Matt Croke

Celebrating The Bible

The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged), an irreverent celebration of “the greatest story ever accepted as fact” that was nominated for a Helen Hayes Award for Best New Play, celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, and Matthew Croke, Reed Martin, and Austin Tichenor reminisce about its creation and how much the world has changed since it premiered at the Kennedy Center in 1995. The original cast members reveal how they bent over backwards to make an entertaining innoffensive comedy; the genius of Steve Smith, the former director of Ringling Brothers Clown College; rave reviews from a Virginia nun and a minister from the Church of Scotland; and how, perhaps paradoxically, some of the show’s biggest fans are the most religiously devout. (Length 19:24)

Podcast: Download (Duration: 19:24 — 22.3MB)

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By austin, ago

Funny To Us

Playwrights and RSC artistic directors Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor discuss the updates they’ve been making to all their scripts (including All the Great Books (abridged), featuring Doug Harvey, Tré Zijuan Tyler, and Michael Faulkner, below) and how their writing process begins with coming up with material that’s personal resonant. Martin and Tichenor reveal the despair of artists listening to the mortgage when evaluating their work; how not all laughs are created equal; how the great job of making people laugh now feels like an supremely important job; and how hearing the audience gasp at the turns in the narrative is even more satisfying to us. (Length 24:21)

Podcast: Download (Duration: 24:21 — 28.0MB)

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By austin, ago

Special Christmas Encore!

For this special encore podcast episode, we present – in its entirety – the complete and unabridged recording of A Little Dickens: The Complete Christmas Carol (abridged). (Dickens’s story is abridged, not the recording. You’ll work it out.) First heard on Public Radio International in 1995, this antic audio adaptation features Reed Martin as Jacob Marley, Matthew Croke as Tiny Tim, and Austin Tichenor as Ebenezer Scrooge (the role he’s currently playing at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre). May it warm your cockles! (Length 10:47)

Podcast: Download (Duration: 10:48 — 12.5MB)

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By austin, ago

Change The Podcast?

On the eve of the RSC Podcast’s 15th anniversary, podcast host and RSC actor/consigliere Matthew Croke, joins us to discuss whether it’s time to change things up. What do you think? Should we change the format or the emphasis? Make it longer or more infrequent? Should we eliminate some annoying tics or regular features, or is it just perfect the way it is? Let us know what you think as we discuss how to stimulate engagement; changing trends; supply and demand; the importance of stories and anecdotes; unnecessary whining; more inside baseball; which Stephen King novel would make a good Shakespeare play; and – most importantly – which Shakespeare character would make the best Starfleet captain. Also: Should we upgrade our equipment?? SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS IN THE COMMENTS BELOW! (Length 21:03)

Podcast: Download (Duration: 21:03 — 24.2MB)

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By austin, ago

FOLLOW Us on Twitter!

Yes, Twitter is a time-sucking distraction from your real life. We don't disagree. But it's also the fastest and easiest way to keep up with Reduced Shakespeare Company activities in anything approaching real-time. Some RSC fans have families, jobs, other interests Read more
By austin, ago

Lisa Croke Charity Benefit

A huge golf tournament and fundraising event will be held this Sunday October 5 to benefit Lisa Croke, the wife of RSC member Matthew Croke who succumbed to cancer July 23rd. The money raised will help retire the extraordinary medical costs Read more
By austin, ago

Lisa Croke (1969-2008)

The Reduced Shakespeare Company lost a beloved member of its extended family recently. Lisa Croke, wife of RSC stalwart Matthew and mother of Haley, Kelly, and Molly, lost her three-year battle with cancer on July 23, 2008.Donations in Lisa's memory can Read more
By austin, ago

Episode 8. Words Words Words!

Austin chats with RSC actor Michael Faulkner about how he teaches Shakespeare, and checks in with his own kids about what nasty words they’ve picked up. Featuring a very special RSC Q&A with Adam Long, an excerpt from The Reduced Shakespeare Radio Show (originally b’cast on the BBC World Service), Read more

Podcast: Download (Duration: 21:51 — 25.1MB)

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By austin, ago