Shakespeare Anyone?

In today's episode, we will be discussing the portrayal of women in Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus and how it reflects the evolving concept of girlhood in Early Modern England as well as popular conceptions of one specific woman involved in early modern European politics: Catherine de Medici.  Step into the past and uncover how linguistic developments in the early modern era point to an evolving understading of womanhood and how these developments appear in Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus.  Discover the enigmatic Catherine de Medici's profound influence on Shakespeare's iconic tragedy. Unveil the parallels between her powerful legacy and the depecition of Tamora, offering fresh perspectives on the play's timeless themes. Join us for a captivating episode that delves into history, literature, and their echoes in our world today on "Shakespeare Anyone!" 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 updates or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone Works referenced: Carney, Jo Eldridge. "“I’ll Find a Day to Massacre Them All”: Tamora in Titus Andronicus and Catherine de Médicis." Comparative Drama, vol. 48 no. 4, 2014, p. 415-435. Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/cdr.2014.0034. Higginbotham, Jennifer. “‘A Wentche, a Gyrle, a Damsell’: Defining Early Modern Girlhood.” The Girlhood of Shakespeare’s Sisters: Gender, Transgression, Adolescence, Edinburgh University Press, 2013, pp. 20–61. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3366/j.ctt20q22dc.6. Accessed 1 Aug. 2023.  

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 has been cursed to live forever, Juliet to reincarnate and die soon after they meet. Sometimes they only have minutes together, sometimes they have years. But she always—no matter what they do to prevent it—perishes. Told in alternating dual perspectives, “this novel cleverly imagines the epilogue the lovers didn’t get to have, and how curses can be blessings in disguise.” (Jodi Picoult) A STORY ORIGINATING FROM THE AUTHOR’S POIGNANT PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: In 2018, just ten months after they were married, Evelyn’s husband Tom underwent an emergency double lung transplant—and since the moment he woke, they have lived with the knowledge that any day could be his last. In the years following Tom’s surgery, Evelyn turned to her own writing to grapple with the uncertainty and anxiety of their future. She was drawn to the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet—but instead of immersing herself in the themes of desperation and senseless loss that mark Shakespeare’s best-known play, she was inspired to reimagine the eponymous characters as two regular people fighting against the heartbreaking fate that bound them together… and instead for the unshakeable, transcendent love that fate dealt them. EVELYN SKYE is the New York Times best selling author of eight novels, including The Crown's Game. A graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Law School, Skye lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and daughter. For more, follow her on Instagram at @evelyn_skye or visit evelynskye.com   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 updates or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone Works referenced: Skye, Evelyn. The Hundred Loves of Juliet. Del Rey Books, 2023.    

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 reference The Pillars developed by Intimacy Directors International, which can be found here.  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. 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 Works referenced: BROCKMAN, SONYA L. “TRAUMA AND ABANDONED TESTIMONY IN ‘TITUS ANDRONICUS’ AND ‘RAPE OF LUCRECE.’” College Literature, vol. 44, no. 3, 2017, pp. 344–78. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44504139. Accessed 11 July 2023. Mendoza, Kirsten N. “Sexual Violence, Trigger Warnings, and the Early Modern Classroom.” Teaching Social Justice Through Shakespeare: Why Renaissance Literature Matters Now, edited by Hillary Eklund and Wendy Beth Hyman, Edinburgh University Press, 2019, pp. 97–105. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3366/j.ctvrs912p.13. Accessed 11 July 2023. Sina, Tonia, et al. “The Pillars - IDI.” The Pillars, 2020, docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/924101_2e8c624bcf394166bc0443c1f35efe1d.pdf.  Smith, Charlene. “Staging Sexual Assault Responsibly.” HowlRound Theatre Commons, 10 July 2019, howlround.com/staging-sexual-assault-responsibly.  Solga, Kim. “Rape’s Metatheatrical Return: Rehearsing Sexual Violence among the Early Moderns.” Theatre Journal, vol. 58, no. 1, 2006, pp. 53–72. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25069779. Accessed 19 July 2023. Willis, Deborah. “‘The Gnawing Vulture’: Revenge, Trauma Theory, and ‘Titus Andronicus.’” Shakespeare Quarterly, vol. 53, no. 1, 2002, pp. 21–52. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3844038. Accessed 11 July 2023.

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 torture. Please listen with care.   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 updates or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone Works referenced: “Philomela.” Wikipedia, 23 May 2023, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philomela. Shakespeare, William, and Jonathan Bate. Titus Andronicus: Revised Edition. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2018      

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 this episode. 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 Works referenced: Shakespeare, William, and Jonathan Bate. Titus Andronicus: Revised Edition. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2018.    

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 with his students has been featured on Good Morning America, ABC News, Inside Edition, and Access Hollywood, among numerous national media platforms. His work as a social media expert has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, Forbes, The Atlantic, and NPR. Trevor has published two books on social media and popular culture, and has two forthcoming books exploring theatre marketing on social media. Oh, and he does the Shakespeare thing, too. He is the co-editor of Shakespeare & Latinidad and is currently co-writing a book on Yassified Shakespeare.   Danielle Rosvally is less cool than Trevor, but hoping to someday attain his relative level of awesomeness. She is a fight director, actor, dramaturge, and direction and is an assistant professor of theatre at the University at Buffalo. Danielle is primarily a Shakespearean and has written one book on Shakespeare as an economic value, co-edited a collection about what “liveness” means in early modern theatre, and published articles about Shakespeare, labor, economies, and social media in journals such as Theatre Topics, the Early Modern Studies Journal, and Shakespeare Bulletin. She’s currently co-editing a journal devoted to exploring issues of Shakespeare and Contingency, and co-writing a book about Yassified Shakespeare.   Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. Additional sound effects from https://www.zapsplat.com Follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod for updates or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone Works referenced: Boffone, Trevor, and Danielle Rosvally. “‘Everyone in Illyria Is Bi You Absolute Cowards’: Shakespeare Tiktok, Twelfth Night, and the Search for a Queer Utopia.” Shakespeare Bulletin, vol. 40, no. 4, winter 2022, pp. 481–507, https://doi.org/10.1353/shb.2022.0048.    

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 productions of this play and the pitfalls in which she believes most productions fall. 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 updates or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone Works referenced: Hoffman, Michael, director. A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Regency Enterprises/Fox Searchlight Pictures, 1999. Hytner, Nicholas and Ross MacGibbon, directors. A Midsummer Night’s Dream. National Theatre, 2019, https://www.schooltube.com/media/Official+Midsummer+Night%27s+Dream+%7C+Bridge+Theatre+%7C+National+Theatre+at+Home/1_k78527j3. Accessed 21 May 2023.    

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 regulation and the urban landscape of England's bustling port towns. From the wool trade to the spice trade, Elyse and Kourtney examine the impact of commerce on everyday life, and how it challenged traditional notions of identity and community. In addition, the episode will explain how joint-stock companies transformed the world of trade and investment, and how they contributed to the growth of England's global empire. Drawing on Shakespeare's plays and contemporary accounts, Elyse and Kourtney examine the legacy of early modern commerce on modern-day economies and societies. Whether you're a Shakespeare enthusiast, a history buff, or just curious about the origins of global capitalism, this is an episode not to be missed! 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 updates or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone Works referenced: Anievas, Alexander, and Kerem Nişancioğlu. “Rethinking the Origins of Capitalism: The Theory of Uneven and Combined Development.” How the West Came to Rule: The Geopolitical Origins of Capitalism, Pluto Press, 2015, pp. 43–63. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt183pb6f.7. Accessed 21 Apr. 2023. Brunton, Deborah. “6.3 Work and Trade.” Early Modern Europe: An Introduction, 2016, www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/early-modern-europe-introduction/content-section-6.3. Grafe, Regina, and Oscar Gelderblom. “The Rise and Fall of the Merchant Guilds: Re-Thinking the Comparative Study of Commercial Institutions in Premodern Europe.” The Journal of Interdisciplinary History, vol. 40, no. 4, 2010, pp. 477–511. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20685545. Accessed 27 Apr. 2023. Hair, Paul; Law, Robin (1998). "The English in western Africa to 1700". In Nicholas Canny (ed.). Oxford History of the British Empire volume 1: The Origins of Empire. British Overseas Enterprise to the Close of the Seventeenth century. Oxford: Oxford university press. pp. 241–263. ISBN 978-0-19-164734-5. Janega, Eleanor. and Waters, Luke, “Historical Materialism 5: Feudalism, Finally”, We’re Not So Different Podcast, WNSD Podcast, 15 Nov. 2021. Accessed 24 Apr. 2023. Janega, Eleanor and Waters, Luke, “Historical Materialism 11: Colonialism”, We’re Not So Different Podcast, WNSD Podcast, 19 Jan. 2022. Accessed 24 Apr. 2023. Jarman, Cat. “Britain After Rome”, Gone Medieval, performance by Robin Fleming, History Hit, 29 Aug. 2022, Accessed 24 Apr. 2023. Palma, N. (2018). Money and modernization in early modern England. Financial History Review, 25(3), 231–261. doi:10.1017/s0968565018000185 Picard, Liza. “Exploration and Trade in Elizabethan England.” British Library, 15 Mar. 2016, www.bl.uk/shakespeare/articles/exploration-and-trade-in-elizabethan-england. “Prehistoric Britain: Visit Resource for Teachers”, British Museum, The British Museum, Background Information pp. 4-11, https://www.britishmuseum.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/visit-resource_prehistoric-britain-KS2.pdf, Accessed 21 Apr. 2023 Schmitthoff, M. “The Origin of the Joint-Stock Company.” The University of Toronto Law Journal, vol. 3, no. 1, 1939, pp. 74–96. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/824598. Accessed 29 Apr. 2023.

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 in the theatre world; she is an actor, director, fight director, and educator. She is a resident artist and climate justice advocate on the engagement team with the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival. She is the program developer with the Society of American Fight Directors and is on the advisory board for the Same Boat Theatre Collective. She has taught movement and stage combat at the American Conservatory Theatre’s Graduate program and Indiana University.   Sydney shares her expertise on the intersection of climate change and the arts, and how theatre can be used as a tool to raise awareness and promote action on climate issues. We discuss the role that theatre can play in shaping our attitudes towards the environment and how they can inspire us to take action. Finally, we provide listeners with resources to get involved in the fight against climate change, from simple actions that can be taken in our daily lives to organizations that are making a difference. Resources to learn more:  The EarthShakes Alliance Follow on Instagram: @earthlyeducation | @blackgirlenvironmentalist | @seedingsovereignty Cymbeline in the Anthropocene BBC's Planet Earth and Planet Earth II   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 updates or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone Works referenced for this episode: Landis, Tina. Climate Solutions Beyond Capitalism. Liberation Media, 2020. PARKER, GEOFFREY. “The Little Ice Age.” Global Crisis: War, Climate Change and Catastrophe in the Seventeenth Century, Yale University Press, 2013, pp. 3–25. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt32bksk.8. Accessed 26 Apr. 2023.   Robinson, Mary, and Palmer Caitríona. Climate Justice: Hope, Resilience, and the Fight for a Sustainable Future. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2019.    

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 reflects the anxieties and beliefs of Shakespeare's society. Content warning: today's episode contains material related to ableism and child deaths that may not be appropriate for all listeners. Please listen with care.  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 updates or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone Works referenced: Eberly, Susan Schoon. “Fairies and the Folklore of Disability: Changelings, Hybrids and the Solitary Fairy.” Folklore, vol. 99, no. 1, 1988, pp. 58–77. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/1259568. Accessed 19 Mar. 2023. Lamb, Mary Ellen. “Taken by the Fairies: Fairy Practices and the Production of Popular Culture in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Shakespeare Quarterly, vol. 51, no. 3, 2000, pp. 277–312. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2902152. Accessed 19 Mar. 2023. Leask, J. “Evidence for Autism in Folklore?” Archives of Disease in Childhood, vol. 90, no. 3, 2005, pp. 271–271., https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.2003.044958. National PKU Alliance. “About PKU.” NPKUA, National PKU Alliance, 2023, https://www.npkua.org/What-is-PKU/About-PKU. Progeria Research Foundation. “Quick Facts.” The Progeria Research Foundation, Progeria Research Foundation, 24 Jan. 2023, https://www.progeriaresearch.org/quick-facts/.