Shakespeare Anyone?

It is often said of King Lear that if an actor has the stamina to play the titular role, they don't have the age, but if they have the age, they don't have the stamina.  With this in mind, we are taking a look at Early Modern perceptions and beliefs surrounding aging and old age, how aging and old age is represented in the text of King Lear, and how it has been portrayed on stage.  Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Note: When this episode was recorded, Kourtney Smith was using the stage name "Korey Leigh Smith". 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. This month, Patreon patrons receive an extended version of our conversation on Gallatea with Dr. Simone Chess! Works referenced: Martin, Christopher. Ch. 5 Confin’d to Exhibition: King Lear through the Spectacles of Age. Constituting Old Age in Early Modern English Literature, from Queen Elizabeth to King Lear. University of Massachusetts Press, https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt5vk6xw.8. 2013 pp. 137-175. Accessed 26 Apr. 2022. Performance by Simon Russell Beale, and Simon Lovestone, Shakespeare and Old Age: Simon Russell Beale, National Theatre, 19 Apr. 2016, https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/file/shakespeare-and-old-age-simon-russell-beale. Accessed 26 Apr. 2022.   Snyder, Susan. “King Lear and the Psychology of Dying.” Shakespeare Quarterly, vol. 33, no. 4, 1982, pp. 449–60, https://doi.org/10.2307/2870125. Accessed 27 Apr. 2022.

In this week's mini-episode, we are taking a slight departure from the plays of William Shakespeare to look at another play, Gallatea by John Lyly. We are joined in conversation by Dr. Simone Chess of Wayne State University to discuss the play's significance in Early Modern Queer and Trans Studies.  This episode is an excerpt from our longer discussion. If you'd like to hear more, we will be sharing the full conversation with our Patreon patrons. Join our Patreon community at www.patreon.com/shakespeareanyone Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Note: When this episode was recorded, Kourtney Smith was using the stage name "Korey Leigh Smith". 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: Chess, Simone. Gallathea Introduction for The Show Must Go Online, 29 Mar. 2022.  Chess, Simone. “Or whatever you be: Crossdressing, Sex, and Gender Labor in John Lyly’s Gallathea,” Special Issue: Sex Acts in the Early Modern World, Renaissance and Reformation. Vol 38, No 4 (2015), pp.145-166. Frankland, Emma, and Andy Kesson. “‘Perhaps John Lyly Was a Trans Woman?": An Interview about Performing Galatea's Queer, Transgender Stories.” Journal for Early Modern Cultural Studies, University of Pennsylvania Press, 24 Sept. 2020, https://muse.jhu.edu/article/765327. Lyly, John. “Gallathea.” Edited by Meaghan Brown et al., A Digital Anthology of Early Modern English Drama, Folger Shakespeare Library, 21 July 2017, https://emed.folger.edu/gal.   

This is part two of our series on the intersection between Shakespeare's works and Mental Health and Disability. In this episode, we dive into how individuals at the forefront of the early field of psychiatry used Shakespeare's works, including King Lear, to develop treatments for their patients. Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Note: When this episode was recorded, Kourtney Smith was using the stage name "Korey Leigh Smith". 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: Neely, Carol Thomas. “Chapter 6 Rethinking Confinement in Early Modern England: The Place of Bedlam in History and Drama.” Distracted Subjects: Madness and Gender in Shakespeare and Early Modern Culture, Cornell University Press, 2004, pp. 184–199.  Neely, Carol Thomas. “‘Documents in Madness’: Reading Madness and Gender in Shakespeare’s Tragedies and Early Modern Culture.” Shakespeare Quarterly, vol. 42, no. 3, [Folger Shakespeare Library, The Shakespeare Association of America, Inc., Johns Hopkins University Press, George Washington University], 1991, pp. 332–336, https://doi.org/10.2307/2870846. Reiss, Benjamin. “Introduction & Chapter Three Bardolatry in Bedlam: Shakespeare and Early Psychiatry.” Theaters of Madness: Insane Asylums & Nineteenth-Century American Culture, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2008, pp. 1–21 & 79-102. 

In today's episode, we are continuing our series on Shakespeare's Language Framework by looking at his sonnets! In addition to his plays, Shakespeare also wrote 154 sonnets. What are they and can they tell us anything about the man behind the plays? 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 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: Gassman, Ian. “10 More Songs Inspired by William Shakespeare.” Pastemagazine.com, Paste Magazine, 27 Apr. 2016, https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/william-shakespeare/10-more-songs-inspired-by-william-shakespeare/#1-when-in-disgrace-with-fortune-and-men-s-eyes-sonnet-29-rufus-wainwright-feat-florence-welch.  Green, John, et al. Shakespeare's Sonnets: Crash Course Literature 304. YouTube, YouTube, 27 July 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDpW1sHrBaU. Accessed 20 Feb. 2022. Magnusson, Lynne. “A Modern Perspective: Shakespeare's Sonnets.” The Folger SHAKESPEARE, Folger Library, 15 Aug. 2021, https://shakespeare.folger.edu/shakespeares-works/shakespeares-sonnets/shakespeares-sonnets-a-modern-perspective/. Scabere, Wilude, and Society of Classical Poets, The. “On the 400th Anniversary of Shakespeare's Death: Society of Classical Poets.” Society of Classical Poets | A Community of Poets Dedicated to Classical Forms, The Society of Classical Poets, 26 Apr. 2016, https://classicalpoets.org/2016/04/26/on-the-400th-anniversary-of-shakespeares-death/#/.  Werstine, Barbara Mowat and Paul, and Editors of the Folger Shakespeare Library Editions. “About Shakespeare's Sonnets.” The Folger SHAKESPEARE, Folger Library, 29 July 2021, https://shakespeare.folger.edu/shakespeares-works/shakespeares-sonnets/about-shakespeares-sonnets/. Werstine, Barbara Mowat and Paul, and Editors of the Folger Shakespeare Library Editions. “An Introduction to This Text: Shakespeare's Sonnets.” The Folger SHAKESPEARE, Folger Library, 15 Aug. 2021, https://shakespeare.folger.edu/shakespeares-works/shakespeares-sonnets/an-introduction-to-this-text/. 

This episode is part one of a two part series where we will be looking at the representations of mental health and disability in Shakespeare's King Lear. First, in this week's episode, we will be discussing mental health and disability in Shakespeare's time, specifically early modern treatment of what we would now describe as mental illness, neurodiversity, and disability.   Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Note: When this episode was recorded, Kourtney Smith was using the stage name "Korey Leigh Smith". 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: Neely, Carol Thomas. Distracted Subjects: Madness and Gender in Shakespeare and Early Modern Culture. Cornell University Press, 2004.  Neely, Carol Thomas. “‘Documents in Madness’: Reading Madness and Gender in Shakespeare’s Tragedies and Early Modern Culture.” Shakespeare Quarterly, vol. 42, no. 3, [Folger Shakespeare Library, The Shakespeare Association of America, Inc., Johns Hopkins University Press, George Washington University], 1991, pp. 315–38, https://doi.org/10.2307/2870846. Wood, David Houston, and Allison P. Hobgood. Recovering Disability in Early Modern England. Ohio State University Press, 2013. 

In today's episode, we are exploring the first official publications of Shakespeare's plays: the quartos and the first Folio. What even is a quarto versus a folio? Let's find out! 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. 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: “An Introduction to This Text: Hamlet.” Edited by Barbara Mowat and Paul Werstine, Folger Shakespeare Library, Folger Shakespeare Library, Accessed on 1 Feb. 2022, from https://shakespeare.folger.edu/shakespeares-works/hamlet/an-introduction-to-this-text/.  Bryson, Bill. “Ch. 8 Death.” Shakespeare: The World as Stage, Harper Perennial, New York, NY, 2007, pp. 156–165. “DIY Quarto: Printing Quartos in Shakespeare’s Time.” Edited by Kathleen Lynch and Justine DeCamillis, Folger Shakespeare Library, Folger Shakespeare Library, Accessed on 1 Feb. 2022, from https://www.folger.edu/publishing-shakespeare/diy-quarto.  Marchant, Kat. “Dr Kat and Holinshed's Chronicles.” YouTube, YouTube, 13 Nov. 2020, Accessed 1 Feb. 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WBw3XB-qyo. Paul, Richard. Shakespeare Unlimited Podcast, performance by Dr. Emma Smith, et al., episode 47, Folger Shakespeare Library, 3 May 2016. Accessed 31 Jan. 2022. “What Is a First Folio?” Folger Shakespeare Library, Accessed 1 Feb. 2022, from https://www.folger.edu/shakespeare/first-folio/faq.

In this week's episode, we are taking a look at how the patriarchal society and patrilineal anxieties of early modern English society influenced the sexist representations of gender in Shakespeare's King Lear, and how much further more recent productions have comes in terms of representation...or not. Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Note: When this episode was recorded, Kourtney Smith was using the stage name "Korey Leigh Smith". 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: Aughterson, Kate, and Ailsa Grant Ferguson. Shakespeare and Gender: Sex and Sexuality in Shakespeare's Drama. The Arden Shakespeare, 2020, pp. 153-171. Accessed 11 Jan. 2022.  Kelly, Philippa. “See What Breeds about Her Heart: ‘King Lear’, Feminism, and Performance.” Renaissance Drama, vol. 33, [University of Chicago Press, Northwestern University], 2004, pp. 137–57, Accessed 12 Jan. 2022 from http://www.jstor.org/stable/41917389. Rudnytsky, Peter L. “‘The Darke and Vicious Place’: The Dread of the Vagina in ‘King Lear.’” Modern Philology, vol. 96, no. 3, University of Chicago Press, 1999, pp. 291–311, http://www.jstor.org/stable/439219. Schwarz, Kathryn. “‘Fallen Out With My More Headier Will’: Dislocation in King Lear.” What You Will: Gender, Contract, and Shakespearean Social Space, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2011, pp. 181–208, http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt3fh7rv.12.

There's so much to talk about with each play that doesn't fit into the synopsis or into its own episode, so we've decided to cover several topics in this episode. In this episode, we discuss major thematic elements in Shakespeare's King Lear as well as topics that are usually covered or talked about in reference to this 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 Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod for updates or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone Works referenced: “Introduction.” King Lear, edited by R.A. Foakes, The Arden Shakespeare, 1997, pp. 1–11. Third. Accessed on 27 Nov. 2021. “Leir of Britain.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 31 Aug. 2021, Accessed on 29 Nov. 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leir_of_Britain.  SparkNotes Editors. (2005). “SparkNotes: King Lear.” SparkNotes.com, SparkNotes LLC, 2005. Accessed 29 Nov. 2021, from https://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/lear.

Let's start diving into a play that is widely considered to be one of Shakespeare's best: King Lear. First up, as always, let's review the plot with a synopsis.  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 by Elyse Sharp and Kourtney Smith. 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 R. A. Foakes. King Lear: Arden Third Series. Bloomsbury, 2018.

Quick annoucement time! We are launching a Patreon! Patreon patrons will get access to exclusive bonus content throughout the year.  The link is also in the episode description. -- 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