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No Script: The Podcast

No Script: The Podcastnoscriptpodcast.podbean.com
An unscripted conversation about theatre’s best scripts with theatre-philes Jackson Nickolay and Jacob Mann Christiansen
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Episodes

S10.E01 | ”Fat Ham” by James Ijames

No Script returns with Season 10! In this episode, Jackson and Jacob discuss the provocative new Pulitzer Prize-winning play Fat Ham by James Ijames. A contemporary adaption of Hamlet , Fat Ham is witty and engaging - a lovely way to honor the story of Hamlet while, simultaneously, playing on our expectations of it. 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.pat...

Feb 06, 202357 minEp. 200

S9.E19 | ”Barbecue” by Robert O’Hara

In the final episode of Season 9, Jackson and Jacob discuss an incredible piece of drama from contemporary American playwright Robert O'Hara. "Barbecue" is a dramaturgical gem, with several unique theatrical features blended into a stand-alone piece of theatre. 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 ----------------------------- W...

Dec 19, 202253 minEp. 199

S9.E18 | ”Waiting for Lefty” by Clifford Odets

This week on No Script, Jackson and Jacob discuss a classic American play. Clifford Odets' "Waiting for Lefty" is a stunningly relevant piece from 1935. Listen in as J&J chat about its remarkable theatrical maturity. ------------------------------ 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! Have you read...

Dec 12, 202253 minEp. 198

S9.E17 | ”After the Revolution” by Amy Herzog

"After the Revolution" by Amy Herzog is part of a pair of plays about the same family. Jackson and Jacob discussed the other play ("4000 Miles") early in No Script's history. This week, they discuss "After the Revolution." 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! ...

Dec 05, 202254 minEp. 197

S9.E16| Revisiting ”Between Riverside And Crazy” by Stephen Adly Guirgis

In the final episode of this season's themed month, Jackson and Jacob revisit Stephen Adly Guirgis' play Between Riverside and Crazy . Jackson, now having listened to the LATW production of the play, brings a new view on the incredible performability of Guirgis' work. Listen to the original episode on Between Riverside and Crazy here: https://noscriptpodcast.podbean.com/e/s8e1-between-riverside-and-crazy-by-stephen-adly-guirgis/ https://open.spotify.com/episode/1rsbJJ3ojC3KLfKXCpiJNG -----------...

Nov 28, 202233 minEp. 196

S9.E15 | Revisiting ”The Christians” by Lucas Hnath

This week, Jacob is joined by special guest Michael Legg to discuss Lucas Hnath's play The Christians . Legg was part of the Humana Festival at the Actor's Theatre of Louisville when The Christians was commissioned. This discussion is part of Season 9's themed month "New Chats, Old Scripts." Each week, No Script discusses a play that has previously appeared on the podcast, coming at the script from a new angle or perspective. Listen to the original episode on The Christians here: https://www.pod...

Nov 21, 202237 minEp. 195

S9.E14 | Revisiting ”Men on Boats” by Jaclyn Backhaus

In the second episode of the Season 9 Themed Month, "New Chats, Old Scripts," Jackson and Jacob have an abbreviated follow up conversation about Jaclyn Backhaus' play "Men on Boats." Listen to the original episode here: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-edww2-10ecd71 https://open.spotify.com/episode/4pDBHql3WHSz6Q0nth3pnL?si=IZk1kVtaR7WpBH0yu0X7bQ ------------------------------ Please consider supporting us on Patreon. For as low as $1/month, you can help to ensure the No Script Podcast can continue...

Nov 14, 202231 minEp. 194

S9.E13 | Revisiting ”Dinner with Friends” by Donald Margulies

In the first episode of the Season 9 Themed Month, Jackson and Jacob have a "new chat" about an "old script." In this month, J&J have short, follow-up conversations covering scripts already discussed in the previous 8 seasons of No Script. This week: "Dinner with Friends" by Donald Margulies, which Jacob directed earlier this summer. Listen to the original episode here: https://noscriptpodcast.podbean.com/e/no-script-the-podcast-s3-episode-13-dinner-with-friends-by-donald-margulies/ https://...

Nov 07, 202234 minEp. 193

S9.E12 | ”The Behavior of Broadus” by Burglars of Hamm

This week on No Script, a satiric, wildly comedic script by Burglars of Hamm, a writing/performing collective. The musical follows (very loosely) the life of John B. Watson, a scientist whose theory of behaviorism changed psychology as we know it. There's also a talking rat......... 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 ---------...

Oct 31, 202252 minEp. 192

S9.E11 | ”Uncle Vanya” by Anton Chekhov

This week on No Script, Jackson and Jacob talk about one of the most influential playwrights in history: Anton Chekhov. His play "Uncle Vanya" is a brilliant tightrope between comedy and tragedy. The story of a barely-scraping-by farm community visited by an urban professor, "Uncle Vanya" is also a classic "stranger comes to town" play. Listen in as J&J discuss Chekhov! ------------------------------ Please consider supporting us on Patreon. For as low as $1/month, you can help to ensure the...

Oct 24, 20221 hr 1 minEp. 191

S9.E10 | ”Everybody” by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins

It's a play about life... or death? Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' play Everybody is an adaption of the famous morality play "Everyman." In his modernization, Jacobs-Jenkins uses form as a storytelling technique, employing several incredible theatrical devices. Listen in as Jackson and Jacob chat about this smart, engaging script. ------------------------------ 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.patreo...

Oct 17, 202258 minEp. 190

S9.E09 | ”Admissions” by Joshua Harmon

This week on No Script, Jackson and Jacob take on a challenging play about relevant contemporary issues. "Admissions," by Joshua Harmon, is a biting comedy about hypocrisy, and what happens when the things you believe in directly impact you. 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 c...

Oct 10, 202254 minEp. 189

S9.E08 | ”The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” by Simon Stephens

This week on No Script, Jackson and Jacob discuss one of the most famous novel adaptions in recent memory. Simon Stephens' play "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" is an adaption of the best seller novel of the same name by Mark Haddon. Listen in as J&J chat about the theatrical methods Simons used in adapting the novel. ------------------------------ Please consider supporting us on Patreon. For as low as $1/month, you can help to ensure the No Script Podcast can continue. h...

Oct 03, 202252 minEp. 188

S9.E07 | ”Native Gardens” by Karen Zacarías

On this week's episode, Jackson and Jacob take on Karen Zacarías' neighbor-comedy "Native Gardens." The play swept the nation before the pandemic, both for its chuckle-inducing portrayal of warring neighbors and its subtle political commentary. 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 th...

Sep 26, 202257 minEp. 187

S9.E06 | ”No Man’s Land” by Harold Pinter

This week on No Script, Jackson and Jacob discuss the work of a theatre legend. Harold Pinter is one of the most profoundly impactful playwrights in history, and his play "No Man's Land" gained recent popularity thanks to incredible performances by Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen. Listen in as J&J unpack the deep mysteries of this great script by an all-time great playwright. ------------------------------ Please consider supporting us on Patreon. For as low as $1/month, you can help to ens...

Sep 19, 202252 minEp. 186

S9.E05 | ”The Wash” by Philip Kan Gotanda

This week on No Script, Jackson and Jacob discuss Philip Kan Gotanda's play The Wash . In The Wash , Gotanda uses significant props and meaningful actions masterfully. Listen in to hear J&J geek out about Gotanda's skill as a dramatist. ------------------------------ 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 ...

Sep 12, 202257 minEp. 185

S9.E04 | ”Dancing at Lughnasa” by Brian Friel

After a long holiday weekend, No Script returns with a script about another fall holiday... in Ireland! Brian Friel's "Dancing at Lughnasa" is a memory play about an impoverished family in Ireland, and the joy and sorrows of their lives. 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 conve...

Sep 06, 202254 minEp. 184

S9.E03 | ”Dance Nation” by Clare Barron

Dance Nation by Clare Barron is a visceral, imaginative look back at adolescence. Listen in as Jackson and Jacob celebrate Barron's use of magical realism to offer an uncompromising reflection on the nature - and cost - of excellence. ------------------------------ 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!...

Aug 29, 202252 minEp. 183

S9.E02 | ”Little Shop of Horrors” by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman

This week on No Script, Jackson and Jacob double up on musicals. Last week was a fruitful discussion of a musical from the early 80s..... and this week is more of the same! J&J talk about "Little Shop of Horrors" by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. 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 k...

Aug 22, 202255 minEp. 182

S9.E01 | ”Sunday in the Park with George” by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine

No Script is back! In this first episode of Season 9, Jackson and Jacob discuss a product of one of America's strongest theatrical partnerships: Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine. Their musical Sunday in the Park with George is often called one of Sondheim's most personal works. Listen in as Jackson and Jacob explore this enthralling, puzzlingn piece. ------------------------------ Please consider supporting us on Patreon. For as low as $1/month, you can help to ensure the No Script Podcast can ...

Aug 15, 202257 minEp. 181

S8.E19 | ”Crimes of the Heart” by Beth Henley

In the last episode of the season, Jackson and Jacob discuss a true American classic. Beth Henley's Crimes of the Heart is a painful, hilarious family drama set in Mississippi. Kin to plays like Streetcar Named Desire, August: Osage County , and Buried Child , Crimes is another example of the way the American family controls the orbit of the American stage. Listen in to J&J discuss this great play! ------------------------------ Please consider supporting us on Patreon. For as low as $1/mont...

Jun 13, 202256 minEp. 180

S8.E18 | ”Street Scene” by Elmer Rice

This week on No Script, Jackson and Jacob go back nearly 100 years to discuss a script with massive theatrical daring. Elmer Rice's Street Scene is packed with people and stories, Rice's attempt to capture the pulsing heartbeat of a New York City street. Listen in as J&J admire the craftsmanship, abundance, and bravery of the play! ------------------------------ Please consider supporting us on Patreon. For as low as $1/month, you can help to ensure the No Script Podcast can continue. https:...

Jun 06, 202253 minEp. 179

S8.E17 | ”Lemon Sky” by Lanford Wilson with special guest Jeffrey Sweet

This week on No Script, Jacob welcomes special guest Jeffrey Sweet to the show. Sweet is a playwright and teacher based in New York City. Together, he and Jacob discuss Lanford Wilson's semi-autobiographical play Lemon Sky . Sweet knew Wilson personally, and discussed the play with him on several occasions. Sweet brings these experiences, and many more, to the discussion. Listen in! ------------------------------ Please consider supporting us on Patreon. For as low as $1/month, you can help to e...

May 30, 20221 hr 11 minEp. 178

S8.E16 | ”Eclipsed” by Danai Gurira

This week, Jackson and Jacob discuss a heartbreaking play. Eclipsed is Danai Guriria's moving piece about women and their struggle for survival during a civil war in Liberia. Listen in as J&J grapple with this difficult, powerful text. ------------------------------ 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 g...

May 23, 202252 minEp. 177

S8.E15 | ”What the Constitution Means to Me” by Heidi Shreck

In this week's episode of No Script, Jackson and Jacob discuss a semi-autobiographical play (or, more like, theatre event!) that has swept the nation in its half decade of life. What the Constitution Means to Me is a highly comedic, educational, political, deeply personal look at the American Constitution and its evolving relationship to women. Listen in! ------------------------------ Please consider supporting us on Patreon. For as low as $1/month, you can help to ensure the No Script Podcast ...

May 16, 202251 minEp. 176

S8.E14 | ”This Is Our Youth” by Kenneth Lonergan

One of the famous shows for young actors, Kenneth Lonergan's This Is Our Youth follows three people on the cusp of adulthood. With an acerbic wit and total irreverence, Lonergan paints an empathetic portrait. Listen in as Jackson and Jacob discuss this American classic. ------------------------------ 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 ...

May 09, 202257 minEp. 175

S8.E13 | ”The Gin Game” by D.L. Coburn

The Gin Game is a witty, irascible drama by D.L. Coburn. It won the 1978 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. This week on No Script, Jackson and Jacob discuss Coburn's tender, irreverent look at the sometimes lonely life inside a senior home. ------------------------------ 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! H...

May 02, 20221 hr 2 minEp. 174

S8.E12 | ”Soft Power” by David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori

The final episode of David Henry Hwang Month has arrived! Jackson and Jacob conclude their themed month by discussing Hwang's newest work, a musical written in collaboration with the great Jeanine Tesori. Soft Power is a satiric view of American politics. Listen in as Jackson and Jacob discuss how Soft Power is a play on The King and I . ------------------------------ Please consider supporting us on Patreon. For as low as $1/month, you can help to ensure the No Script Podcast can continue. http...

Apr 25, 202259 minEp. 173

S8.E11 | ”Chinglish” by David Henry Hwang

This week on No Script, Jackson and Jacob continue through the Season 8 themed month! In this third week of plays by David Henry Hwang, J&J discuss Hwang's play "Chinglish," a comic examination of the perils and pitfalls of cross-cultural communication. 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 wa...

Apr 18, 202254 minEp. 172

S8.E10 | ”Golden Child” by David Henry Hwang

In the second episode of David Henry Hwang month, Jackson and Jacob discuss one of Hwang's earliest semi-autobiographical works: Golden Child . This play is an examination of the pace and cost of change. 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! Have you read this ...

Apr 11, 202255 minEp. 171
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