He's young, scrappy, and hungry. He's Alexander Hamilton, and he's the subject of the smash-hit "Hamilton" by Lin-Manuel Miranda. This week on No Script, Jackson and Jacob begin their venture into a 4-week series on musicals called Musical Month. Both J&J love Hamilton, and this week's conversation tends towards an hour of fan-boying. Hope you'll join us in this celebration of American history! ------------------------------ We had so much fun talking about this play, and we’d love to keep t...
Sep 03, 2018•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 20
It's time for a little laughter, don't you think? This week on No Script, Jackson and Jacob take on a hilarous two-hander by David Ives: "Venus in Fur." When a nervous new playwright/director holds auditons for the part of the leading lady, a wacky young actress shows up to claim the part. What happens next... comedy. Pure and simple. Join us as J&J talk about Greek mythology, classic literary metaphors, and, yes, sex. CONTENT WARNING: This play and this conversation contain mature themes/la...
Aug 27, 2018•1 hr•Ep. 19
This week on No Script, Jackson and Jacob discuss a play by one of the titans of contemporary drama: Tom Stoppard's "The Real Thing." This is the first Stoppard play to be featured on No Script, and likely the first of many. "The Real Thing" is a love story, first and foremost, but a delightfully complex one. Listen in as J&J try to untangle its knots. They talk about infidelity, art, and Stoppard's sharp wit. ------------------------------ We had so much fun talking about this play, and we’...
Aug 20, 2018•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 18
In this week's episode of "No Script: The Podcast" Jackson hosts our first special guest - Karen Bohm Barker. Karen is a Professor of Theatre and Speech at Northwestern College as well as the Dean of Arts and Humanities. She also happens to be Jackson's mother-in-law. Karen brings a wealth of experience and insight to this script - she teaches it in one of her dramatic literature classes! Join us as Jackson and Karen dive into Jenny Laird's play "Sky Girls" which follows a group of pilots in the...
Aug 13, 2018•59 min•Ep. 17
"Topdog/Underdog" is Suzan-Lori Parks Pulitzer Prize winning play (2002). It tells the story of Lincoln and Booth, a pair of brothers whose names darkly forshadow the direction of their relationship. Join us this week as Jackson and Jacob unpack this gritty, hilarious play. They discuss three-card monte, sibling relationships, and destiny. ------------------------------ We had so much fun talking about this play, and we’d love to keep the conversation going! What were some of your thoughts if yo...
Aug 06, 2018•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 16
"The Clean House" is one of Sarah Ruhl's most popular plays. The script follows several stories: Lane is a doctor who discovers her husband is cheating on her; Matilde is a cleaning woman who would rather be a comedian; Ana is a free-spirited woman who is dying of cancer; Virginia is Lane's sister, and desperate for a change in her mundane life. The script has never been one of Jacob's favorites, but maybe Jackson can sway him! Listen in as J&J talk about Ruhl's use of unusual structuring an...
Jul 30, 2018•58 min•Ep. 15
Rajiv Joseph's play "Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo" is a compelling, gritty look at the U.S. invasion of Iraq. The play is set in 2003, and follows the lives of two U.S. soliders and an Iraqi translator in Baghdad. Oh, and there's a dead tiger ghost too. Join us as Jackson and Jacob try to make sense of this chaotic, violent, wierd play. They discuss PTSD, theology, and beauty in the midst of rubble. ------------------------------ We had so much fun talking about this play, and we’d love to ke...
Jul 23, 2018•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 14
Doubt or certainty? Which is the basis of faith? John Patrick Shanley's parable play "Doubt" explores this question in a gripping, explosive mystery. This is the first episode about a play Jacob has actually done. (Jackson's first was "Oedipus Rex.") The plot follows the head of a Catholic school - Sister Aloysius. She becomes convinced that the school's pastor, Father Flynn, is abusing one of the young boys. Her campaign against him is subject to scrutiny by the audience, who never learn if Sis...
Jul 16, 2018•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 13
This week is another episode of the boys' classic series. Jackson and Jacob dive into Lorraine Hansberry's play "A Raisin in the Sun." This script is a staple in American theatre history. It was the first play written by an African American woman to be produced on Broadway, and has been turned into a famous movie staring Sidney Poitier. Join us as J&J talk about dreams, racism, and the wonderful controversy over the play's leading character. ------------------------------ We had so much fun ...
Jul 09, 2018•1 hr•Ep. 12
It's Fourth of July week! Jackson and Jacob are celebrating by talking about Wendy Wasserstein's play "An American Daughter." The story follows a nominee to Surgeon General, Lyssa Dent Hughes. Lyssa is being interviewed on television when she and her family/friends accidently say a few things that get... misconstrued?... by the media and the country. This sends Lyssa's life and confirmation into chaos. Join us as J&J talk about infidelity, feminism, and the many wrongdoings of President Gran...
Jul 02, 2018•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 11
Sam Shepard's "True West" is a script Jackson and Jacob have always wanted to do together. It's the story of estranged brothers - Lee and Austin - who visit their childhood home outside Los Angeles. What happens in that little suburban home is absolutely gripping. Join us as J&J discuss the ever-present tension between coyotes and cocker spaniels. ------------------------------ We had so much fun talking about this play, and we’d love to keep the conversation going! What were some of your th...
Jun 25, 2018•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 10
This week on "No Script," Jackson and Jacob talk about Mary Zimmerman's "Metamorphoses." The play is an adaption of Ovid's myths, including such well known stories as Orpheus and Eurydice, Eros and Psyche, and King Midas. And, get this, the whole thing is set in a pool! "Metamorphoses" is one of Jacob's all-time favorite scripts. Listen in as J&J uncover the images, the themes, and the method behind this masterpiece. ------------------------------ We had so much fun talking about this play, ...
Jun 18, 2018•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 9
In "The Roomate," Jen Silverman puts two very different women inside a large farmhouse in Iowa, just to see what happens! This funny, poignant, and witty play is the subject of this week's "No Script." Jackson and Jacob talk about drug lords, estranged children, and whether or not Jen Silverman hates Iowa. "The Roomate" will be playing at Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago starting on June 21. ------------------------------ We had so much fun talking about this play, and we’d love to keep the conver...
Jun 11, 2018•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 8
This week, Jackson and Jacob explore the world of Paula Vogel's play "How I Learned to Drive." Stylized and somewhat absurd, "How I Learned to Drive" is a whirlwind tour through one girl's experience of childhood sexual assault. J&J talk about Vogel's use of characters, a Greek chorus, and titles from Driver's Ed videos. They also break down the ways in which Vogel makes the play's abuser seem more and more insidious. ------------------------------ CONTENT WARNING: This play and conversation...
Jun 04, 2018•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 7
This week on "No Script: The Podcast," Jacob and Jackson go way back. Together, they dive into one of the oldest scripts in theatre history - "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles. Join us as J&J discuss power, pride, and the core of drama. ------------------------------ We had so much fun talking about this play, and we’d love to keep the conversation going! What were some of your thoughts if you’ve read or have seen the play? What are you favorite themes? Characters? Plot Points? Or do you disagree w...
May 28, 2018•50 min•Ep. 6
David Mamet's play "American Buffalo" is gritty, sharp, and oh-so-funny. Jackson and Jacob explore the humor, the language, and the changes of power in one of Mamet's most popular scripts. First produced in 1975, "American Buffalo" still feels fresh and inventive. This week's "No Script" is J&J's first episode on a Mamet script, and they tenatively wade into the wild world of Mametspeak. ------------------------------ CONTENT WARNING: Harsh lanugage, some violence. --------------------------...
May 21, 2018•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 5
In this episode of "No Script," Jackson and Jacob dive into Rebecca Gilman's play "Boy Gets Girl." Though it was originally produced in the year 2000, the themes and conversations contained in this script feel especially relevant in our #MeToo world. Listen in as J&J grapple with dating, sexual harrasment, and gender violence. "Boy Gets Girl" was originally produced at the Goodman Theatre, and was nominated for the Outer Critics Circle Award and the Olivier Award. ---------------------------...
May 14, 2018•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 4
This week Jackson and Jacob dive into a real treasure of dramatic literature. "Wit" by Magaret Edson is the 1999 winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Edson's first play (seriously) is the tender, poetic, and philosophically complex tale of Vivian Bearing, an English professor who is being treated for late-stage ovarian cancer. Listen in as J&J discuss metaphysical poetry, the afterlife, and the noble profession of nursing. ------------------------------ We had so much fun talking about th...
May 07, 2018•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 3
This week, in honor of huge blockbuster movies coming out (go see Avengers, seriously... it's a must) Jackson and Jacob are discussing the 2014 Pulitzer Prize winning play “The Flick” written by Annie Baker. This very relational play gets the guys asking all sorts of questions about work relationships, romantic involvement, and there’s even some brief zodiac thrown in there for good measure. ------------------------------ We had so much fun talking about this play, and we’d love to keep the conv...
Apr 30, 2018•1 hr•Ep. 2
In their first ever episode, Jackson and Jacob discuss the 2017 Pulitzer Prize winning play “Sweat” written by Lynn Nottage. It is a gritty, compelling, and heartbreaking play about the American attitude toward class and how friendships can be strained and even broken as the result of individuals pursuit of different goals. We had so much fun talking about this play, and we’d love to keep the conversation going! What were some of your thoughts if you’ve read or have seen the play? What are you f...
Apr 23, 2018•46 min•Ep. 1
