Perennially one of the most-produced playwrights in America, Lauren Gunderson returns to discuss A Room in the Castle, her new play based on the women of Hamlet now having its world premiere at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and Folger Theatre in Washington DC. Lauren talks about the evolution of her play and reveals how it became more focused on Gertrude, rather than Ophelia; an excellent reason why artists should lunch with other artists; how there is always another story going on; how young people in love are dumb; what her next play will focus on; the definitive answer to the question of Gertrude’s complicity in King Hamlet’s murder; and how the women of Denmark survive in a world (much like ours) where “patriarchy’s gonna patriarchy.” (Length 24:13) (PICTURED, above: Sabrina Lynne Sawyer and Oneika Phillips in the world-premiere of “A Room in the Castle” based on the women of “Hamlet,” by Lauren M. Gunderson, directed by Kaja Dunn, co-produced with Folger Theatre playing January 24-February 9, 2025 at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. Photo by Mikki Schaffner. Below, Lauren Gunderson and Austin Tichenor, San Francisco, 2025. Selfie by Austin Tichenor.)
Set designer and board game designer Alan Ernstein talks about the practice and philosophy behind the designing of board games. Featuring the important of mechanics and theme, popular types and templates, figuring out puzzles, lots of research, games that move beyond roll/move/react, theme park rights, a special appearance by “Ray Charles” (actually, actor Thomas Hobson), and how, if you look at it right, everything can turn into a game. (Length 21:06)
2 Comments
austin · March 28, 2016 at 4:02 pm
What a great question! I’ll try to put this out there on Twitter and if we get any response.
Brenda Sharpe · March 24, 2016 at 6:08 am
I really enjoyed this episode, even though I knew little to nothing about board game design previously. Are you familiar with any board games scenes in plays? One that comes to mind is Alan Ayckbourn’s The Norman Conquests “Living Together,” where characters reluctantly play a cops and robbers game one of them has invented.