Reduced Shakespeare Company Podcast

Actor and Playwright John Cariani (currently starring on Broadway in the musical Something Rotten!) talks about writing his play Almost, Maine, one of the most popular and widely produced scripts in the U.S. Among many surprises, John reveals love stories … Continue reading →

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival recently announced “Play On!”, their project to create “translations” of all of Shakespeare’s plays, working with thirty-six contemporary playwrights and dramaturges, which will serve as companions to the original texts. Scholars and artists the world over … Continue reading →

The most recent addition to the Reduced Shakespeare Company, Jason Ryan Lovett, talks about his dream roles, his acting background, the differences between knowing your lines on stage and in your kitchen, transposing pop-culture characters into Shakespeare plays, being a … Continue reading →

Before he was an actor, director, master carpenter, and Jeff Award-winning rigger, Isaac Schoepp (top left) performed as a juggler with the Fitz Family Ministries, touring the country with a company made up of his father, his mother, and his siblings. … Continue reading →

If Yogi Berra hadn’t existed, some writer would have had to create him. Arguably one of the greatest catchers, and certainly the greatest character to ever play the game, Yogi died recently at the age of 90 and in addition … Continue reading →

A jam session broke out recently when we got the band back together for Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged) brush up rehearsals. Matt Rippy, Michael Faulkner, and Mick Orfe play their music and talk about their musical backgrounds and abilities. Featuring original compositions, the gifts of wrong notes, examples of how musical skills can help you get acting jobs, Rippy's ditties, Faulkner's teenage experimentation, and Orfe's musical exhibitionism. (Length 22:22)

We begin our 7th year of podcasting by doing a little late-fall cleaning, explaining some of the changes we've made to how our podcasts are posted, walking you through what's changed over on iTunes, pointing out some interesting bells and whistles, showing off some cool new features, revealing how many of you are listening, pondering the surprising popularity of certain episodes, and puzzling over our elusive demographic. (Length 23:38)

Novelist and former theatre dramaturg Nicole Galland has written I, Iago, a novel which tells the story of Shakespeare's famous villain and the events of the play Othello, but from Iago's point of view. Nicole talks about her tragic, comic, and crazily compelling riff on both the familiar story and Shakespeare's famous villain, and reveals the benefits of being more faithful to Shakespeare's original than many productions, the different duties of a dramaturg, the unknown hilarity of the Crusades, and the many unintended consequences of working with actors. (Length 19:52)

The cast of The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged) in San Diego -- Michael Faulkner, Mick Orfe, and Dustin Sullivan -- talk about returning to San Diego Repertory Theatre and how the Christmas show differs from the RSC's other shows. Featuring natural disasters, the glory of the coveted Scenie, some minor but unfortunate coastal bias, an amazing Rush likeness, a special appearance from Man V. Food's Adam Richman, and the only place these days you can see us perform The Complete Millennium Musical (abridged). (Length 21:08)

No, not the Kevin James sitcom, nor the reality competition featuring RuPaul: Ginger UK production manager Davey Naylor recounts the reigns of the English monarchs from the ninth century to the present (2012). Featuring the ancient prerequisites for obtaining a knighthood, the differences between myths and legends, how the American Revolution is taught in the UK, excerpts from the Reduced Shakespeare Radio Show and The Complete Millennium Musical (abridged), and all your favorite Henrys and Georges and Ethelreds and Lizzes. (Length 26:05)

Scott Parkinson is one of those great stage actors you've probably never heard of, and he's playing the title role in an amazing production of Hamlet at the wonderfully intimate Writers Theatre in the Chicago suburb of Glencoe. Austin Tichenor sits down with Scott (you know, one Hamlet to another) and speaks with this Jeff Award-winner (and multiple Jeff nominee) about what it's like to play the entire unabridged melancholy Dane. Featuring favorite Hamlets, the joys of intimacy, the pitfalls and pleasures of being a teenage drama nerd, the regimen required by real actors, surprising amounts of action for a supposedly passive character, and how unreduced actors deal with noisy audience members. (Length 26:30)

You can't really call us "publicity whores" because we don't charge for it, we give it away! (We will answer, however, to "publicity sluts".) But there's a handful of things we'd prefer to avoid and/or not do, so this week Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor outline a series of thoughts and guidelines and publicity opportunities. Featuring  some mild cattiness, pro tips, the value of both GPS and social media, the importance of brand awareness and relative unimportance of mall appearances, and the diminishing line between publicity and marketing. (Length 24:30)

The death of Ambassador Chris Stevens in Benghazi on September 11, 2012 hit very close to home as our own Austin Tichenor and Chris were old friends from high school and college roommates. For this reduced audio wake, Austin is joined by fellow roommate Steven McDonald as they share memories and pay tribute to this extraordinary man. Featuring lessons in confidence, stories of bravery, examples of the value of a broad and wide liberal arts education, diplomatic responses to undergraduate theatre, unfortunate attempts to politicize his death, and the embodiment of humor and grace under pressure. (Length 32:46)

The Complete History of America (abridged) premiered in 1993 and ran at the Criterion Theatre in London from 1996 to 2005, and has toured recently around the US and to Singapore and Hong Kong. For this 2012 tour of the show's "Special Election Edition", Dustin Sullivan returns with original cast members and co-authors Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor to share their thoughts about what it's like to return to the script after a break of at least a couple of years. Featuring insight into the script's hidden structure, how one section was inspired by a Second City improv sketch by David Razowsky and Stephen Colbert, the value of not being slavish to the big laugh, and what it's like returning to an old friend. (Length 21:40)

Who cares whether Barack Obama or Mitt Romney would make a better president? The important question is, which one would make a better member of the Reduced Shakespeare Company? Reed Martin, Dustin Sullivan, and Austin Tichenor discuss the candidates (and all their presidential predecessors) in terms of how well they would succeed onstage, backstage, or in the van of a touring theatre company. Featuring concerns about the effect of false teeth on articulation, the value and liabilities of political magnetism, and a loving appreciation of Dolley Madison's cakes. (Length 29:20)