Podcast appearances and mentions of King Lear

Philippa sits down with Andrew Wincott, who plays Adam Macy in The Archers, for a deep dive into one of the most gripping storylines the show has had in years. Recorded on 2 June 2025 — so buckle up, more may have happened since.They discuss: why Andrew saw this succession story coming two decades ago; whether Adam is a principled farmer or a series of spectacular failures; what it was like to record the extraordinary four-person partnership meeting episode; Brian's King Lear qualities; the bombshell "you are not my children" moment; how much Adam really wants this for Xander; and whether Ian's advice has made things better or worse.Plus — Adam's ideal biscuit. It's darker than you think.Part two, with listener questions from the Facebook group, follows in two weeks.Topics covered: Adam Macy | Brian Aldridge | Home Farm succession | Debbie Aldridge | Partnership meeting episode | Jennifer's legacy | Sustainable farming | The Archers 2025Contact the team: quickbookreviews@outlook.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the latest Whisper in the Wings from Stage Whisper, we welcomed on the director Roger Lipson and actor Bruce Paulsen to chat about their production of King Lear. This work is part of Syracuse's Shakespeare in the Park. This was such a great conversation and is sure to get you excited to take in this classic piece of theatre. So tune in and turn out to see this great show!And be sure to follow our guests to stay up to date on all their upcoming projects and productions:@rogerlipsonrogerlipson.comwcny.org

Episode 218:Last time I looked at the first part of ‘King Lear' from the opening scene where Lear makes his disastrous decision to split his kingdom between his children, through to the renowned scene where the ex-king and his fool are caught in a raging storm on the moor and saved only by the loyalty of Kent. On the way I looked at the deliciously evil Edmund, the poor judgement of his father Gloucester, and the scheming of Lear's oldest daughter Goneril. Now I will complete this look at the play and discuss it's place as a very Jacobean play addressing the concerns of its time when King James was working hard at an attempt to unite his disparate kingdom. The role, character and purpose of the FoolThe mock trial sceneThe blinding of GloucesterThe character and cruelty of ReganEdgar and Gloucester on the cliffs at DoverHope before tragedy as Lear and Cordelia are reunitedA family dispute as the heart of the playWhy Lear resonates so strongly with audiencesThe sense of ‘no place' in the playKing Lear as a message for King James The significance of the non-Christian setting of the playThe play as a tragedy and a history playA brief view of the later critical and performance history of the playA small selection of ‘King Lear' on filmSupport the podcast at:www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.comwww.patreon.com/thoetpwww.ko-fi.com/thoetpYou can find an advertisement free version of the latest podcast episodes by joining on Patreon at the lowest paid tier level – that's for just £1 per month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Hamlet Podcast - a weekly exploration of Shakespeare's King Lear. Act V Scene iii - We reach the end of King Lear. This is maybe the longest ever single episode of the podcast, but it felt impossible to divide up the final moments of the play - from Lear's entrance to the ending, it demanded to be a single episode. Written and presented by Conor Hanratty

In this episode of the Royals, Rebels, and Romantics Leadership Series, Carol Ann examines Shakespeare's King Lear as a cautionary tale. Instead of behaving as a leader, Lear behaves as a bully, grasping for power and control. He treats leadership as a transaction, attempting to exchange power for praise. Not surprisingly, everything falls apart.Carol Ann LloydTEDx talk: 3 Leadership Secrets from Shakespeare@shakeuphistoryhttps://carolannlloyd.com/https://patreon.com/carolannlloydhttps://bookshop.org/shop/carolannThe Tudors by NumbersCourting the Virgin QueenSupport the showHistory reveals what's possible.

It's Memorial Day in the United States, a day devoted to remembering the soldiers who have died in service. Together, the society grieves, mourns, and attempts to unite. Similarly, communities can come together through actions like loving; giving; marrying; conversing; acting and doing; and speaking to one another. But what happens when individuals are blocked from the processes that bring a community together? In this episode, Jacke talks to author Sarah Beckwith about her book Shakespeare and Loss: The Late, Great Tragedies, which looks at Shakespeare's use of protagonists who are driven out (or drive themselves out) of family and society in plays like Hamlet, King Lear, Timon of Athens, Macbeth, Coriolanus, and Antony and Cleopatra. How (and why) does Shakespeare portray individuals who have lost their access to these vital concepts of human bonding? And what can we learn from Shakespeare's examples? PLUS Caroline Lea (Love, Sex, and Frankenstein) stops by to discuss her choice for the last book she will ever read. The music in this episode is by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gabrielruizbernal.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Help support the show at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/literature⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠historyofliterature.com/donate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his own personal Year of Lear, Daniel Mothershed (above) is playing both King Lear and the Fool in the Bowls With The Bard production of King Lear, immediately after directing the second production of Austin Tichenor's adaptation of Christopher Moore's novel Fool. Daniel discusses this experiment with theatrical duality; how the RSC Podcast interview with famous Fool Adrian Scarborough unlocked Daniel's interpretation (plus appreciation for the even deeper cut of this "Drawing on Shakespeare" conversation); shout-outs to previous Lears; and the potential danger of playing both roles driving you genuinely mad. (Length 24:40) The post Lear AND Fool??? appeared first on Reduced Shakespeare Company.

Episode 217:‘King Lear', the play that is now often regarded as Shakespeare's finest and deepest work is most often compared to the other two great tragedies of this period in Shakespeare's writing, ‘Hamlet' and ‘Othello', and of course there are thematic comparisons that can be made with those plays, but it has to be pointed out that ‘King Lear' is also a very different play in tone and structure. Whether we rate ‘King Lear' as Shakespeare's best play or not it is a play that has deeply affected audiences and critics through the centuries and I can only imagine the mark it leaves on actors who take on the main roles. Sadly, what we lack is much detail about initial reactions to the play.The early performance and publishing history of the playThe influences and sources for the playThe opening scene of the play and the abandonment of the natural orderThe questions of judgement and miscommunication in the playThe character of GonerilEdmund as one of Shakespeare's truly evil charactersKent as the voice of reason and loyaltyLear and the Fool in the stormLear's moral awakeningSupport the podcast at:www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.comwww.patreon.com/thoetpwww.ko-fi.com/thoetpYou can find an advertisement free version of the latest podcast episodes by joining on Patreon at the lowest paid tier level – that's for just £1 per month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Hamlet Podcast - a weekly exploration of Shakespeare's King Lear. Act V Scene iii - More revelations, more deaths, and a surprise move from Edmund. Written and presented by Conor Hanratty

John Neisler, who stars as King Lear in "King Lear" at New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane, joins Scoot to talk about the fast-paced, ensemble-driven take on Shakespeare's tragedy of power, family, betrayal, and madness.

The Hamlet Podcast - a weekly exploration of Shakespeare's King Lear. Act V Scene iii - Edgar unmasks, and tells tale upon tale of what he has been through. Written and presented by Conor Hanratty

Coming this June - after a little break to recover from the end of King Lear, we shall begin a journey through Shakespeare's Othello. I hope you'll join me.

Find out more about Peter's work: - https://www.blueskyhypnosis.com/ Today, I'm talking to Peter McLaughlin. Peter is a certified hypnotherapist and life coach whose healing journey began after a leukemia diagnosis in 2003. This turning point led him to explore the powerful connection between mind, body, and spirit. Peter helps clients find and resolve root-cause trauma using Havening, present and past life regression and other deep, spiritually-oriented healing methods. He's the creator of the popular YouTube channel BlueSky Hypnosis, with over 130,000 subscribers and 17 million views, where he shares tools for emotional healing and personal breakthrough. A former volunteer firefighter and EMT, he brings compassion and purpose to his work. He is a part time actor returning to the stage as Shakespeare's King Lear after 22 years away. In this episode, Peter talks about: - Compulsions as distractions from pain. How your past is still alive in the subconscious mind. The nervous system having only two modes. How subconscious programming runs your life, with practical tools for change. Forgiveness being at the root of all healing. I hope that you enjoy the episode. Find out more about Peter's work: - https://www.blueskyhypnosis.com/  

And who gives a Krapp about Beckett? Sarah and Alex have been ranging across the country, seeing shows in Bowness-on-Windermere and Brighton recently, but still find time to mull over the biggest news stories of the week – from the plans for Ian McKellen to return to the stage in a new version of King Lear at the Yard, and the National Theatre's report into the impact of streamed theatre. Plus, Sarah reminisces about her favourite performers who have tackled the title role in Krapp's Last Tape. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new study from researchers at Tulane University is delivering a stark message about the future of coastal Louisiana: New Orleans is not forever.The study warns that rising seas, sinking land and ongoing coastal erosion mean the question is no longer if the coastline will move inland, but how we prepare for the inevitable reality that our region will be taken over by the Gulf of Mexico. Torbjörn Törnqvist, geology professor at Tulane and lead author of the study, joins us for more on the findings and the logistics of relocating an entire city. This month, one of William Shakespeare's most powerful and haunting tragedies takes the stage in New Orleans. “King Lear” — a story of power, family, betrayal and madness — will come to life at the New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane University.Jana Mestecky, director of the production, and John Neisler, the actor who plays King Lear, tell us more about adapting the work with a fast-paced style and ensemble cast.__Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Sara Henegan. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber, and our assistant producer is Aubry Procell. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It's available on Spotify, the NPR App, and wherever you get your podcasts. Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

The Hamlet Podcast - a weekly exploration of Shakespeare's King Lear. Act V Scene iii - A challenger appears, insults are traded, and a victor emerges... Written and presented by Conor Hanratty

Joseph Pearce explores Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice and King Lear, revealing powerful themes of mercy, justice, pride, and redemption. The post GWWL11 – William Shakespeare – Merchant of Venice and King Lear – Great Works in Western Literature with Joseph Pearce – Discerning Hearts Podcasts appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

A century after Shakespeare's death, his words were in danger of being forgotten. While plays like King Lear and Othello still played to packed houses across England, audiences saw only the bowdlerized versions—censored, rewritten, and stripped of anything that could be considered distasteful. How, then, did Shakespeare's original works re-emerge? Thank the Shakespeare Ladies Club, a group of influential women who rescued his reputation(and his double entendres) from obscurity. In their book, The Shakespeare Ladies Club: The Forgotten Women Who Saved the Bawdy Bard, Christine and Jonathan Hainsworth uncover the club's unsung contributions to Shakespeare's legacy. Thanks to the Hainsworths, Westminster Abbey has now officially recognized the Shakespeare Ladies Club for their campaign to memorialize Shakespeare in Poets' Corner. But, they reveal, the club's influence goes even deeper than that. In this episode, Christine and Jonathan Hainsworth shine a light on this remarkable group of women and how they made Shakespeare the cultural icon he is today.

Michael Arden joins the show to discuss the monumental task of bringing The Lost Boys to Broadway and the technical alchemy required to turn a cult classic film into a soaring musical experience. He opens up about his "mad lib" approach to stagecraft, explaining how he utilizes traditional theatrical tools in unexpected ways—like tilting the entire orientation of a set to keep an audience off-balance or ensuring the set moves entirely on its own to make the space feel "alive". Michael also reflects on the high-stakes pressure of bypassing an out-of-town tryout, the "fearless skydiving" energy of his cast during a grueling preview process, and his years-long quest to convince his favorite band, The Rescues, to join him in the theater. The conversation also dives into Michael's deep-seated love for the "visual feast" of theater, tracing back to his childhood days rigging special effects in his garage. He shares how his collaboration with the design team at At Rise Creative allows for a "crash and burn" mentality that eventually leads to the most innovative solutions, from the irising neon boxes of Maybe Happy Ending to the complex verticality of the Palace Theater. Looking ahead, Michael previews his upcoming work on Happy Feet, discussing the challenge of mashing up music and integrating massive puppetry to bring the Antarctic to the stage. Michael Arden is a distinguished, two-time Tony Award winning director, recently honored for Best Direction of a Musical for Maybe Happy Ending. In 2023, he won the Tony Award for the acclaimed revival of Parade, following previous nominations for Once On This Island and Spring Awakening. He is the co-founder of At Rise Creative and has directed a wide range of works, including the 2024 Met Gala and Ben Platt's concert residencies. Beyond his directing credits, Michael is an accomplished performer who has appeared on Broadway in Big River and King Lear, as well as in television and film projects like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Source Code. Connect with Michael @michaelarden Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support the podcast on Patreon and watch video versions of the episodes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@theatre_podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TheTheatrePodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Alan's personal Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@alanseales⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I want to know what you think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Hamlet Podcast - a weekly exploration of Shakespeare's King Lear. Act V Scene iii - Trial by combat looms: the tension is high and Regan seems very unwell indeed... Written and presented by Conor Hanratty

Let's put on a show! It's season 8 for Paul and Corey Cross the Streams, and this season we're watching musicals. It's a singular art form with a dynamic history, and we get to listen to a lot of cast recordings... This week, Corey chose what is arguably the greatest book musical of all time, Gypsy. This is also the first time that Paul and Corey watch a live recording of a musical and, in this case, a revival - Gypsy: Live from the Savoy Theatre (2015). In the likely event that you haven't seen this film, we strongly recommend you watch before listening. It is streaming for free on Tubi. The show was first produced in 1959, with music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and book by Arthur Laurents. It was a star-vehicle for Ethel Merman, who played the original Mama Rose. The musical was based on the 1957 memoir, Gypsy: A Memoir by Gypsy Rose Lee (a famous burlesque dancer and entertainer). Before we get too much further in this episode synopsis, it must be said that the term was and is an unacceptable slur used about the Romani people. To the extent that the name of the show, the character, and the performer are what they are, we can understand them through a critical lens of culture, time, and consciousness, without endorsing or hand-waving. With that in mind, the show really does earn its reputation of being the King Lear of musicals. The nuance and depth of characterization is incredible. The songs stand the test of time. And in this production, the performances of Imelda Staunton as Mama Rose and Lara Pulver as Louise are astounding, while being surrounded by a cast of brilliant performers. Paul and Corey discuss the psychology of stage mothers and Mama Rose, societal expectations of women and the commodification of their bodies, and how heartbreaking Gypsy is in the way it creates dramatic opportunities for these hurting people try their best to love each other. It's a great discussion of an excellent musical and production!

In the eighteenth century, Samuel Johnson famously argued that Shakespeare is enduringly popular because he “is above all writers, at least above all modern writers, the poet of nature; the poet that holds up to his readers a faithful mirror of manners and of life.” Johnson's view largely prevailed until the late twentieth century, when it was challenged by a growing scepticism about the existence of a general human nature. In Thinking Through Shakespeare (Princeton UP, 2026), eminent literary critic David Womersley pushes back against this change by exploring how Shakespeare's plays think through—and invite us to think through—deep human questions of lasting importance.Thinking Through Shakespeare explores four perennial human problems: personal identity, the distinction between civilization and barbarism, the relation between political power and religious authority and the tension between means and ends. It examines the history of these problems, from antiquity to today, and traces how Shakespeare engages with them in the great tragedies—Othello, Hamlet, Macbeth and King Lear—but also in his other plays. Without arguing that human nature is universal or unchanging, or that Shakespeare has some special access to timeless wisdom, the book makes the case that his drama is powerful because it serves as a forensic tool, probing rival perspectives on questions that have preoccupied many people in many societies over many centuries.By revealing in new ways how Shakespeare's plays are animated and driven by central human problems, and why he should again be viewed as the great poet of human nature, Thinking Through Shakespeare opens up a richer understanding and appreciation of his work. David Womersley is the Thomas Warton Professor of English Literature at the University of Oxford. His books include Divinity and State, Gibbon and the “Watchmen of the Holy City” and The Transformation of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. He is also the editor of many books, including the Penguin Classics editions of Gibbons's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson and David Hume's complete essays. He is a Fellow of the British Academy and of the Royal Historical Society. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel: here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

The Hamlet Podcast - a weekly exploration of Shakespeare's King Lear. Act V Scene iii - Regan enters the chat, but then Albany shocks everyone. Written and presented by Conor Hanratty

Thomas Ovitt and McAdory Lipscomb visit to discuss KING LEAR at TheatreWorks New Milford.

While we are on a break, enjoy this episode from Season 2. Season 3 starts May 19!

Dan Wang joins Ben Yeoh for a conversation about culture, ambition, and what different societies choose to value. They discuss why Silicon Valley can feel thinner-skinned and less culturally alive than it once did, why London remains rich in artistic life but struggles to build homes, infrastructure, and energy; and why China's extraordinary physical capacity has come with tighter limits on cultural expression. Along the way, they get into AI hype and real-world harms, censorship, food culture, neurodiversity in tech, opera, Shakespeare, theatre, writing craft, and Dan's advice for ambitious young people. Link to transcript and episode site: www.thendobetter.com/arts/2026/4/21/dan-wang-silicon-valley-culture-londons-building-crisis-and-chinas-cultural-squeezeChapters00:00 Intro: Dan Wang and Breakneck00:21 Why Tech Lacks Humour02:09 Silicon Valley and the Arts05:28 London Versus California08:31 China, Censorship, and Culture12:56 Food Culture in China and America18:58 AI Hype, Doom, and Real Harms23:04 Energy, Permitting, and AI Bottlenecks30:58 Why Britain Struggles to Build34:28 Neurodiversity in Silicon Valley37:04 Cadets, Discipline, and Rule-Breaking39:15 Philip Glass, Mozart, Verdi, and Wagner42:04 The Most American Shakespeare44:06 King Lear and Political Collapse45:31 What Dan Learned From the Book Tour48:09 Retyping Great Writers52:56 Reading Plays Aloud55:46 Why Arcadia Matters58:29 Do Playwrights Write Differently?01:01:38 Overrated, Underrated, Correctly Rated01:08:00 Markets Versus Real Value01:09:37 What Dan Is Reading Now01:10:21 Advice for Your Twenties01:13:24 Closing

The Hamlet Podcast - a weekly exploration of Shakespeare's King Lear. Act V Scene iii - Albany and Edmund discuss their next steps. Written and presented by Conor Hanratty

In this episode of Face2Face, David Peck sits down with acclaimed Canadian actor Colm Feore for a thoughtful and engaging conversation on the power of storytelling and the importance of National Canadian Film Day. Together, they explore what makes Canadian cinema unique. They talk about its authenticity, its sense of community, and its ability to reflect who we are. Feore shares insights from his own career, highlighting the value of participation, curiosity, and simply “trying” as a way of connecting across cultures. This is a rich conversation about film, identity, and why our stories matter, now more than ever.For more info on National Film Day head here: www.canfilmday.caPhoto: Ann Baggley.Colm Feore is one of Canada's most acclaimed and versatile actors, with an extraordinary career spanning film, television, and stage. Born in Boston and raised in Windsor, Ontario, Feore has become a defining presence in Canadian arts and culture.A longtime leading figure at the renowned Stratford Festival, he is celebrated for his powerful performances in Shakespearean roles including Hamlet, King Lear and Richard III. His work on stage is matched by an impressive screen career, with roles in internationally recognized films such as Chicago, The Red Violin, Thor, and Bon Cop, Bad Cop, as well as television appearances in The Borgias, House of Cards and The Umbrella Academy.Feore is a multiple Gemini and Canadian Screen Award winner and has been widely recognized for his contributions to the performing arts. Known for his depth, intelligence, and emotional range, he brings a rare authenticity to every role.A passionate advocate for Canadian storytelling, Feore continues to champion film and theatre that reflect the country's diverse voices and shared cultural identity. His work embodies a deep commitment to the craft of acting and the enduring power of story to connect, challenge, and inspire.David Peck is a writer, speaker, and award-winning podcaster who works at the intersection of storytelling, social change, and meaningful dialogue. As the host of Face2Face and former host of Toronto Threads on 640 AM, he has published over 800 in-depth interviews with some of the world's most compelling thinkers, artists and storytellers, including Viggo Mortensen, Sarah Polley, Raoul Peck, Werner Herzog, Chris Hadfield, David Cronenberg, Jason Issacs, Gillian Anderson and Wade Davis. With a background in philosophy and international development, David brings a thoughtful, globally aware perspective to every conversation.He's a published author and experienced keynote speaker, known for creating spaces where complexity is welcomed and ideas come alive. Whether moderating panels, hosting live events, or speaking on issues ranging from ethics to media, David's work is grounded in a deep curiosity about people. At heart, he simply loves good conversation — and believes it's one of the best ways we grow, connect, and make sense of the world.For more information about David Peck's podcasting, writing and public speaking please visit his site here.F2F Music and Image Copyright: David Peck and Face2Face. Used with permission. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Hamlet Podcast - a weekly exploration of Shakespeare's King Lear. Act V Scene iii - Edmund sends a Captain with a chilling note. Written and presented by Conor Hanratty

From the assault on our nervous system, to the poisoning of our food and our water, to the extraction of all the natural resources on Mother Earth, it seems like the most radical resistance is being well—taking care of ourselves: body, mind, heart, spirit. Today's guest is Peter McLaughlin, a hypnotherapist who has a very popular YouTube channel, Blue Sky Hypnosis, and he's gonna explore this topic with us today about looking under the surface to see the root causes of our unwellness and bringing ourselves back into wholeness. Join us to find out more! Peter McLaughlin was a volunteer firefighter and EMT for fifteen years before his world was forever changed in 2003, with a critical leukemia diagnosis. Peter's healing journey called for his understanding of the profound impact our minds and spirits have on our health, emotions, and well-being.  Peter attended The Academy of Hypnotherapy in Santa Fe, New Mexico, earning certification in 2006.  He went on to study Neural Linguistic Programming at the NLP center in New York City.  Peter McLaughlin is the host of a very successful YouTube Channel, BlueSky Hypnosis and accomplished author with his business guide book, “Becoming the Customer.” He is currently working on a book about past life regression, “Healing the Wounds of Time.”  Using techniques like Havening, hypnotherapy and hypnotic regression, Peter helps clients gain access to their inner source of wisdom where they uncover and heal the root cause of  emotional, physical and relational challenges.  Peter offers in office sessions and online. Watch or listen to the show to understand how your current physical, emotional and relational challenges are caused by old memories forgotten by your conscious mind yet stored deep within your soul. You’re Invited! 20 MINUTE DISCOVERY CALL https://www.blueskyhypnosis.com/booking-calendar/free-20-min-phone-consult WATCH – BlueSky Hypnosis on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BlueSkyHypnosis   PETER MCLAUGHLIN BIO Peter McLaughlin is a certified hypnotherapist and life coach whose healing journey began after a leukemia diagnosis in 2003. This turning point led him to explore the powerful connection between mind, body, and spirit.  Peter helps clients find and resolve root-cause trauma using Havening, present and past life regression and other deep, spiritually-oriented healing methods. He's the creator of the popular YouTube channel BlueSky Hypnosis, with over 130,000 subscribers and 17 million views, where he shares tools for emotional healing and personal breakthrough.  A former volunteer firefighter and EMT, he brings compassion and purpose to his work. He is a part time actor returning to the stage as Shakespeare's King Lear after 22 years away. LINKS Web: https://www.blueskyhypnosis.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blueskyhypnosis/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blueskyhypnosisfb LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petertmclaughlin/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BlueSkyHypnosis   YOUR GUIDE TO SOUL NECTAR: KERRI HUMMINGBIRD Kerri Hummingbird, Medicine Woman, Mother and Mentor, is the Founder of Inner Medicine Training, a Mystery School that shares potent ancient traditions from the Andes and Himalayas for owning your wisdom and living your purpose. She is the #1 international best-selling author of “Inner Medicine: Becoming One with Mother Earth for the Survival of Humanity”, “Love Is Fierce: Healing the Mother Wound”, “The Second Wave: Transcending the Human Drama” (on the int'l bestseller charts for over 6 years) and the award-winning best-selling book “Awakening To Me: One Woman's Journey To Self Love” which describes the early years of her spiritual awakening. As the host of Soul Nectar Show, Ms. Hummingbird inspires people to lead their lives wide awake with an authenticity, passion and purpose that positively impacts others. As a healer and mentor, she catalyzes mind-shifts that transform life challenges into gifts of wisdom. If you are wondering what the heck is going on, the answer is simple. We are in the process of a massive shift in consciousness that can most aptly be described as the metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly. 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Today, I'm thrilled to announce my interview with visionary director Sam Gold. Tune in to hear some of the stories of his legendary career, including how Alan Rickman got him his Broadway directing debut with SEMINAR, acting as a college student in THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK, adapting a graphic novel to the stage with FUN HOME, his approach to revivals, staging Shakespeare after the pandemic, his visual concept for THE BLACK EYED, working with a differently abled actor on CORSICANA, exploring sleeplessness in MACBETH, the central scene in AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE, the difficulty of collaborating with ˝Glenda Jackson on KING LEAR, modulating the humor in ANGRY ALAN, casting ROMEO + JULIET, bringing THE GLASS MENAGERIE from the Netherlands to Broadway, why staging Annie Baker's plays is like choreography, modulating silences in CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION, and so much more. Don't miss this thoughtful conversation with a true genius.

This is the second of a series of posts about the literary alchemy of J. K. Rowling, a discussion jumpstarted by a post by ‘Iris' at a Strike fan website, an article that championed a Jungian perspective on this subject. The first post in this series, Literary Alchemy – A Primer for Those Interested in J. K. Rowling's Artistry, both explained what the ‘Iris' post asserted and reviewed much of the critical literature that the brevity of the S&E Files article prevented her from discussing. See that post for links to this material. The conversation between Nick Jeffery and John Granger above was recorded in the same spirit as the first post was written, namely, simultaneously a welcome to Strike fans and Rowling readers who have learned about literary alchemy only recently and an introduction to the work of the last twenty five years on this subject. Upcoming posts in the series will include a counter-point discussion in the debate Rowling is fostering about whether a psychological or spiritual perspective is better for understanding art and life and a review of the alchemical signatures that crowd Rowling-Galbraith's Hallmarked Man.This post is largely links to sources for points Nick and John discuss in their naturally enthusiastic and contrarian conversation, question by question. Enjoy!1. Welcome to the Conversation! (Nick) I just sent out an article about literary alchemy, John, in response to an article written by ‘Iris' and posted on the Strike-Ellacott Files website, a piece titled ‘What is Literary Alchemy? Spotting symbols that map Strike and Robin's growth.' What advice or guidance would you give to, say, Cormoran Strike readers who are brand new to the subject? * There are three types of alchemy and it is important to understand the common ground they share and the differences between them;* The first type is alchemy proper, which is to say ‘metallurgical alchemy,' the sacred science of purifying metals and the adept's soul via the creation of a Philosopher's Stone that will transform lead to gold and exude an elixir of life, the drinking of which will bestow immortality;* The second and third types of alchemy derive from interpretations of metallurgical alchemy's aims and the symbolic texts detailing the work in the hermetic laboratory;* Literary alchemy is the use of metallurgical alchemy's language, colors, sequences, and symbols in plays, poetry, and story to foster an edifying and transformative experience in the artist's theater or reading audience;* Psychological alchemy is Carl Jung's use of metallurgical alchemy's texts during and after WWII to illustrate his ideas of the integration of the conscious and unconscious aspects of the human mind;* Metallurgical alchemy was practiced in China, the Levant, India, and Europe within the revealed religious traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity until its degeneration in the late Medieval period and eventual evolution into the strictly materialist chemistry we know today;* Literary alchemy has been a continuous stream in literature from Dante, Chaucer, Shakespeare, and the Metaphysical poets through to Dickens, Yeats, the Inklings, Joyce, Nabokov, and J. K. Rowling;* The academic study of “alchemy in literature” was the province of Baconian and allegorical readings of Shakespeare (cf., Beryl Pogson, Peter Dawkins, Martin Lings) until the late 20th Century and the advent of academic specialists in ‘Hermetic Studies,' e.g., Stanton Linden, Lyndy Abraham, and Charles Nicholl (cf., Cauda Pavonis: A Journal of Hermetic Studies, 1982-2000).* Jung and his followers used their psychological interpretations of metallurgical alchemy as allegories of the soul to interpret mythology (cf., Erich Neumann, Marie-Louise Von Franz, Robert Johnson);* Jungian analysis of story using Jung's ideas of subconscious archetypes within a collective unconscious was popularized by Joseph Campbell in his guides to Joyce's Ulysses and his more well known works on mythology (e.g., The Hero With a Thousand Faces);* ‘Isis' in her S&E Files article, ‘What is Literary Alchemy?,' suggests that Rowling-Galbraith is writing an allegory of soul transformation in the Cormoran Strike series using metallurgical alchemy's symbols and sequences as understood by Carl Jung and his disciples rather than as used by English writers since the 13th Century;* It's a challenging theory, the depth of which is hard to grasp without an appreciation of the types of alchemy, what they have in common, and their differences in approach and subject matter.2. The Lake: (John) What I found most fascinating in your post, Nick, was your best guesses about where Rowling would have learned about literary alchemy. She claimed in 1998 that she'd read a lot of alchemical texts from which she set the “magical parameters” of the Hogwarts Saga; if you had only three chances to name one of those books, what would you choose? * Charles Nicholl's The Chemical Theatre;* Titus Burckhardt's Alchemy: Science of the Cosmos, Science of the Soul (or Mirror of the Intellect: Essays on Traditional Acience and Sacred Art);* Lyndy Abraham Summerhaze's Marvell and Alchemy or her Dictionary of Alchemical Imagery;* Martin Lings' The Secret of Shakespeare3. Carl Jung, Alchemy: (Nick) I see you're chafing at the bit, John, with book titles I haven't mentioned so let me name-drop the author not on my list because, as you pointed out, he wasn't really a literary alchemist so much as a psychologist who discussed alchemy as a means of illustrating his own ideas about the ‘Great Work.' You've written, though, that literary alchemy as with metallurgical alchemy is a subset of soul-allegories or Psychomachia. Don't Jung's ideas jibe with that? * Yes and no!* Jung's ideas of the soul and archetypes (or archetypal forms) are based on late 19th Century Volkischer German ideas, which is to say, modern and materialist (some say ‘vitalist') premises. His hostility to Christianity and Judaism was grounded in his acceptance of Darwinian evolution and derived philosophically from Nietzsche (see Richard Noll's The Jung Cult and The Aryan Christ).* He conflates the spiritual with the psychological, consequently, and embraces integrated individual psychological health as the telos of human existence, none of which is consistent with traditional metallurgical or literary alchemy (see Titus Burckhardt's Mirror of the Intellect, Philip Sherrard's ‘An Introduction to the Religious Thought of C. G. Jung,' and Harry Oldmeadow's ‘C.G. Jung & Mircea Eliade: ‘Priests without Surplices'? Reflections on the Place of Myth, Religion and Science in Their Work.'* Psychological alchemy, insomuch as it is ‘Jungian,' is well removed from the other two types of alchemy. Which is not to say that Rowling is not a Jungian and hence a Jungian psychological alchemist.4. Back into the Lake: (John) You covered in your article, though, Nick, the several reasons to think it possible, even probable that the evidence from Rowling's life suggests she is using Jungian ideas in her literary alchemy. Iris over at S&E Files obviously thinks that is the case. What are the for and against ideas with respect to Rowling being a Jungian? There's Plenty of Evidence That Rowling IS a Jungian Writer:John Granger's discussion in Troubled Blood: A Jungian Reading* Robin's name-dropping Jung in conversation about astrology;* The Jungian notes sounded throughout Strike 5: Archetypes, Synchronicity, Persona;* The connection between Jung's illustrated ‘New Book' and Talbot's ‘True Book;' and* Pointers to Cupid-Psyche myth as understood by Jungians (see below)The Advent of Prudence Dunleavy, Jungian Psychologist, in Ink Black Heart* Hard to imagine a more sympathetic portrait of a Jungian than half-sister Prudence!* She clearly was the genius behind the Rokeby reconciliation in Hallmarked ManThe Cupid and Psyche myth underpinning the Strike series* A Mythological Key to Cormoran Strike? The Myth of Eros, Psyche, and Venus (note the discussion here of the Jungian understanding of this specific myth)* Ink Black Heart: Strike as Zeus to Robin's Leda and as Cupid to Mads' Psyche* ‘Rowling Points to Myth of Cupid and Psyche in order to Console Strike Fans Disappointed with Hallmarked Man‘* The Hallmarked Man‘s Mythological Template (Nick Jeffery, John Granger)Anything Else? Oh, yeah —* Rowling studied mythology in her ‘Classical Studies' program at UExeter and almost certainly encountered Jungian interpretation of myths there (e.g. the work of Neumann, Johnson, Campbell).* Rowling told Val McDermid if she had not become a successful writer she would have sought training and certification as a psychologist. * Her work reflects a broad reading in psychology (cf., Louise Freeman Davis' ‘J. K. Rowling and the Phantoms in the Brain,' ‘Cormoran Strike and the Itch that Cannot Be Scratched') and it is likely that she has read her fair share of Jung and Jungian authors during her studies.* Rowling benefited from psychological therapy and exercises herself when suffering from depression, the experience of and recovery from which she depicted in story via the Azkaban Dementors and Robin Ellacott's treatment for PTSD in Lethal White.And There is Plenty of Evidence That Rowling Is NOT a Jungian Writer:* Rowling has never been asked or revealed how she learned about literary alchemy; this includes, of course, any reference to Carl Jung, whose work was not focused on literary alchemy per se but a psychological interpretation or explanation of metallurgical alchemy's symbolism.* All that Rowling has revealed about her experiences as a patient seeking help with depression are about Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), which treatment modality owes nothing to Jung or to Jung's students.* It is possible that Rowling encountered esoteric metallurgical alchemy, the precursor to literary alchemy, in her study of astrology, the complementary traditional sacred science to alchemy, a skill-set with which we know she was accomplished. That route to alchemy would have led her to Perennialist interpretations of alchemy, most notably Titus Burckhardt‘s Alchemy, Science of the Cosmos, Science of the Soul; the paperback cover of the Penguin Metaphysical Library edition of that book (1974) features an androgynous giant named REBIS standing on a dragon and a winged golden sphere (i.e., Rubeus, Norbert, Snitch).* As mentioned above, it is more likely that she encountered literary alchemy in her study of Shakespeare. The year she was studying for her A Levels, she traveled to see a production of King Lear which has prompted the idea that it was on her list of texts to prepare for her tests. The most challenging interpretation of Lear then in print was Charles Nicholl's The Chemical Theatre (1980), a book that explains almost every scene in perhaps Shakespeare's greatest tragedy as a parallel step in the Great Work of alchemy. If the budding astrologer was fascinated by this allegorical interpretation of the Bard, the most popular work in print at that time that championed reading Shakespeare as the author of soul allegories was Perennialist Martin Lings‘ The Secret of Shakespeare (1984).* Literary Alchemy is a tool set employed not only by Shakespeare but by a host of Rowling favorite authors to include Dickens, Nabokov, Lewis, and Tolkien. This view of alchemy, that is, as an allegorical depiction of the soul's transformation that affects that same cathartic experience in its theater or reading audiences, is the one found in Rowling's work, which is well removed from psychological alchemy, an analytic art which, though it springs from metallurgical alchemical texts, does not aim at the transformation at work in the sacred art or the science of traditional alchemy. * Rowling's use of chiastic structures and psychomachian allegory, tools that complement literary alchemy in spiritual perspective and aim, make a Jungian rather than a literary and Perennialist view of alchemy seem unlikely.* Alchemy: Jung, Burckhardt, or Maclean? John Granger, April 2007* Rowling's Soul Triptych Psychomachia: Is It From Shakespeare's ‘Macbeth'? John Granger, September 20245. The Debate at King's Cross: (Nick) So, John, you've mentioned Jung quite a few times in your posts about the Mythological framework of the Strike series and even written about the Jungian ideas of animus and anima with respect to Cormoran and Robin's relationship. You seem fairly confident, though, that Rowling is writing from the traditional esoteric ideas of alchemy a la Shakespeare rather than Jung's. Why is that? * Everything you just said!* As noted, Jung's ideas are modern and psychological while the stream of literary alchemy in English Literature is almost exclusively more Medieval and pointedly spiritual;* The Most Notable Exception: Angela Carter's The Passion of the New Eve (1977), that reads like a Jungian ‘Red Book' slide-show (think Bombyx Mori) or a transgender Odyssey written for feminists. Rowling has never mentioned her to my knowledge but it would be surprising if she hadn't read this book more than once. What Alana Bolton Cooke wrote about Carter's Passion could be said about Rowling's literary alchemy if she is a Jungian writer (or about Galbraith's fictional Elizabeth Tassel?):Angela Carter in The Passion of New Eve (1977) uses the exoteric phases of alchemy and Carl G. Jung's theory of esoteric alchemy as a means of demonstrating allegorically the idea ofrebirth and renewal. The purpose of this allegorical method is to produce an 'alchemical' change of thought in the reader about sexuality and gender associated with women's repression and liberation. In the novel Carter develops themes and ideas explored in her essay, The Sadeian Woman: An Exercise in Cultural History (1979), an analysis of the Marquis de Sade's pornography and its affect on the roles of men and women in society. The clash of opposites involved in combining alchemical symbolism, feminism and pornography within the fiction can be seen as representative of the state of chaos present in alchemy before the beginning of change. The circular narrative and alchemical structure of the fiction creates a literary version of the alchemical process as it brings together opposites involved in chaos, represented by events and characterisation that the protagonist, Evelyn/Eve, experiences, until, in the manner of alchemy, harmony is reached. The harmony created represents women's empowerment. Carter uses Evelyn's individuation process to encourage growth within the reader by altering patterns of thought to bring about change through self-confrontation and self-knowledge. The structure of Carter's fiction, thus, corresponds to the process of esoteric alchemy contained within the structure, imagery and symbolism of exoteric alchemy. The fiction is designed to stimulate the unconscious of the reader and make conscious hitherto unknown and repressed thoughts about gender and sexuality to bring about change in the lives of men and women.* I think what Rowling said she was trying to do with Harry Potter's meeting with Dumbledore at the dream-like King's Cross strongly suggests she is aware of the two approaches and wants readers to discuss them – but that she has made her own choice, however conflicted she may be.* In her 2008 interview with Adeel Amini, Rowling said that her hope for Harry's post-mortem conversation with Dumbledore at King's Cross was to stimulate “a debate” among readers about whether it was a psychological moment, that is, a fantasy in which Harry understands what he's been missing all along, or a spiritual event in which he is actually speaking with the late Headmaster:Enough Potter-plot, I think. Moving on to a slightly more contentious issue, Rowling has categorically said that she does believe in a higher power, a statement reinforced by her childhood church-going (“Till I was 17,” she clarifies). It must be difficult to reconcile her religious beliefs with those that denounce Harry Potter as anti-Christian, I wonder aloud. Rowling's expression does not change a fraction. “There was a Christian commentator who said, which I thought was very interesting, that Harry Potter had been the Christian church's biggest missed opportunity. And I thought, there's someone who actually has their eyes open.“I think he said it before the publication of the seventh book, and with the publication of the seventh book I think that clarified a lot of people's view on where I was standing. But I should emphasise that I am not pushing a specifically Christian agenda, and indeed till the very last moment in book seven, one can interpret what happens to Harry after he presents himself with death as him going into an unconscious state in which his subconscious reveals to him what he already knew.” I hum in faux-comprehension of what she's referring to; luckily my clued-in companion is nodding wildly. Proceed. “Any re-reading of Chapter 35 will show you that there's nothing that the Dumbledore he sees tells him that he couldn't have guessed for himself or already realised, and of course there's a key piece of information that Dumbledore doesn't articulate that Harry has realised. So you can deliberately interpret it that way, or you can say that he did go into a state of limbo beyond which there was another life, and that idea was expressed repeatedly, and most explicitly at the end of book five, Order of the Phoenix, where Harry understands that there is an ‘on', that you do go on. “I wanted there to be a debate there, so of my three main characters - when they come into the room which examines death at the Ministry of Magic - Hermione, the ultimate sceptic and a hyperrational person, hears nothing behind the veil and is scared of it. Ron is just uneasy; Ron is someone who does not grapple with anything deeper than beer, if he can avoid it. Harry's drawn to it, and therein lies Harry's slightly reckless, almost morbid streak, because Harry does have a hint of that dangerous adolescent trait which is the attraction to death.” Heavy. Obviously with this ambiguity, you do get a fair degree of misinterpretation as well; there is a certain section that does dislike Harry Potter intensely. “Oh, vehemently,” says Rowling, before muttering under her breath “…and they send death threats.”* I think that “debate” she's trying to foster is between the psychological, call it ‘Jungian' “just inside your head” subconscious perspective, and the authentically spiritual view of her work (well, of art and human existence, too, of course). And that this debate is one she has had for most of her life. Check out her comments about the “greatest missed opportunity” and explain to me how that doesn't line up with her preferring the spiritual, albeit “not explicitly Christian,” to the psychological and humanist. 7. Jungian Readings of Rowling's Work: (Nick) John, you're familiar with what has been written by Potter Pundits because of your PhD critical literature surveys; what are the better ones about Rowling and Jungian psychology and what do they emphasize? Here are seven off the top of my head (and Thesis ‘Works Cited' drafts):* Grynbaum, G.A. (2000). The Secrets of Harry Potter. The San Francisco Jung Institute Library Journal: Reviews From a Jungian Perspective of Books, Films and Culture, [online] 19 (4) pp. 17-48* Patrick, Christopher and Sarah (2007), ‘Exploring the Dark Side: Harry Potter and the Psychology of Evil,' in Mulholland (ed.), The Psychology of Harry Potter, BenBella Books, pp 221-232* Gerhold, C. (2011). The Hero's Journey Through Adolescence: A Jungian Archetypal Analysis of “Harry Potter.” PsyD. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. * Rectenwald, Bob (2019). ‘Carl Jung's Impact on the Work of J. K. Rowling' * Skipper, Alicia and Kate Fulton (2021) ‘Out from the Shadows into the Light: Persona and Shadow in Harry Potter‘ in Anne Mamary (ed.) The Alchemical Harry Potter: Essays on Transfiguration in J. K. Rowling's Novels, McFarland, Jefferson, NC, 2021, pp 79-96* The Unfolding Journey, Jung's Shadow Self in Harry Potter: Confronting the Darkness Within (YouTube video)* My own Troubled Blood: A Jungian ReadingBob Rectenwald's piece is the best of the six I didn't write but it shares the several faults all the Jungian pieces make:* the first failing of even the best Jungian readers is the assumption that Rowling is a Jungian, which is an open question;* the next is that Jung's ideas (and Joseph Campbell's) are indisputably true; and* the last is, when alchemy is mentioned, the critics do not clarify either the commonalities of or the differences between literary alchemy, psychological alchemy, and Jungian analytic psychology. * Note, though, that Rowling, while aware of such Jungian tropes as the Hero's Journey, tweeks it shamelessly, adding a symbol of Christ and resurrection scene in every Potter story (cf., How Harry Cast His Spell, ‘The Harry's Journey,' pp 21-28).* Read her brief PotterMore piece on alchemy and note that it is written in such a way that it can be read as confirmation of either a psychological or spiritual perspective on alchemy and art:One interpretation of the ‘instructions' left by the alchemists is that they are symbolic of a spiritual journey, leading the alchemist from ignorance (base metal) to enlightenment (gold). There seems to have been a mystical element to the work the alchemist was engaged upon, which set it apart from chemistry (of which it was undoubtedly both an offshoot and forerunner).This “original writing” by Rowling, especially the words “spiritual” and “mystical,” suggests that she is a Perennialist rather than a Jungian, at least with respect to her understanding of alchemy. But the debate is still possible with Jungians who read those words as cyphers for the subsconscious contact they hold we have with archetypes.8. Back to the Alchemy: (John) I think the real question of whether Rowling's literary alchemy is predominantly literary and spiritual or psychological in orientation comes down to the postmodern confusion about the immaterial aspects of the human person, which is to say, the soul (or mind, psyche) and the spirit. Rowling's recent work may seem prosaic or secular to a casual reader who compares it to the relatively otherworldly and “obviously” symbolic Potter books, but she loads each Strike book with Shakespearean romance of soul and spirit, i.e., alchemical dramas, and hermetic tropes. I'm writing a piece now about the lions, dogs, incest, and the red man and white woman in Hallmarked Man, each of which are touchstones of alchemy. I think, though, that your work with Rowling's favorite books and her epigraph sources, Nick, point to a strong spiritual rather than psychological foundation in Rowling's work —* Louisa May Alcott, Little Women* Dodie Smith, I Capture the Castle* The Victorian Women Poets in Running Grave* Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Aurora Leigh* Robert Browning, The Ring and the Book* The Jungian love of the I Ching, Running Grave's epigraph source9. Jung in Running Grave: (Nick) Rowling's favorite writers, from Shakespeare and Nabokov to C. S. Lewis and Victorian Women poets, all clearly believe in a world-transcending spiritual realm. Given the quantity of the Jungian scholarship in Rowling Studies that Iris referred to and you've mentioned, it's curious -- if Rowling is aware of it and is resistant to it -- that she doesn't push back against it explicitly in her work. Can you think of a character that seems something like Jung in the books, someone as bad as Prudence Dunleavey is good? I can think of three:* United Humanitarian Church's guru Jonathan Wace in Running Grave: his “psychologizing of religion,” the comparative religion avenue to denial of any true faith, the psychological critical analysis of a patient using mythological tropes (”Artemis”), the cult leader, and the abuser of women and children -- he's a ringer for Jung! * Paul Satchwell, one-eyed serpent with a one-track mind, in Leamington Spa, a true Jungian artist working psycho-sexual motifs graphically on canvas:Naked figures twisted and cavorted in scenes from Greek mythology. Persephone struggled in the arms of Hades as he carried her down into the underworld; Andromeda strained against chains binding her to rock as a dragonish creature rose from the waves to devour her; Leda lay supine in bulrushes as Zeus, in the form of a swan, impregnated her.Two lines of Joni Mitchell floated back to Robin as she looked at the paintings: “When I first saw your gallery, I liked the ones of ladies…”Except that Robin wasn't sure she liked the paintings. The female figures were all black-haired, olive-skinned, heavy-breasted and partially or entirely naked. The paintings were accomplished, but Robin found them slightly lascivious. Each of the women wore a similar expression of vacant abandon, and Satchwell seemed to have a definite preference for those myths that featured bondage, rape or abduction. (Troubled Blood, 542)* And then there are the Masons, kind of an old school Jungian cult in Hallmarked Man. Like the UHC and “harmless” fraternal and charitable group with Christian touches but which doesn't change a man or human nature per Hardacre (and which harbors the rich and powerful like Lord Branfoot). * Coupled with Prudence, the Front of Jungian Beliefs, we get the front and back of Jung in Rowling's work, a characteristic touch of Rowling nuance as she did with Islam in Hallmarked Man.10. Conclusion: (John) I'm obviously not a Jung fan and I don't think Rowling is writing Jungian psychomachia in alchemical symbols a la Angela Carter, but I see how people would come to a contrary conclusion; Rowling's ‘spiritual not religious' public statements and political positions with respect to Same Sex Attraction and abortion line up much more easily with New Age and Jungian types than with any kind of orthodox Christianity. The great thing about essays like Isis' at S&E Files is that it brings more people into the conversation of what literary alchemy is and the various approaches to it. You've been reading about literary alchemy for several years now, Nick; what do you think the person whose first encounter with the subject was the S&E Files article do to hone their alchemy detection skills? * “Read your books and online talks, John!”* How Metallurgical Alchemy Worked and How it Became Literary Alchemy (from Deathly Hallows Lectures, Chapter 1):Alchemy, in a nutshell, was the science for the perfection or sanctification of the alchemist's soul. This heroic venture I need to say straight off is all but impossible today because the way we look at reality, at ‘things' per se makes the Great Work itself almost an absurdity. Unlike the medieval alchemists, we moderns and postmoderns see things with a clear subject/object distinction, that is, we believe that you and I and that table are entirely different things and between them is there is no connection or relation. The knowing subject is one thing and the observed object is completely ‘other.'To the alchemist that is not the case. His efforts in changing lead to gold are based on the premise that he as the subject will go through the same types of changes and purifications as the materials he is working with. In sympathy with these metallurgical transitions and resolutions of contraries, his soul will be purified in correspondence as long as he is working in a prayerful state within the Mysteries (sacraments) of his revealed tradition.Now, historically there was an Arabic alchemy, a Chinese alchemy, a Kabbalistic, as well as a Christian alchemy; each differs superficially with respect to their spiritual traditions but in every one, the alchemist was working with a sacred natural science or physics to advance his spiritual purification. This was only possible because he looked at the metal he was working with as something with which he was not ‘other' but with which he was in relationship, artifex and artifact in sacred art imitating and accelerating the work of the Creator creating a bridge, so that, as lead changes to gold or material perfection, his soul was going through similar transformations and purifications.The common ground is the logos in every created thing, to include persons (cf. John 1:9), which are all continuous with the Logos fabric of reality. As much as the alchemist identifies with this metaphysical ground, purifying himself of the ‘old man' or ego-driven individual and identifying himself with the spiritual Heart or light within him, that light will become his dominant quality, hence his “illumination” or “enlightenment”. And lead or solid darkness turning into gold, hard light.How does this edifying magic become the scaffolding for Harry's adventures? Largely through the genius of William Shakespeare. Hermetic wisdom and alchemical efforts were such commonplaces in Elizabethan England that Shakespeare and his contemporaries recognized, I think. that the magic of staged drama is essentially alchemical. If we groundlings are all watching what's going on up on the stage and everything is working the way it's supposed to, the subject-object distinction dissolves inasmuch as we identify with the characters and their agonies through our logos-imaginations. As they go through their changes, like the metals in a crucible, we identify with them and pass through the same cathartic moment.As the great dramatists of that period realized, “if what we're doing is alchemical, why don't we use alchemical imagery and language, too?” And, voila, literary alchemy is born. This stream of English literature in which narrator or characters and the reader or audience in correspondence pass through the stages of the alchemical work, the black the white and the red (basically dissolution, purification, and then perfection) runs through the next five centuries of poetry, stage work, stories and novels. You may not have recognized it, but its a big part of things you have read.* Literary Alchemy: Sacred Science, Sacred Art, and ‘The Alembic of Story':A Perennialist Explanation of J. K. Rowling's Signature Hermetic Symbolism This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hogwartsprofessor.substack.com/subscribe

The seventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1985 features our foreign film pick, Akira Kurosawa's Ran. Directed and co-written by Akira Kurosawa and starring Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu, Daisuke Ryu and Mieko Harada, Ran is adapted from William Shakespeare's King Lear.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/ran-1985), Paul Attanasio in The Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1986/01/24/movies/86669975-df20-49c2-9e7f-f8c7268250df/), and Pauline Kael in The New Yorker.Check out more info and the entire archive of past episodes at https://www.awesomemovieyear.com and visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/awesomemovieyearYou can find Jason on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JHarrisComedy/, on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jasonharriscomedy/ and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/goforjason/You can find Josh online at http://joshbellhateseverything.com/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/joshbellhateseverything/, on Bluesky at signalbleed.bsky.social and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/signalbleed/If you're a Letterboxd user and you watch any of the movies we talk about on the show, tag your review “Awesome Movie Year” to share your thoughts.You can find our producer David Rosen and his Piecing It Together Podcast at https://www.piecingpod.com, on Twitter at @piecingpod, on Bluesky at piecingpod.bsky.social and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/bydavidrosen/ Join the Popcorn & Puzzle Pieces Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/piecingpod for more movie discussion and our Awesome Movie Year audience choice polls.All of the music in the episode is by David Rosen. Find more of his music at https://www.bydavidrosen.comSubscribe on Patreon to support the show and get access to exclusive content from Awesome Movie Year and Piecing It Together, plus music by David Rosen: https://www.patreon.com/bydavidrosenPlease like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1985 episode, with our animation pick, Will Vinton's The Adventures of Mark Twain.

The Hamlet Podcast - a weekly exploration of Shakespeare's King Lear. Act V Scene iii - Lear and Cordelia are brought on, as prisoners. Written and presented by Conor Hanratty

The Hamlet Podcast - a weekly exploration of Shakespeare's King Lear. Act V Scene ii - Edgar and Gloucester take refuge under a tree. Written and presented by Conor Hanratty

In this ScreenFish 1on1 Interview, Búi Dam, director of BIRITA, discusses why he chose to adapt King Lear and the ethical challenges of putting his mother onstage. He reflects on the question, “Am I the movie?” and how being the subject of your own film shapes your perspective and interaction with the story. Búi also shares his philosophy on life, exploring the idea that “don't take life too seriously; no one gets out alive anyways,” and how it influences his creative process.BIRITA is in competition at CPH:DOX 2026.

The Hamlet Podcast - a weekly exploration of Shakespeare's King Lear. Act V Scene i - Edgar makes his suit to Albany, and then Edmund reveals how he really feels about Regan and Goneril. Written and presented by Conor Hanratty

Búi Dam is on The Movies talking about his new documentary, BIRITA, which premieres today as part of the Copenhagen International Documentary Festival (CPH:DOX for short).BIRITA is named after Búi's mother, Birita Mohr, a legendary presence and actor in Faroese theatre. (The Faroe islands are located between Iceland and Norway, currently part of the Danish kingdom, though the independence movement is loud and fuckin' proud.)Birita was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2011 and since then, hadn't performed on stage. In a bid to give his mom another at-bat and help her channel this joy and experience which lives baked into her bones, Búi put together a prodcution of Shakespeare's KING LEAR, casting his mom in the title role.He talks about the process of crafting the play, lessons learned about his mother and the relationship with his own aging, what legacy he'd like to leave behind for his children, and much more.BIRITA premieres at CPH:DOX today, March 15, at 16:15pm. More details can be found here.---Music provided Content ID free by @goodkidbandFollow The Movies on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Throw a couple dollars in the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tip jar!⁠

Many readers turn to Shakespeare for the beauty of his language or the power of his stories. But in Thinking Through Shakespeare, Oxford scholar David Womersley suggests that the plays offer something else as well: a way of exploring some of the deepest questions about human life. Womersley looks at tragedies like Othello, Hamlet, Macbeth, and King Lear to show how Shakespeare places audiences inside difficult moral and philosophical problems. The plays raise questions about identity, power, and the tension between doing what is right and doing what is personally advantageous. Rather than presenting clear answers, Shakespeare lets these ideas collide on stage. In this episode, Womersley explains how Shakespeare's plays become what he calls “crucibles” for thinking. As characters struggle with competing values and impossible choices, audiences go on that journey with them—testing ideas, reconsidering assumptions, and confronting the same enduring dilemmas that have shaped human thought for centuries.

Lords: AP https://store.steampowered.com/app/2364580/Titanium_Court/ Alexander Topics: The 5th Ramsey number Why Mr. Satan (from Dragonball) is one of my favorite characters in all of literature The Odyssey 2's ROM sprites https://media24.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads-2024/images/3/3597ddeb-e52e-4cda-a59c-c64600489fea/Evl0wxIY.png https://media24.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads-2024/images/3/3597ddeb-e52e-4cda-a59c-c64600489fea/gNkdwtoA.jpg Search Lizard Vagina And You Shall Find by Patricia Lockwood Why do drugs have two names? What's up with that? Microtopics: Recording the fakest possible sounding laughter in case someone makes a joke that doesn't work. Going on a nice short walk. The PNW, where the frogs are a-croaking. Going out to see the dog pee. Lying down and pretending to sleep Explaining to the doctor that you didn't sleep at all and he's like "that's not what your brain waves said!" Dreaming that you've been awake for 48 hours. Path of totality vs. regular shitty boring eclipse. Consume Me. Attempting to become hot in high school. Whether unwishlisting and rewishlisting a game helps. Very large prime numbers that are only two apart. Prolific math speed freaks. Whether the aliens know the fifth Ramsey Number and are just quizzing us. Aliens visiting and sharing the ultimate secret to doing laundry. Sentient arithmetic getting angry. How do kangaroos clean their pouches? Topics that don't cause listenership to drop precipitously. Thinking about Mr. Satan in the bath. Localizing Mr. Satan for the American audience. A cartoon of two muscly guys screaming at each other, getting louder and higher pitched over the course of five minutes, to the point that you start worrying about the health of the voice actors. An episode of TV that's just 22 pure minutes of building tension. Goku's hair turning blond so that the manga artist doesn't have to laboriously color his hair black al on every panel. Everyone in the story growing strong enough to blow up the planet on a whim. Everyone on Earth showing up to cheer on Mr. Satan. When wrestlers stopped maintaining kayfabe outside of the live show. King Lear asking the audience if they can see the corpse breathing. Giving annoying characters a moment of sincerity and/or heroism. Enthusiastically chanting for Satan. Witnessing the total horror of the universe and then being like "I didn't just see that" Mr. Satan convincing the evil alien not to destroy the Earth by showing him a cool puppy. How is Goku going to prevent spam bots from registering accounts? A weird lens on this strange universe. Sincerity punchlines. Behold, an anime horse! Top 37 Classiest Satans. Death losing every game against Bill and Ted. Coloring the up arrow green to represent a tree in your skiing game. The division symbol you learned in grade school and never used again. When you want to shoot a golf course, a plane or a tiny flat cake. Collecting your favorite medieval manuscript scans. The medieval scribe deciding on a whim to write the next passage in Greek. The guy plucking penises off of the penis bush and putting them in a basket. My brain, and the bad sunning lizard inside it. Here is some pornography, if it will help you. Great job, Canada. Poems that foresee themselves being uploaded to the Internet. One of the early "isn't it weird that this literary person is on Twitter writing shitposts?" My Least Favorite Antibiotic. Wrapping your antibiotic in a tortilla. I love an antibiotic with a nickname. Magic acts you can only do once. (Because they kill you.) Settling Space. (And why we shouldn't do it.) Establishing legal precedent for selling moon rocks. Can God get a thorn stuck in his paw? There's No P in Thomson. Let's try to keep it that way.

The Hamlet Podcast - a weekly exploration of Shakespeare's King Lear. Act V Scene i - At Dover, Edmund, Albany, Regan and Goneril start to plan for the impending battles. Written and presented by Conor Hanratty

What'd you like? Send us a text.FIRST:Dave, Tim, Jim, and Walt totally improvise their memories of that time they may or may not have played gigs in Ft. Lauderdale during spring break. It's hazy. It might have happened. Or not. They may've remembered it wrong.THEN: The guys wonder why they keep making Godzilla movies, then decide it's because 'Zilla is a consummate thespian and ponder how many other films he would've been perfect for. King Lear. When Godzilla Met Sally. The list goes on and on.

The Hamlet Podcast - a weekly exploration of Shakespeare's King Lear. Act IV Scene vii - We end Act IV with tears, forgiveness, and a little bit of German gossip. Written and presented by Conor Hanratty

The Hamlet Podcast - a weekly exploration of Shakespeare's King Lear. Act IV Scene vii - Lear wakes, and a poignant recognition scene ensues. Written and presented by Conor Hanratty

https://daredaniel.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/SINGLETAKE_S01_E04_KokuhoYoungMothers.mp3 Single Take with Daniel Barnes Episode 4 Gracefully disgraced film critic Daniel Barnes returns with another episode of his outrageously popular Single Take podcast. Also known as wolfram, Daniel is a steel-grey metal with an unusually high melting point.  Often used as an industrial catalyst, Daniel…oh, hang on. My bad, I was thinking of the atomic element tungsten. Daniel Barnes is just some guy who reviews movies. This week, Daniel offers his Single Take on Kokuho, the ravishing kabuki epic that conquered the Japanese box office. He also reviews Young Mothers, the latest film from the decorated Dardenne brothers. Listen as Daniel discusses titular half-truths, kabuki King Lear and Belgian brothers who don’t waffle. Kokuho (2025; Dir.: Lee Sang-il) GRADE: B+ *Now playing in the Bay Area and Sacramento. IMDB Synopsis: “In post-war Japan’s economic boom, gangster family-born Kikuo Tachibana finds himself adopted by a kabuki actor. Despite life’s challenges, he develops into a gifted performer.” Young Mothers (2026; Dir.: Luc & Jean-Pierre Dardenne) GRADE: B *Premiering on digital and VOD services on Tues., Feb. 24. IMDB Synopsis: “Five young mothers living in a shelter strive for a better future for themselves and kids amidst challenging upbringings.” Read more of Daniel's reviews at Dare Daniel and Rotten Tomatoes, and listen to Daniel on the Dare Daniel & Canon Fodder podcasts. Listen and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Listen Notes, Spotify, Pandora, Pocket Casts and more. The post Single Take – “Kokuho” and “Young Mothers” appeared first on Dare Daniel Family of Podcasts.

Is that a good book? It sounds like a simple question. But what does “good” actually mean? In this episode, Trevor and Paul explore the many ways a book can be good. They also reflect on how star ratings and quick takes, as much as we love them, can compress our responses, and why slowing down and considering why a book is “good”might deepen our relationship with the books we love.2026 Novella Book ClubWe have announced the four novellas we will be reading for The Mookse and Gripes Novella Book Club in 2026!* January: Daisy Miller, by Henry James* April: An Episode in the Life of a Landscape Painter, by César Aira* July: The Hour of the Star, by Clarice Lispector* September: Prelude, by Katherine MansfieldDiscussions will be hosted at The Mookse and the Gripes Discord (see below!).We've got some fantastic author-focused episodes lined up for the foreseeable future, and we want to give you plenty of time to dive in if you'd like to read along with us. These episodes come around every ten episodes, and with our bi-weekly release schedule, you'll have a few months to get ready for each. Here's what we have in store:* Episode 135: William Faulkner* Episode 145: Elizabeth Taylor* Episode 155: Naguib Mahfouz* Episode 165: Annie Ernaux* Episode 175: Henry JamesThere's no rush—take your time, and grab a book (or two, or three) so you're prepared for these as they come!ShownotesWhat are you reading?* Paul: The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, by Beth Brower* Trevor: The Disappearing Act, by Maria Stepanova, translated by Sasha DugdaleWorks mentinoed* King Lear, by William Shakespeare* The Unconsoled, by Kazuo Ishiguro* Robinson, by Muriel Spark* Moby Dick: or, The Whale, by Herman Melville* Cold Sassy Tree, by Olive Ann Burns* Your Absence Is Darkness, by Jón Kalman Stefánsson, translated by Philip Roughton* The Backslider, by Levi S. Peterson* Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn* Ulysses, by James Joyce* The Murderbot Diaries, by Martha Wells* Beloved, by Toni Morrison* Lincoln in the the Bardo, by George Saunders* Vigil, by George SaundersJoin the Mookse and the Gripes on DiscordWant to share your thoughts on these upcoming authors or anything else we're discussing? Join us over on Discord! It's the perfect place to dive deeper into the conversation—whether you're reading along with our author-focused episodes or just want to chat about the books that are on your mind.We're also just about to read the second novella book club book of 2026: An Episode in the Life of a Landscape Painter, by César Aira, translated by Chris Andrews. It's a fantastic book, and we'd love to have you join the discussion. It's a great space to engage with fellow listeners, share your insights, and discover new perspectives on the books you're reading.The Mookse and the Gripes Podcast is a bookish conversation hosted by Paul and Trevor. Every other week, we explore a bookish topic and celebrate our love of reading. We're glad you're here, and we hope you'll continue to join us on this literary journey!A huge thank you to those who help make this podcast possible! If you'd like to support us, you can do so via Substack or Patreon. Subscribers receive access to periodic bonus episodes and early access to all new episodes. Plus, each supporter gets their own dedicated feed, allowing them to download episodes a few days before they're released to the public. We'd love for you to check it out! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mookse.substack.com/subscribe

The Hamlet Podcast - a weekly exploration of Shakespeare's King Lear. Act IV Scene vii - Cordelia and the Doctor ponder Lear's condition, as he seems on the brink of waking. *PLUS - news of my forthcoming book! If you'd like 25% off, pre-order it from Waterstones THIS WEEK, Feb 17-20, 2026. Search for it under my name, Bloomsbury Teacher Introductions, Macbeth, and my co-author Amy Smith.* Written and presented by Conor Hanratty

Some days I glance at the front page and see the name RUMP in three or four places so I flip back to the Lifestyle section and maybe find a wine review, “Fresh and vivacious with chewy tannins and bursts of flowers and fruits.” The deranged man with cognitive problems is a passing phenom, but bursts of flowers and fruits have been with us forever and even in January here in Manhattan one can find shops to walk into and feel flowers bursting around you and markets where you inhale the freshness of mounds of apples and pears and oranges.The old king who goes mad is a character out of Shakespeare, he has no place in America, you walk out of a performance of King Lear and buy a bouquet of tulips and a bag of apples and you're back to reality. When Van Gogh admitted himself to the asylum for the insane at Saint-Rémy in Provence, he spent the last years of his life painting the gardens and woods, the trees and flowers, paintings that were the finest of his life. He could've been destructive, set fires, broken windows, preyed on the weak and helpless, but he did not, he found solace in painting. This is the difference between an artist and a creep. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit garrisonkeillor.substack.com/subscribe

Today, I'm thrilled to announce my interview with veteran actress Elizabeth Marvel, who is currently starring in THE DINOSAURS at Playwrights Horizons. Tune in to hear some of the stories of her legendary career, including her unlikely beginnings, how Michael Langham gave her her Broadway debut in THE SEAGULL, performing the controversial revival of JULIUS CAESAR in the Park, why she wants to form a new National Actors Theater, being an American actor at Stratford, working with Glenda Jackson on KING LEAR, her collaboration with Ivo Van Hove, finding a new take on A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, researching THE LITTLE FOXES, starring in TOP GIRLS as a new mother, the drawings Edward Albee made during SEASCAPE, acting opposite Frances Sternhagen, why PICNIC was an exorcism for her, approaching Shakespeare like music theory, what draws her to new work, and so much more. Don't miss this candid conversation with one of Broadway's best.

December 26, 1606. The first performance of a new play in front of King James I caps an extraordinary year for William Shakespeare. Support the show! Join Into History for ad-free listening and more. History Daily is a co-production of Airship and Noiser. Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily.