The Devil’s Work

Demons and witches and ghosts, oh my! As we reach our 666th podcast, it seems like the perfect time to talk about how the Devil has influenced (or hasn’t) the work of the Reduced Shakespeare Company. Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor discuss Faustian bargains; Satan being cut from The Complete History of America (abridged); rewriting The Music Man; Adam Long’s tribute to two legends in his one-man show Satan Sings Mostly Sondheim; the fear of mockery; our Kerfuffles in Northern Ireland; making friends in Louisiana; stories for another time; how times have changed; celebrating the Devil’s opposite in The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged); making up for missed opportunities with episode 420; and hopefully soon-to-be requited love for our book How The Bible Changed Our Lives (Mostly For The Better). (Length 21:55)

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Episode 472. Preserving Your Parents

“KENT & BILL RYAN-Austin & Dee's Wedding, Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard, MA – Version 2With the passing of his father Kent (left) on Christmas Eve, producer and host Austin Tichenor urges listeners to interview and document their parents while you still have them. You’ll be glad you preserved their stories and experiences for posterity, and since we all have microphones on our phones, there’s no excuse! Featuring mixed emotions, past parental podcast successes, favorite music, much catharsis, old-timey sound effects, beeping snow plows, and mournful celebration. (Length 9:47)

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Episode 460. Remembering Yogi Berra

“YOGI BERRAIf 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 to being one of the greatest players to ever play the game, he was a great wit and, it turns out, a a huge comic influence on the “Complete (abridged)” scripts that Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor have created. Featuring his enormous influence on pop culture, his graciousness, his stats, measuring greatness, and inevitable comparisons to Hunter Pence, Joe Garagiola, Phil Rizzuto, Bob Uecker, and of course Mark Twain. (Length 20:25)

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Episode 438. Power Of Comedy

Austin Tichenor talks about “The Power of Comedy” to the Bergen County Section of the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) and reveals comic influences, the difference between solemn and serious, universal truths that aren’t quite that universal, speaking truth to power, several examples of how comedy has changed the world, and how the power of comedy helped make the late Ambassador Chris Stevens the best representative for America abroad. (Length 31:15)

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Episode 424. Comedy’s Seriously Funny

“IMG_0571Austin Tichenor talks about The Complete History of Comedy (abridged) with Julie Motz, host of Arts Desire on KWMR in Point Reyes, California. Featuring some great laughs, “incisive political commentary,” surprising poignancy, a terrible hint about the RSC’s next show, a special appearance by Adrian Scarborough (who’s busy in LA shooting this), and finally the best reason for getting a college education. (Length 24:25)

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Episode 420. Satan Sings Sondheim

“cover_tsr82_v1No, not Santa — Satan. For this most festive time of year, we present news of RSC founding member Adam Long‘s most recent project, Satan Sings Mostly Sondheim, the script of which has just been published by The Sondheim Review. At the Review’s request, Austin Tichenor interviews Adam and they discuss the challenges of celebrating Sondheim without using any of his music, exploring themes of temptation and yearning, the influence of C.S. Lewis and The Screwtape Letters, growing up in the golden age of musicals, and the nature of Sondheim and evil. Purchase the script here! (An edited excerpt of this interview appears in the same issue as the script. And yes: we realized too late that episode 420 would have been a perfect time to discuss Shakespeare and Pot. We apologize for this missed opportunity.) (Length 24:31)

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Episode 417. Comedy Cast Notes

“COMEDY poster jpegChad Yarish and Dan Saski, two of the original cast members of the workshop production of The Complete History of Comedy (abridged), attended the first performance of the West Coast Premiere of the RSC production at the Marin Theatre Company, and shared their thoughts about how the show has changed since they performed it. Featuring booming background noise, the importance of clicker clarification, the nuances of the word “premiere”, what beats three pies (SPOILER: Nothing), a special appearance from workshop lighting designer April George, and the difficulties we have reconciling our feelings for a formerly-beloved comedian. Recorded live at the 2am Club in Mill Valley, CA. (Length 20:42)

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Episode 403. The Reston Extravaganza

“Screenshot 2014-08-25 09.47.28Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor announce an unprecedented event: The Complete Works of the Reduced Shakespeare Company (abridged) Extravaganza, produced by the Reston Community Center in Reston, VA, from September 12-21, 2014: seven shows in ten days, appearances from past and present members of the RSC, workshops, special performances, talkbacks, live podcast recordings, special guests, and more. We know where we’ll be! (Length 17:29)

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Episode 394. Characters Of Faith

“Screenshot 2014-04-07 16.22.54The character of Emma Darwin in In The Garden: A Darwinian Love Story (by Sara Gmitter) is that apparent rarity: a character of faith in a movie, play, or TV show who isn’t portrayed as a bully or a crazy zealot. Rebecca Spence (left, with Andy White), the actress who created the role in the world premiere production at the Lookingglass Theatre, talks about the gift of playing her and shares the similarities between the church and the theatre. Featuring curiosity and wonder, incredibly supportive communities, the value of personal stories, a special appearance from Brian Dennehy, and grace notes of humility. (Length 14:52)

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Episode 378. Evaluating The Best

“The Reduced Shakespeare Company PodcastWith the Academy Awards looming, Dominic Conti, Jerry Kernion, and Austin Tichenor take a break from the technical rehearsal of All The Great Books (abridged) at Laguna Playhouse to talk about the whole horse race of choosing “best” actors and movies. Featuring throat-clearing, exploration into where great performances come from, speculation about this year’s nominees, a shout-out to Linda Cardellini, suggestions for new categories, a special appearance by Roy Conli from Disney Feature Animation, and outstandingly spot-on predictions. (Length 16:16)

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Episode 373. (NOT) Banned in Newtownabbey

“Screen Shot 2014-01-27 at 12.06.04 AM(NOTE: On 27 January, 2014, less than 24 hours after this was posted, the artistic council of the theatre reversed its ban and the Newtownabbey Borough Council voted to uphold the artistic leadership of the theatre. Still – enjoy.) In a move that has put the RSC into the middle of an international media event, Theatre At The Mill cancelled what would have been the first two performances of our three-month, sixty-city UK tour of The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged). Co-author Austin Tichenor and producer Davey Naylor discuss what it’s been like scrambling to deal with the fallout, and talk about overwhelming shows of support, the difficulty of rescheduling, important theological questions, linguistic errors, evocations of John Cleese, support from Christians and Atheists alike, and the point that just because we’re laughing doesn’t mean we don’t take the Bible quite seriously. (Length 21:13) 

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Episode 372. There’s Always One

“RambozoEven in the middle of a hugely successful run like we had at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park (where our production of The Complete History of Comedy (abridged) sold more single tickets than any production in their 2014-2015 season except for A Christmas Carol), there will be at least one person to whom the show just doesn’t speak. This week we discuss our encounter with such a person and the legitimately interesting conversations it sparks about apparently meaningless comedy, mope faces, advice for giving criticism, notes on giving notes, the dearth of female (and indeed male) comedians before the 20th-century, and the cross-section of the intellectual and scatological. Intellatological? (Length 18:47)

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Episode 368. The Cincinnati Playhouse

“biothumb_ec9ab4aafb5c25b0dbc8ffcdBlake Robison talks about the wonderful Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and his ongoing journey as its new(ish) Artistic Director. Featuring the challenges of directing and administrating, the differences between directing and acting, the benefits (for us) of performing here for the third time (the first two times were in 2002 and 2005), the enthusiasm for premieres, the quality of audience interaction, a special appearance by Brian Dennehy, and nontraditional ways to measure an institution’s success. (Length 23:35)

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Episode 361. A Comedian’s Prayer

“The Reduced Shakespeare Company PodcastReed Martin, Dominic Conti, and Austin Tichenor take a break from rehearsing the world premiere of The Complete History of Comedy (abridged) at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. The boys talk about how it’s going and share typical rehearsal room antics, excerpts from the show, a discussion of fools both Shakespearean and Molierean, comic influences, commedia archetypes in both Friends and The Simpsons, the burden of being labeled a jester, and the music of the whoopee cushion. (Length 20:36)

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Episode 353. Remembering Chris Stevens

Austin Tichenor remembers his high school friend and college roommate Ambassador Chris Stevens in this April 2013 speech at the Center for Civic Mediation banquet honoring Chris with the Louis M. Brown Conflict Prevention Award. Featuring lawyer jokes; bravery, humor, and respect; jazz analogies; varying degrees of glamour; the wonder of unflappability; sartorial excellence amongst true heroes; and the power of saying yes. (Length 17:12)

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Episode 335. Inside Titus Vandronicus

“The Reduced Shakespeare Company PodcastNot all touring vans are equal. Climb inside ‘Titus Vandronicus’ (dubbed by Twitter follower @BenedictTheMad) and discover why it’s probably the best one we’ve ever had. Recorded on April Fools Day 2013 on our first trip in it, Davey Naylor, Matt Rippy, Gary Fannin, and Ben Stratton rhapsodize over Titus’s luxurious amenities and compare him to past touring vans we have loved and loathed. Featuring varying protocols and etiquette, traditional names for SAT-NAVs, exquisite faux-marbling, less-than-authentic Dutch names, standard shotgun rules, dozens of rejected van names, and the value of not rushing important decisions. (Length 18:27)

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Episode 334. American Actors Abroad

“The Reduced Shakespeare Company PodcastA veteran of stage, film, television, radio (and us!), London-based American actor John Schwab talks about living, working, surviving, and thriving in Britain. Featuring gray areas; White House stints; the complicated nature of Hollywood financing; discreet voice doubling; and tales of sharing the stage with (or replacing) Claire Bloom, Kevin Spacey, Jeff Goldblum, and Billy Zane. WARNING: The names dropped herein may shatter a toe. (Length 21:24)

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Episode 333. My Willy Matters

“The Reduced Shakespeare Company PodcastHappy Death-And-Day-We’ve-All-Agreed-To-Accept-As-Your-Birthday, Willy! In honor of William Shakespeare turning the big 4-4-9, we gather a mighty quorum, fully eleven-thirds of the Reduced Shakespeare Company, to discuss the Bard’s lasting influence, his greatest interpreters, and amazing bowling prowess. Featuring shout-outs to great Shakespeareans, dares to teenagers, how you can probably speak more Shakespeare than you know, a special appearance by Folger Shakespeare Library Director Michael Witmore, and the joy of playing Shakespearean roles without all that pesky poetry. What a piece of work is this man! (Length 29:42)

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Episode 332. My Theatre Matters!

“The Reduced Shakespeare Company PodcastMy Theatre Matters! is a UK campaign to get people talking about how important local theatres are to our communities. The goal is to raise awareness on both the local and national level about know how much we value theatre’s role in our cultural and economic life. This week we add our voices to the chorus and talk about why theatre (the art) and theaters (the buildings and institutions) matter to us; how you can participate; the value of providing opportunities for amateurs, professionals, and punters alike; and the amazing ability to punch above one’s weight. (Length 17:44)

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Episode 329. History of Comedy

“The Reduced Shakespeare Company PodcastPlaywrights Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor discuss their eighth “Complete (abridged)” collaboration The Complete History of Comedy (abridged), which will have its Reduced Shakespeare Company world premiere at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park in November 2013. Reed and Austin talk about what the show is going to be, how excited they are to return to Cincinnati, gratitude for extraordinary leaps of faith, the primary reason everyone thinks he can be a comedian, overrated theatrical genres, and ways in which we hope to not write a dead frog. (Length 18:28)

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Episode 328. Our Reduced Workshops

“The Reduced Shakespeare Company PodcastIn addition to performing our shows around the world, we teach theatre workshops in many of the various communities where we appear. This week we talk about the various workshops we offer and discuss the importance of listening, how you can book a Reduced Shakespeare Company Workshop in your community, the true value of BFA degrees, and some important ways you can absolutely blow an audition. (Length 17:04)

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March Madness! April Absurdity!

The Complete World of Sports (abridged)After a brief time-out, the Reduced Shakespeare Company take to the field once again with The Complete World of Sports (abridged). Whoop and holler and hurl your hotdog as we attempt to reduce every sport in the history of the world – from archery to wrestling, from basketball to bocce ball, from championship chess to professional ping-pong and everything in between! 3,477.3 sports reduced into one mad dash to the finish line! Impossible! No WAY, you say! YES way, say we! We have been training literally minutes for this! Bring your poms poms to:Continue reading

Episode 324. Appreciating Stephen King

“The Reduced Shakespeare Company PodcastWith all due respect to Annie Wilkes, reduced King scholar and film critic Katherine Naylor and I are big fans of Stephen King, so we sat down recently to discuss our favorite books, recurring themes, underrated novels, and abandoning pretension. Featuring chilling memories of reading The Stand, divergent opinions on The Shining, King’s underrated ability to create romantic relationships, fantastic non-fiction, and a special guest appearance from Jack Torrance himself. (Length 19:47)

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Episode 309. The UnReduced Hamlet

“The Reduced Shakespeare Company PodcastScott 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)

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The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged)


“Critic’s Choice!” Boston Globe. “Brought down the house with gales of laughter.” Theatre Mirror. The fruitcakes of the Reduced Shakespeare Company take you on an irreverent yet heartwarming trip through the holidays in The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged). It’s festive funny physical family fun as these Three Wise Guys send-up and celebrate your favorite winter holiday traditions. Let the RSC rekindle the joy, inner-child and familial dysfunction inside us all! Now On Tour >

Episode 308. Thoughts For Publicists

“The Reduced Shakespeare Company PodcastYou 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)

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Episode 307. Ambassador Chris Stevens

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 (top left corner above, and on the right) 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)

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Episode 305. Casting The Candidates

“The Reduced Shakespeare Company PodcastWho 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)

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Vote Early! Vote Often!

The Complete History of America (abridged)Hear ye! Hear ye! This just in! The Special Election Edition of The Complete History of America (abridged) is coming! The show has been performed at the Kennedy Center, the Lincoln Center and many other centers not named for dead Presidents. It ran for almost ten years in London. Heck, we’ve even performed it at theWhite House! And now it’s coming to a theater near you. Here’s a sample of the comic mayhem. And here are the venue details.
The Special Election Edition of The Complete History of America (abridged) even features a debate between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama – or possibly between Mitt Romney and an empty chair. Don’t miss the show that the Boston Herald described as,“What the “Daily Show” might be like if it were hosted by the Marx Brothers!”

Tour Dates >

Happy Merry Chrismakwanukkahanzakah!

The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged)Ready for some holiday cheer? Don’t miss the first National Tourof The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged) coming to Reston VA, Charlotte, Fort Worth, San Diego, St. Louis and Anchorage! Take a look. Last season The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged) broke box office records, so buy your tickets early. Don’t miss the show that was a Boston Globe “Critic’s Choice” and that according to Theatre Mirror, “Brought down the house with gales of laughter!”

Tour Dates >

London 2012

The Complete World of Sports (abridged)We won the Gold! The comic Gold, that is. The RSC took the UK by storm this summer – take a look. After a five-week tour of the regions, we settled in for an exciting six-week run of The Complete World of Sports (abridged) at the Arts Theatre in London which coincided with the London Olympics.

Nottingham Live called the show, “Fast paced, entertaining and very, very funny… Highly recommended!” And according to the Daily Mail, we were one of the Top 20 Things to Do During the Olympics, “If the theatre and drama of the Olympics is not quite enough, take it up a notch or two at the Reduced Shakespeare Company’s show Complete World of Sports. A merciless but affectionate satirical take on sporting history.” If you didn’t catch the show in the UK, we’ll be touring it around the USA this spring. More details soon!

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Episode 286. The West Wing

Comedy author and West Wing nerd Gary Rudoren joins us this week to remember Aaron Sorkin‘s television classic The West Wing. Featuring the prescience of certain story lines, behind-the-scenes gossip from the first season’s twelfth episode “He Shall, From Time To Time”, the mysterious connections between all the various television shows set in Washington DC, the prickly conscience of Toby Ziegler, and for those who prefer their politics non-fictional, a special appearance by NPR’s Political Junkie Ken Rudin. What’s next? (Length 21:04)

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Episode 282. We Get Notes

“Reduced Shakespeare Company PodcastEvery actor gets ’em; this week we get ours. After a recent performance of The Complete World of Sports (abridged), we met in a crowded noisy bar in Santa Rosa, California with Dodds Delzell, Chad Yarish, and April George, all of whom worked on the original production of the script. Featuring Sports show spoilers, additional thoughts from Dan Saski, loud bar music, a fantastic Don Knotts impression, the benefits of playing it like a drill sergeant, a special appearance from an iconic sports photographer, and the lesson that if you give notes, you gotta learn to take ’em. (Length 18:02)

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Episode 281. Guilty Theatrical Confessions

“Reduced Shakespeare Company PodcastEver have the feeling that the thing everyone says is so awesome you just don’t ‘get’? Join the club. This week, we share our blasphemous opinions about plays, musicals, lionized authors and composers we can’t believe we’re saying out loud. Featuring heretical dismissals, casual disregard, unsupportable claims, and a special appearance by noted theatrical pundit and raconteur Howard Sherman. Agree with what you hear? Disagree? Leave your passionate praise, violent scorn, and mortal condemnations in the Comments section below! (Length 18:47)

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Episode 278. Home Field Disadvantage

“Reduced Shakespeare Company PodcastMost of our performances are Away games, but every couple of years we get to play a Home game. It’s almost always a mixed blessing and this most recent performance at the Sebastiani Theatre was more mixed than most. Featuring swamp coolers, detachable bathroom doorknobs, hand-lowered chandeliers, ghosts in the machines, and The Strange Case of Rippy’s Missing Trousers. (Length 16:29)

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Episode 274. How We Tour

“Reduced Shakespeare Company PodcastLIVE! from US Interstate Highway 91, en route from Stowe VT to Reston VA, we talk about how touring has changed over the years, sometimes for the better and sometimes not. Featuring unpaid endorsements, tips on long-drive-time-killing, unauthorized Michael Faulkner taunting, a special appearance by 20-year Apple Media Propulsion Engineer Alex Beaman, AND a special London 2012 ticket deal! (Length 18:22)

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Episode 273. Audition Glory Stories

“Reduced Shakespeare Company PodcastAudition glory this week, both the ones we won and the ones that got away. We share tales of auditions that went spectacularly well and gloriously bad, and talk about how to shake it off, survive in the room, and live to audition another day. Featuring disasters, success stories, a special appearance by Conor Lastowka from the Citation Needed Podcast and Rifftrax.com, and secrets to putting your best foot forward. (Length 25:54)

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OMG! RSC in NYC, PDQ!

The Complete World of Sports (abridged)

It Might Be the BIG Apple… but there’s a REDUCED price! (Available only for a SHORT time)

The Reduced Shakespeare Company returns to The New Victory Theater (New York’s theater for kids and families… and those who refuse to act their age) for a three week run of The Complete World of Sports (abridged). Austin, Matt and Reed are ready to once again tackle life’s big questions: Is bowling really a sport? Who invented curling? How DOES one get to the Subway Series?

The New Vic is running a special offer for RSC fans who step up to the plate now: 15% off any performance, any seat if purchased by Oct 21st. Continue reading

Episode 251. After It’s Written

“Reduced Shakespeare Company PodcastWhat does a playwright do after the script is completed? We have no idea. But we know what WE do with our “Complete (abridged)” scripts after they’re written. Featuring the value of opinions from the right people, the value of casting the right people, and the value of knowing when it’s finished (and when it’s not). (Length 20:12)

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Episode 250. Martin & Tichenor

“Reduced Shakespeare Company PodcastWhich comes first: the lyrics or the melody? Who writes the funny stuff and who creates the structure? Playwriting team Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor reveal these and other secrets as they talk about who brings what to the table when creating their seven (and counting) “Complete (abridged)” scripts. Featuring the magic of collaboration, the value of keeping it real while wearing ridiculous costumes, and the 100% guaranteed foolproof failsafe way to tell whether you’re doing one of their scripts correctly. (MP3. Length 25:14)

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RSC, RSC in NY, NY

New Yorkers love their sports and they love their theater. So look out Big Apple! The Reduced Shakespeare Company will combine NYC’s two favorites pastimes when they return to the New Victory Theatre from October 21 – November 6 with The Complete World of Sports (abridged). Hey, they’ll be playing the World Series at the same time the RSC will be performing in New York! Maybe the World Series will feature the Yankees versus the Mets. Well, maybe the Yankees anyway.

Tickets >
Reviews >

The Complete History of the RSC (abridged)

The RSC is having a 30th Anniversary Party and you are invited! Okay, technically the party already happened, but you are invited to join in the fun via the magic of webcasting. Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor got together with RSC Founding Members Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield on the site of the old Northern California Renaissance Faire in Novato, CA to reminisce and Jess recorded the event. The RSC’s original Prop and Costume Goddess, Sa Winfield, joined in the fun. Click here to watch the shocking untold story of the RSC. Okay, okay. It’s not all that shocking.

Link to Edited Webcast >
Audio Highlights! >

Episode 246. 30th Anniversary Continued

“Reduced Shakespeare Company PodcastReed Martin and Austin Tichenor reunite with Daniel Singer, Jess Winfield, and Sa Winfield in Part Two of the highlights from our 30th Anniversary Webcast. (Part One can be heard here.) Featuring tales of strange opening acts, personal meltdowns, fantastic timing from Japanese monsters, why our company initials were briefly SSC, backwards encore bit origins, the dangers of forward flips, the identity of the ‘George Washington of the RSC’, questions from our live uStream Webcast viewers, early stabs at Shakespearean reduction, and the pleasures of Googling yourself. (246-30th-Anniversary-Continued.mp3. Length 41:04)

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Our First Live Webcast!

Current RSC members Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor are joined by founding members Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield – and original props goddess Sa Winfield – as they celebrate the 30th anniversary of the very first performance by those upstarts from California, the Reduced Shakespeare Company.

Join in Monday August 8, 2011, from 3-5 pm PST (that’s Pacific Shakespeare Time) on the RSC’s uStream Channel. Participate, ask questions, and listen to reminiscences, war stories, and embarrassing anecdotes. The stream will also be archived for later viewing and the audio will be edited down for a future episode of the RSC Podcast.

Twitter followers can also join in by asking questions using the hashtag #RSC30. Hope to see you there!

Episode 242. We Have Consensus!

“Reduced Shakespeare Company PodcastWe review the reviews we’ve received for The Complete World of Sports (abridged) and delight in reading the raves and criticizing the critics. Featuring “childlike glee,” an obscure Andy Griffith/Don Knotts reference, “delicious anarchy,” a special appearance by Neal Conan from National Public Radio, and our “usual lack of shame”. WARNING: CONTAINS GLOATING. (MP3. Length 20:32)

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Washington DC – We Have a Consensus!

The Complete World of Sports (abridged)
Folks in Washington DC don’t agree on much this summer. But they are unanimous in their delirious enjoyment of the DC premiere of  The Complete World of Sports (abridged) at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theatre.  Here’s what the critics have to say:

Washington Post: “The pacing and timing are crackerjack. It’s hard not to grin all night, so give ’em a medal: Who’s gonna beat their time in a comic sprint?” Read Review

Washington Examiner: “Delicious anarchy.” Read Full Review

Continue reading

Episode 240. Final ‘Hollywood’ Thoughts

“Reduced Shakespeare Company PodcastOn the night of our final performance of Completely Hollywood (abridged) at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, we reflect on how it’s changed and matured, its uniquely high level of absurdity, its surprising number of character laughs, and whether we’ll ever perform it again. Featuring a special appearance by Dan Raviv from CBS News, an invitation to license and perform the script, and the beauty and sophistication of pulling a face. Final thoughts…for now. (MP3. Length 17:19)

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