah Black, Zoe Burke, Mairi Chanel, Caryl Farkas, Zoë Goslin, Mike Marcou, Amy Meilander, & William Potter, facilitated by Ariana Karp, concludes their exploration of Richard II. You can catch the full radio play of Richard II with this group on Thursday, February 11, 2021 on the Radio Shakespeare Lab podcast.

And now we arrive at the firestorm that is Act IV of Richard II! Among many things, our cast discussed the political potency of the abdication/deposition scene, the comedy gold of ‘the gloves’, ascending and descending imagery, and Richard playing on the edge of a knife with his powerful language and status-taking actions. Our cast of Nazlah Black, Zoe Burke, Mairi Chanel, Caryl Farkas, Zoë Goslin, Mike Marcou, Amy Meilander, & William Potter, facilitated by Ariana Karp, continues their exploration of Richard II.

We move on to the pivotal Act III, steeping ourselves in class tensions, water and fire imagery, and marveling at how Richard gains linguistic power as he loses his political power. Our cast of Stephen Wagener Bennett, Nazlah Black, Zoe Burke, Mairi Chanel, Caryl Farkas, Zoë Goslin, Mike Marcou, Amy Meilander, & William Potter, facilitated by Ariana Karp, continues their exploration of Richard II. Here is a link with information on the Elizabethan philosophy of the four humors that we briefly discussed - check it out for more information! https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/shakespeare/fourhumors.html

Join us as we continue our exploration of Richard with our Act II discussion. We note the foreshadowing of Richard’s end as both the symbol of the setting sun and the association with the music of the spheres. We look at John of Gaunt’s descriptive metaphors of England and how he makes the land ‘holy.’ We also talk about the mirroring of the different factions of noblemen and the Duke of York’s frustration and indecision. Listen to our cast: Stephen Bennet, Nazlah Black, Zoe Burke, Mairi Chanel, Caryl Farkas, Zoë Goslin, Mike Marcou, Amy Meilander, & William Potter, facilitated by Ariana Karp discuss Act II. Also here is a link to Hans Holbein the Younger’s painting “The Ambassadors.” https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/hans-holbein-the-younger-the-ambassadors

And we begin our second play, the lyrical Richard II! Join us with a brand new group of actors as we work through Act I of Richard II. (A warning that there is a graphic description of the punishment for treason during Elizabethan times near the beginning of the podcast.) We familiarize ourselves with the complex circumstances that happen before the play starts, the dizzying number of titles of many of the characters, and the whims of King Richard. Our cast for this project includes: Stephen Bennet, Nazlah Black, Zoe Burke, Mairi Chanel, Caryl Farkas, Zoë Goslin, Mike Marcou, Amy Meilander, & William Potter, facilitated by Ariana Karp.

And so ends our first play! This week we looked at the curious Act V of King John and discussed the ‘student becoming the master’ phenomena with both the Bastard and Lewis, the surreal and feverish imagery of John in the last scene and Shakespeare’s fondness for shipwrecks as plot devices (this play has 4 ship wrecks!). The episode features Bronwyn Barnwell, Olivia Rose Barresi, Meg Hachmann, Julia Larsen, & Rafe Terrizzi facilitated by Ariana Karp. Unfortunately Patrick Harvey & Sam Gibbs were unable to join us for this episode, but don’t worry, they’ll be in the final play recording! We will be releasing the full radio play of King John with music and sound effects this week! Stayed tuned for more info!

For this episode, we delved into the climactic Act IV, or the Arthur Act, of King John. Among many things, we discussed the strange and brutal Oedipal resonances of Arthur’s planned execution, & how the violence of this act marks a drastic shift in the style and tone of the play. Olivia Rose Barresi, Sam Gibbs, Meg Hachmann, Julia Larsen, Liam Mitchell, & Rafe Terrizzi facilitated by Ariana Karp continue our exploration. Unfortunately Patrick Harvey was unable to join us for this episode, but don’t worry, he’ll be in the final play recording!

Bronwyn Barnwell, Olivia Rose Barresi, Sam Gibbs, Meg Hachmann, Julia Larsen, Liam Mitchell, Danielle Reddick, Rafe Terrizzi, & Jesse Van Buren facilitated by Ariana Karp continue our exploration of King John with a discussion of Act III. Unfortunately Patrick Harvey was unable to join us for this episode, so Ariana read in for King John, but don’t worry, he’ll be in the final recording! Among many things, we talked about the stark differences between the language of the women and the men, and who feels the repercussions of the political wheeling and dealing.

Our cast of Bronwyn Barnwell, Olivia Rose Barresi, Sam Gibbs, Meg Hachmann, Patrick Harvey, Julia Larsen, Liam Mitchell, Danielle Reddick, Rafe Terrizzi, & Jesse Van Buren facilitated by Ariana Karp continue our exploration of King John with a discussion of Act II. We note the mingling of the different meanings of blood; blood as a symbol of violence and blood as a symbol of family and kinship. We also note that war and marriage are both used as tactics of diplomacy. And what a remarkable and farcical interpretation of politics and political allegiances this act represents!

We begin our journey through Shakespeare’s canon with the weird and wonderful King John. Get to know our cast in this first episode as we work through King John’s first act. Our cast includes: Bronwyn Barnwell, Olivia Rose Barresi, Sam Gibbs, Meg Hachmann, Patrick Harvey, Julia Larsen, Liam Mitchell, Danielle Reddick, Rafe Terrizzi, & Jesse Van Buren. Additional participants include Brittany Chandler. Marty Madden, Bill Potter, & Ariana Karp.

Our first episode of the Radio Shakespeare Lab airs on January 4th, but as a special treat, enjoy this interview that Ariana conducted from back in 2018 with James Shapiro about King Lear !

Nicholas Koy Santillo is joined by Writer/Performer Chantria Tram and her Director Paula Wing, as they discuss the One-hander "Someone Between:

Tabling was very honored and privileged this week to sit down with Devon Glover, aka The Sonnet Man! In addition to being a fantastic and innovative rap artist, Devon empowers and inspires young people everywhere he goes to take ownership over Shakespeare and embrace their own creativity. Among other things, we discussed his background, the Sonnets and how he developed his unique fusion of Shakespeare, Hip Hop & education. For more info on The Sonnet Man please visit his website: http://sonnetman.com/ or check him out on Social Media under the handle @thesonnetman or @thesonnetmannyc Devon Glover from his Hamlet music video.

Chasen Schneider, Levi Morger, Mitchell Kawash and Ariana Karp conclude our discussion of Act V of The Tempest. We determined that we enjoy Act V more than Act IV.Specificity of stage directions and the overlap between ritual, theatre and religionProspero’s turn from revenge to forgiveness - when does it happen and how that affects the play?Parallels to Marlowe’s Dr. Faustus Staging choices in the modern age Physical vs. Metaphysical stormWhat happens with Antonio and Sebastian? Are they repentant? Is their silence acceptance or defiance?Is order restored at the end of the play? William Hutt as Prospero in The Tempest.