Episode 50 has arrived. For this momentous occasion, Jackson and Jacob celebrate the world's most famous playwright: William Shakespeare. Together, they dive into the dastardly plans of Shakespeare's mad tyrant. In "Richard III," Shakespeare asks his audience to consider a man who is both the play's protagonist . . . and its villain. ------------------------------ Please consider supporting us on Patreon. For as low as $1/month, you can help to ensure the No Script Podcast can continue. https://...
May 06, 2019•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 50
The plot? It seems simple enough. Two couples meet to discuss the fight between their children. But what occurs over the course of this sharp play is anything but simple. Yasmina Reza's "God of Carnage" asks questions about the masks we wear and the loyalties we keep . . . or pretend to keep. Listen in as Jackson and Jacob weave through the complicated shifting alliances and power dynamics of this brilliant script. ------------------------------ Please consider supporting us on Patreon. For as l...
Apr 29, 2019•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 49
This week on "No Script," Jackson and Jacob discuss one of theatre's classic comedies - "The Importance of Being Earnest." This 1895 play by Oscar Wilde has earned a place as one of the most produced plays in the English language. But is it still funny? Listen in to hear what J&J think. ------------------------------ Please consider supporting us on Patreon. For as low as $1/month, you can help to ensure the No Script Podcast can continue. https://www.patreon.com/noscriptpodcast We want to k...
Apr 22, 2019•57 min•Ep. 48
Early in their college years, Jackson and Jacob produced a lovely 10-minute play by Jeffrey Sweet called "Cover." Now, years later, J&J return to Jeffrey Sweet for this new episode of No Script. Sweet's play "Bluff" is funny, gripping, and intensely theatrical. It's a simple story told brilliantly. Listen in! ------------------------------ Please consider supporting us on Patreon. For as low as $1/month, you can help to ensure the No Script Podcast can continue. https://www.patreon.com/noscr...
Apr 15, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 47
A girl's soccer team warms up for a game - six weeks of games, actually. As the team stretches, the audiences watches these women engage life's biggest questions... and friendship's pettiest arguments. Listen in this week as Jackson and Jacob take on the play that's sweeping the nation - Sarah DeLappe's "The Wolves." ------------------------------ Please consider supporting us on Patreon. For as low as $1/month, you can help to ensure the No Script Podcast can continue. https://www.patreon.com/n...
Apr 08, 2019•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 46
In Season 1, Jackson and Jacob discussed Annie Baker's Pulitzer Prize winning script "The Flick." Now, in Season 2, they turn to one of her earlier, better known works. "Circle Mirror Transformation" is a delightful, touching look at a community center theatre class. Listen in as Jackson and Jacob break down Baker's use of silence and subtext. ------------------------------ Please consider supporting us on Patreon. For as low as $1/month, you can help to ensure the No Script Podcast can continue...
Apr 01, 2019•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 45
It is the final week of Miller Month here on No Script. Three plays down . . . one to go. And boy, it's a big one. We've saved perhaps Miller's most incredible, powerful, important script for last. Of course, it's "Death of a Salesman." Listen in as J&J weave their way through Miller's poignant narrative about Willy Loman and his family. ------------------------------ Please consider supporting us on Patreon. For as low as $1/month, you can help to ensure the No Script Podcast can continue. ...
Mar 25, 2019•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 44
Week 3 of Miller Month is here. We're almost halfway through. Can you believe it? This week, listen in as Jackson and Jacob explore the play that saved Miller's career . . . "All My Sons." It's the story of past sins, long-held shame, and country healing after WWII. ------------------------------ Please consider supporting us on Patreon. For as low as $1/month, you can help to ensure the No Script Podcast can continue. https://www.patreon.com/noscriptpodcast We want to keep the conversation goin...
Mar 18, 2019•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 43
In this second week of Miller Month, Jackson and Jacob discuss Arthur Miller's devastating tragedy "A View From the Bridge." It's a tale of jealousy, inappropriate affection, and disastrous consequences - does this sound like a Greek tragedy or what? Listen in! ------------------------------ Please consider supporting us on Patreon. For as low as $1/month, you can help to ensure the No Script Podcast can continue. https://www.patreon.com/noscriptpodcast We want to keep the conversation going! Ha...
Mar 11, 2019•57 min•Ep. 42
Miller Month has officially arrived. In this first week, Jackson and Jacob dive into Miller's imagining of the Salem Witch Trials - "The Crucible." What happens when a town, and a whole society, let paranoia and revenge rule their courts? Listen in as J&J discuss theocracy, revenge, and what really counts as evidence. ------------------------------ Please consider supporting us on Patreon. For as low as $1/month, you can help to ensure the No Script Podcast can continue. https://www.patreon....
Mar 04, 2019•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 41
How do we carry grief? What manifestations does grief have in our daily lives, our relationships? In his 2007 Pulitzer Prize winning script "Rabbit Hole," David Lindsay-Abaire paints a portrait of a family in grief. This week on No Script, Jackson and Jacob explore that portrait, looking at the ways in which Lindsay-Abaire uses things like blame and object negotiation to guide his characters through the many missteps of grief. ------------------------------ Please consider supporting us on Patre...
Feb 25, 2019•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 40
Years ago, Jacob discovered a copy of this play in a used bookstore. He fell in love with the script and it has claimed the top spot on his directing wish-list ever since. Now, he and Jackson dive into the rich story and beautiful language of "Galileo" by Bertolt Brecht. The play is a fictionalized account of Galileo's life, focusing especially on his conflict with the Catholic Church after he discovers that the sun does not revolve around the earth. Listen in as J&J discuss Epic theatre, sc...
Feb 18, 2019•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 39
For the first time on No Script, Jackson and Jacob are discussing a script they have actually acted in together - Dale Wasserman's "Man of La Mancha." Loosely based on the famous story of Don Quixote, "Man of La Mancha" follows the mad knight in his quest to vanquish evil and sway the heart of his beloved Dulcinea. Join us as J&J discuss Quixote's infectious spirit, his comic sidekick, and the plight of Aldonza. ------------------------------ Please consider supporting us on Patreon. For as ...
Feb 11, 2019•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 38
Is there a hell? This question has inspired much debate in the Christian world. And it is at the core of Lucas Hnath's play "The Christians." Just after his newly built church building is paid off, Pastor Paul announces that he is leading the church in a new direction - they will no longer believe in hell. The play follows the aftermath of this decision. Listen in as Jackson and Jacob explore the brilliant specificity of Hnath's play. ------------------------------ Please consider supporting us ...
Feb 04, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 37
In the aftermath of the 1989 Romanian Revolution, Caryl Churchill conducted interviews with witnesses and survivors. That material was developed into her much loved script "Mad Forest." Fascinating imagery defines the play, and Churchill's characters are empathetic and human. This week on "No Script," Jackson and Jacob dive into this complex and rich piece of dramatic literature. ------------------------------ We want to keep the conversation going! Have you read this play? Have you seen it? Com...
Jan 28, 2019•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 36
One of America's defining male playwrights is David Rabe. This week on No Script, Jackson and Jacob take on his chaotic, foul look at 1980s Hollywood - "Hurlyburly." The play is the story of the friendship between a group of young Hollywood professionals. The core of this friendship seems to be cocaine, womanizing, alcohol, and parties. Listen in as J&J dig to find the nugget of gold in Rabe's sweeping play. Content Warning: This play/conversation contains foul language and depictions of dru...
Jan 21, 2019•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 35
Christopher Durang's "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike" is a delightful, character-driven comedy. It won the 2013 Tony Award for Best Play and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play. The script follows three adult siblings as they confront an ever changing world. This week on No Script, listen in as Jackson and Jacob talk Chekhov, technology, and - yes - voodoo. ------------------------------ We want to keep the conversation going! Have you read this play? Have you seen it? Comment and tel...
Jan 14, 2019•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 34
Season 2 is here!!! In this opening episode, Jackson and Jacob return to Lynn Nottage, whose work they discussed in the very first No Script episode ever. This time, J&J discuss "Ruined," the winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Based on interviews with survivors, "Ruined" is the story of several women as they attempt to navigate the treacherous waters of a civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Content Warning: This play and this episode both contain discussions of rape and ...
Jan 07, 2019•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 33
In their final episode of Season 1, Jackson and Jacob take on a recent Pulitzer Prize winning script - Ayad Akhtar's "Disgraced." The play follows Amir, a young lawyer looking to make partner at his firm. His wife Emily is breaking into the art world with a new collection based on Islamic forms. But Amir feels some hostility towards the Islamic heritage of his family. When an art collector friend of Emily's arrives for dinner, things really start to heat up. After this episode, we will be taking...
Nov 26, 2018•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 32
Only two more episodes left in our first season! This week, Jackson and Jacob explore Edward Albee's classic two-hander, "The Zoo Story." Peter is out enjoying a beautiful Sunday afternoon when he is approached by Jerry. Their interaction makes up the whole of this long one-act. Join us as we explore human relationships and the nature of violence. ------------------------------ We had so much fun talking about this play, and we’d love to keep the conversation going! What were some of your though...
Nov 19, 2018•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 31
Imaginary friends, ancient mythologies, modern mental medicine... these things all come together in American playwright Mary Chase's 1944 play "Harvey." This week's conversation continues the pattern of pulling from Pulitzer Prize winning scripts - "Harvey" won in 1945. Join us as Jackson and Jacob discuss this comedic mainstay of community and educational theatre. ------------------------------ We had so much fun talking about this play, and we’d love to keep the conversation going! What were s...
Nov 12, 2018•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 30
Eugene O'Neill is well known for his dark, brooking tragedies. But in their first discussion on an O'Neill play, Jackson and Jacob take on his one and only comedy: "Ah, Wilderness!" The play follows the Miller family, who are enjoying another wonderful Fourth of July holiday. Trouble brews when Richard Miller - a rebellious 16 year old - is dumped by his girlfriend Muriel and goes on a wild binge as a result. Listen in as J&J talk about O'Neill's use of natural imagery and character developm...
Nov 05, 2018•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 29
Stephen Adly Guirgis recently won a Pulitzer for his play "Between Riverside and Crazy." So to honor the prolific playwright, Jackson and Jacob head back 20 years to one of Guirgis' early plays: "Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train." This piece is one of Guirgis' most well-known scripts, and its shocking, fast-paced dialogue is characteristic of the masterful American playwright. Listen in as J&J discuss the King of Titles! ------------------------------ We had so much fun talking about this play, an...
Oct 29, 2018•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 28
"The Laramie Project" is a fanscinating play about a tragic subject - the torture and murder of University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard. After the murder (and subsequent trial of the attackers) Moises Kaufman takes members of the Tectonic Theater Project to Laramie, Wyoming to interview community members. Their journey is what makes up the play. This week on No Script, Jackson and Jacob parse the pages of this staged documentary for the incredible treasures of storytelling Kaufman has mast...
Oct 22, 2018•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 27
Is Cyrano Jacob's dream role? Does Jackson think Christian is as empty-headed as he seems? These questions and more are discussed on this week's episode of "No Script: The Podcast." The guys dive into a classic piece of Western literature - Edmond Rostand's "Cyrano de Bergerac." ------------------------------ 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?...
Oct 15, 2018•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 26
CONTENT WARNING: This play/episode contains serious and lengthy discussions about mental illness and suicide. Marsha Norman's "'night, Mother" may be one of the darkest plays discussed on "No Script" thus far. It follows the story of Jessie and her mother Thelma. They live together in a country home. One seemingly normal evening, Jessie tells Thelma that she plans to kill herself. What follows is a harrowing, gripping theatrical experience. Listen in as Jackson and Jacob try to make sense of thi...
Oct 08, 2018•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 25
Amy Herzog's script 4000 Miles was a finalist for the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Leo has just biked across the continental United States, and experienced a life-altering tragedy along the way. His grandmother Vera lives alone in New York, and is incredibly isolated. Herzog crams these two strong-willed people together inside Vera's apartment, and what follows is a beautiful character study. Join us this week as Jackson and Jacob try to untangle the complicated lives of Leo and Vera. --------...
Oct 01, 2018•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 24
The final week of Musical Month is here. And it has come too soon. Don't worry - we will definitely be doing more musicals as part of our regular programming in the near future! Our final conversation of Musical Month is on "Next to Normal" - still one of the most popular musicals of the past 10 years. Jackson and Jacob take on the musicals complicated plot twists and deep themes. ------------------------------ We had so much fun talking about this play, and we’d love to keep the conversation go...
Sep 24, 2018•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 23
In the 2018 Tony Awards, "The Band's Visit" cleaned up. Nominated for 11 awards, it went on to win 10 of them. If you've read the script and listened to the soundtrack, it is easy to see why. This week on No Script, Jackson and Jacob talk about this beautiful script which self-proclaims as "not very important." Its simple stories and gorgeous, dream-like music create an enriching and inspiring experience. Join us in our conversation! ------------------------------ We had so much fun talking abou...
Sep 17, 2018•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 22
Is listening to "No Script" your Monday "Traaaaaadition"? If not, this is a good Monday to cement that weekly pattern. Jackson and Jacob talk about one of the defining plays in musical theatre - Fiddler on the Roof . Revivals of this charming script continue to pop up, and it's a pretty good guess that someone (maybe a high school, maybe a community theatre) is producing Fiddler within 50 miles of you. It's popular; it's wonderful. On this week's episode, J&J talk about Russian history, pray...
Sep 10, 2018•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 21
