Shakespeare Anyone?

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/.   

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. We'll examine how Shakespeare drew on the political tensions and intrigues of the Elizabethan court to shape the plot and characters of A Midsummer Night's Dream, revealing the complex politics of the time. Through characters such as Titania and Oberon, we'll explore how Shakespeare used the dynamics of power and authority to comment on the political struggles of the Elizabethan court. We'll also examine how the character of Bottom can be read as a charicature of several Elizabethan political figures. Through our analysis of A Midsummer Night's Dream, we'll gain new insights into the political and cultural context that shaped one of Shakespeare's most beloved plays. So join us for a fascinating discussion of Shakespeare's use of political satire in the pastoral comedy genre, and some piping hot tea about the Elizabethan court.  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: Andrews, Richard. "A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Italian Pastoral." Transnational Exchange in Early Modern Theater. Routledge, 2016. 65-78. (if I have time) Hunt, Maurice. "A Speculative Political Allegory in A Midsummer Night's Dream." Comparative Drama 34.4 (2000): 423-453. Montrose, Louis Adrian. “Of Gentlemen and Shepherds: The Politics of Elizabethan Pastoral Form.” ELH, vol. 50, no. 3, 1983, pp. 415–59. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2872864. Accessed 4 Mar. 2023. Rickert, Edith. “Political Propaganda and Satire in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’ II.” Modern Philology, vol. 21, no. 2, 1923, pp. 133–54. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/433740. Accessed 29 Dec. 2022. Swann, Marjorie. “The Politics of Fairylore in Early Modern English Literature.” Renaissance Quarterly, vol. 53, no. 2, 2000, pp. 449–73. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2901875. Accessed 4 Mar. 2023.  

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, Pleiades, Slipstream and Crab Creek Review. None But Witches: Poems on Shakespeare's Women began as a project to read all of the bard's plays in one year. It is her first book. None But Witches: Poems on Shakespeare's Women is a stunning debut collection by Elizabeth Sylvia, winner of the 5th annual Three Mile Harbor Poetry Prize. Although Sylvia started off accepting the truism that Shakespeare was remarkable for the depth of his female characters, she found herself surmising that the women had a lot more to say than they were given. Sometimes sympathetic, frequently enraged, Sylvia began writing to them, for them, as them, the poems ultimately going into this richly textured collection that looks at the plays themselves, at the poet's own life as a woman, and at women's continuing efforts to take the stage in the contemporary world. 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: Sylvia, Elizabeth. None but Witches: Poems on Shakespeare's Women. Three Mile Harbor Press, 2022.    

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 their own unique traditions around fairies and other supernatural beings. As we progress through history, we discover how these beliefs evolved and became woven into the fabric of English culture during Shakespeare's time. We also delve into the influence of Greco-Roman mythology on the play, which is perhaps most evident in the characters of Theseus and Hippolyta. We will also explore how Greco-Roman mythology influences Shakespeare's depicition of the fairies. The fairy queen Titania, for example, takes her name from a figure in ancient Greek mythology, and her depiction in the play draws on this tradition as well as on the English fairy folklore that was prevalent during Shakespeare's time. We will also discuss how appreciating the impact and influence of these cultural traditions today can impact productions and modern readings of this play.  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: Calderwood, James L. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Anamorphism and Theseus’ Dream.” Shakespeare Quarterly, vol. 42, no. 4, 1991, pp. 409–30. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2870461. Accessed 6 Feb. 2023.   HUTTON, RONALD. “THE MAKING OF THE EARLY MODERN BRITISH FAIRY TRADITION.” The Historical Journal, vol. 57, no. 4, 2014, pp. 1135–56. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24531978. Accessed 11 Feb. 2023. Olson, Paul A. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the Meaning of Court Marriage.” ELH, vol. 24, no. 2, 1957, pp. 95–119. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2871824. Accessed 11 Feb. 2023.  

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 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: Folger Shakespeare. Living through the plague – excerpt: 'death by Shakespeare' by Kathryn Harkup. Shakespeare & Beyond, 5 May 2020, https://shakespeareandbeyond.folger.edu/2020/05/05/plague-death-by-shakespeare-kathryn-harkup-excerpt. Accessed 24 Jan 2023. Greenblatt, Stephen. What Shakespeare actually wrote about the plague. The New Yorker, https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/what-shakespeare-actually-wrote-about-the-plague. Accessed 24 Jan, 2023. Kobrak, Paul. Shakespeare’s Restless World, performance by Neil MacGregor, et al., episode 17, BBC, 8 May 2012. Accessed 24 Jan. 2023. Newman, Kira L. S. “Shutt Up: Bubonic Plague and Quarantine in Early Modern England.” Journal of Social History, vol. 45, no. 3, 2012, pp. 809–34. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41678910. Accessed 24 Jan. 2023. Shapiro, James. Ch. 14 Plague. In The Year of Lear: Shakespeare in 1606. essay, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2016, pp. 549-596. 

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 zoophilia.  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: BOEHRER, BRUCE THOMAS. “Bestial Buggery in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The Production of English Renaissance Culture, edited by David Lee Miller et al., Cornell University Press, 1994, pp. 123–50. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7591/j.ctvr6970z.8. Accessed 29 Dec. 2022. Olson, Paul A. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the Meaning of Court Marriage.” ELH, vol. 24, no. 2, 1957, pp. 95–119. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2871824. Accessed 29 Dec. 2022. SANCHEZ, MELISSA E. “‘Use Me But as Your Spaniel’: Feminism, Queer Theory, and Early Modern Sexualities.” PMLA, vol. 127, no. 3, 2012, pp. 493–511. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41616842. Accessed 29 Dec. 2022. Vanhoutte, Jacqueline. Age in Love: Shakespeare and the Elizabethan Court. University of Nebraska Press, 2019. Wyrick, Deborah Baker. “The Ass Motif in The Comedy of Errors and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Shakespeare Quarterly, vol. 33, no. 4, 1982, pp. 432–48. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2870124. Accessed 29 Dec. 2022.

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 @shakespeareanyonepod for updates or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone Works referenced: Shakespeare, William, and Harold F. Brooks. A Midsummer Night's Dream. Bloomsbury, 1979. SparkNotes Editors. “A Midsummer Night's Dream: Literary Devices: Themes.” Sparknotes, SparkNotes, 2005, https://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/msnd/themes/.