In today's episode, we are joined by New York Times bestselling author Evelyn Skye to discuss her debut adult novel THE HUNDRED LOVES OF JULIET and her process for adapting one of Shakespeare's most famous stories into her own. THE HUNDRED LOVES OF JULIET is available now, wherever you get your books! Join us on our Patreon later this month as we dive deeper into the book (with spoilers!) with Evelyn. THE HUNDRED LOVES OF JULIET is a modern reimagining of Romeo and Juliet, with a twist: Romeo ha...
Aug 02, 2023•27 min
In today's episode, we are starting off our discussions on Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus by discussing trauma and trauma theory and how trauma and trauma theory appear throughout the play. We will discuss the cultural effect of Lavinia's trauma and the ethics involved in reproducing that trauma onstage in both Shakespeare's time and today. Finally, we'll discuss how theatremakers and educators use trauma-informed practices to responsibly engage with early modern works that contain trauma. We re...
Jul 19, 2023•51 min
When we decided to name the episodes where we cover major themes, the main sources, and key background information for Shakespeare’s plays, we definitely weren’t thinking of the implications it would have for this play in particular. But now we are here, and discussing stuff to chew on for Titus Andronicus! Content warning: Titus Andronicus contains depictions and descriptions of acts of mutilation, graphic discussions of sexual assault and rape, overt racism, non-consensual cannibalism, and tor...
Jul 05, 2023•27 min
It's time for a new play, which means a new synopsis! We are diving into Titus Andronicus today, and we will be breaking down this play scene by scene. Content Warning: Titus Andronicus contains depictions and descriptions of acts of mutilation, graphic discussions of sexual assault and rape, overt racism, non-consensual cannibalism, and torture. Please listen with care. Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Special thanks to Nat Yonce for guest-editing t...
Jun 21, 2023•1 hr 27 min
In today's episode, we are joined by Dr. Trevor Boffone and Dr. Danielle Rosvally to chat about Yassified Shakespeare, their recent Shakespeare Bulletin article, "'Everyone in illyria is bi you absolute cowards': Shakespeare TikTok, Twelfth Night , and the Search for a Queer Utopia," and the intersection between Shakespeare, social media, and queer youth cultural aesthetics. We also sing some showtunes! Trevor Boffone went viral in 2019 and hasn't looked back. His work using TikTok and Instagram...
Jun 07, 2023•1 hr 1 min
It's our final episode of our series on A Midsummer Night's Dream! As always, we watch multiple productions of the play and share our thoughts. Join us as we discuss 1999's film version directed by Michael Hoffman which features a star-studded cast and incredible scenery alongside the National Theatre's 2019 production starring Gwendoline Christie as Titania which was notable for swapping Titania and Oberon's language for most of the play. You'll also learn why Elyse struggles to enjoy productio...
May 24, 2023•1 hr 8 min
In today's episode, we explore the fascinating history of trade and commerce in Britain, starting from prehistoric times and ending in Shakespeare's era. This episode topic was chosen by our by our Patreon patrons at the Gentry, Noble, and Royal Patron levels. Special thanks to Collective Action Comics Podcast, Claire Sharp, Elizabeth Sharman and Katie Smith! Discover how the monetization of England's economy fueled the growth of trade and commerce, and how merchant guilds helped shape trade reg...
May 10, 2023•23 min
In today's episode, we take a closer look at how climate change affected early modern England--especially during the Little Ice Age, a period of global cooling that occurred from the 16th to the 19th century. We explore how this environmental phenomenon influenced the works of Shakespeare and his contemporaries, and what it can teach us about our current global climate crisis. To help us gain a deeper understanding of the issue, we are joined by Sydney Schwindt. Sydney Schwindt wears many hats i...
Apr 26, 2023•1 hr 18 min
In today's episode, we'll be diving into the fascinating topic of changeling children in Shakespeare. Changeling children were believed to be babies that were swapped by fairies with their own offspring, leaving behind an imposter. This myth was prevalent in Shakespeare's time and appears in many of his plays. We'll explore the historical and cultural context behind the changeling myth, including its origins in folklore and its significance in Shakespeare's time. We'll discuss how the myth refle...
Apr 12, 2023•20 min
In this episode, we explore Shakespeare's use of political satire within the pastoral comedy genre, focusing on A Midsummer Night's Dream . The pastoral genre, which originated in ancient Greek literature, involves stories set in a rustic, rural world that idealizes the simplicity and harmony of nature. During the Renaissance through Elizabethan and Stuart England, writers continued to use the pastoral setting to explore social and political issues of their time, and Shakespeare was no exception...
Mar 29, 2023•58 min
In today's episode, we are joined by award-winning poet Elizabeth Sylvia to discuss her latest collection of poetry, None But Witches: Poems on Shakespeare's Women , the inspiration she took from Shakespeare's works, and the process behind this collection. Elizabeth Sylvia is the winner of the 5th annual Three Mile Harbor Poetry Prize. She lives in Mattapoisett, MA and teaches high school English in Bourne. Her poetry has been published in a wide range of literary journals, including Salamander ...
Mar 15, 2023•40 min
At the heart of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream is a fantastical world of fairies, magic, and mythical creatures, and in this episode, we explore the different influences that helped to shape this world. First up, we look at the rich tradition of English fairy folklore, which was still very much a part of the popular imagination during Shakespeare's time. We take a journey back in time to the early medieval period, when the Anglo-Saxon and Celtic cultures first began to develop t...
Mar 01, 2023•54 min
In today's episode, we will be exploring how the bubonic plague impacted society and culture in early modern England. We'll discuss governmental and individual responses as well has the effect quarantines had on the early modern theatre and the development of Shakespeare's plays. And we'll learn that, when compared to the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic...well, not much has changed. Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Music is "Neverending Minu...
Feb 15, 2023•23 min
Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of topics that may not be suitable for all audiences. Please listen with care. In this episode, we explore the depictions of sex and sexuality in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream . While this play (and many of Shakespeare's comedies) end with a hetero-normative marriage or three, we'll explore the depictions of queer sex in Early Modern literature and Shakespeare before diving into Early Modern England's fascination with bestiality and zo...
Feb 01, 2023•53 min
It's time to talk about donkeys! Just kidding...a little. In this episode, we are going to unpack the major themes and tropes in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream . We'll also discuss the challenges presented by some problematic plot points and what theatremakers are left to reckon with when they produce A Midsummer Night's Dream. Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Korey Leigh Smith and Elyse Sharp. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. Follow us on Instagram at ...
Jan 18, 2023•26 min
Hello 2023! It is time for us to embark on our next play: A Midsummer Night's Dream ! As always, we begin our series with a synopsis of the play in case it has been a while since you've read the play or if it is completely new to you. So, let's dive into a summary of a play about fairies, lovers, and a donkey! Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. Follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod for upda...
Jan 04, 2023•1 hr
As we wrap up 2022, we are taking a look back at the plays we covered this year by re-reading them and discussing how our readings of the plays has changed after doing our research for our episodes. Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Korey Leigh Smith and Elyse Sharp. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. Follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod for updates or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone...
Dec 21, 2022•23 min
In today's episode, we are joined by Professor Arthur W. Frank to discuss his new work, King Lear: Shakespeare's Dark Consolations , part of Oxford University Press's My Readin g series. We discuss Frank's work outside of the realm of Shakespeare, what drew him to Shakespeare and King Lear , and how the play can offer insight into our own lives. As part of the My Reading series, King Lear is a personal meditation on a great literary work. Arthur Frank brings a career of studying illness experien...
Dec 07, 2022•52 min
In recognition of the National Day of Mourning/Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, we are examining how British colonialism impacted the depiction of people of color in Shakespeare's work. We also suggest listening to our episode on Shakespeare and the Colonial Imagination ( Website | Apple Podcasts | Spotify ) and the All My Relations podcast’s episode “ThanksTaking or ThanksGiving” ( Website | Apple Podcasts | Spotify ) Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and E...
Nov 23, 2022•23 min
We’re changing things up a bit today and bringing you a preview of a new podcast we’re enjoying and think you will, too. Where There’s a Will searches for the surprising places Shakespeare shows up outside the theater. Host Barry Edelstein, artistic director at one of the country’s leading Shakespeare theaters, and co-host writer and director Em Weinstein, ask what is it about Shakespeare that’s given him a continuous afterlife in all sorts of unexpected ways? You’ll hear Shakespeare doing rehab...
Nov 17, 2022•15 min
We've reached the end of our Hamlet series! As always, to wrap up our study of a play, we are looking at a handful of noteworthy adaptations and critiquing them. With Hamlet , there were so many great ones to choose from (ahem, The Lion King ), but to keep this episode from being as long as the play we stuck to the following: Grigori Kozinstev's 1964 Russian film adaptation Kenneth Branagh's 1996 Hamlet film adaptation Royal Shakespeare Company's 2016 production starring Paapa Essiedu Shakespear...
Nov 09, 2022•1 hr 25 min
In our latest installment of our Shakespeare's Language Framework series, we are discussing the opposite of a discussion: soliloquies and asides! In this episode, we look at Marcus Nordland's work with the Shakespearean Inside Database and what trends we can find in the solo speeches of Shakespeare when we look at them across the Complete Works. Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Note: When this episode was recorded, Kourtney Smith was "Korey Leigh Smi...
Oct 26, 2022•21 min
Have you ever wondered why Claudius becomes king over Hamlet? In today's episode, we are exploring the laws of succession that Shakespeare's audience would have understood and diving into how modern productions have highlighted the geopolitical themes within the play. Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Note: When this episode was recorded, Kourtney Smith was "Korey Leigh Smith". Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. Follow us on Instagra...
Oct 12, 2022•54 min
In today's mini-episode, we'll be talking about the touring theatre companies of Shakespeare's time. Did companies like the Players in Hamlet actually exist (and is Shakespeare's depiction of them accurate)? What do we know about them? Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Note: When this episode was recorded, Kourtney Smith was "Korey Leigh Smith". Episode written and researched by Kourtney Smith. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. Foll...
Sep 28, 2022•22 min
In today's episode, we are expanding our research on Early Modern beliefs about ghosts. We'll looking be at how folk tales and ghost stories influenced the writing of Hamlet and the depiction of King Hamlet's ghost as much as (or possibly more than) Early Modern religious beliefs about the afterlife. We'll also discuss the details of how a ghost would appear onstage in Shakespeare's time and how early theatrical traditions influenced Shakespeare and his company. Shakespeare Anyone? is created an...
Sep 14, 2022•53 min
Today's episode is brought to you by our Patreon Patrons at the Gentry, Noble, and Royal Patron levels! They voted on today's topic: Shakespearean Woodcuts! Woodcuts were a popular Early Modern print-making method used to add illustrations to printed publications and were kind of like an Early Modern meme. Check out some of our favorites below: Hans Holbein's The Dance of Death series Works by Albrecht Durer The Beggar's Delight (a Broadside Ballad) The English Broadside Ballad Archive Shakespea...
Aug 31, 2022•23 min
In today's episode, we are going to be discussing the female characters of Hamlet: Ophelia and Gertrude. We will be tackling some of the more difficult parts of the play for modern readers and theater-makers: the misogyny and seeming lack of female agency. In the first half, Korey will help us grapple with the seemingly inherent misogyny of the text (is the play misogynist just because the title character is? Or is there another possible reading?). Then, Elyse will lead us through what an Early ...
Aug 17, 2022•59 min
In today's mini-episode, we are joined by independent author Carly Stevens to discuss her recently released novel, Laertes , and the process and inspiration behind writing a piece of modern narrative fiction based on Shakespeare's characters. Carly Stevens lives in Colorado Springs, where she has taught high school English (and Hamlet !) for over ten years. Writing Laertes is the fulfilment of a long-time dream. She also writes immersive YA fantasy novels set in the dark but beautiful world of t...
Aug 03, 2022•29 min
In today's episode, we will be exploring the trope of antic disposition in William Shakespeare's Hamlet and asking the questions: does Hamlet actually go mad, or is he just pretending the whole time? What function did Hamlet's madness (pretend or otherwise) serve for Shakespeare's audience and what does it mean for audiences today? Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Note: When this episode was recorded, Kourtney Smith was "Korey Leigh Smith". Music is ...
Jul 20, 2022•49 min
In today's episode, we are covering the major themes, tropes, and topics related to William Shakespeare's Hamlet . We'll also discuss the challenges involved in reading, performing, and editing Hamlet as well as how scholars have struggled to determine when exactly Hamlet was written. Content warning: because of this play's themes, we will be discussing mental health and suicide in this episode. Listen with care. Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Note...
Jul 06, 2022•32 min
