Episode 500! Playwright Ken Ludwig
Ken Ludwig (right) is the prolific American comic playwright responsible for such Tony- and Olivier-award winning shows as Lend Me a Tenor, Crazy For You, Moon Over Buffalo, Shakespeare In Hollywood, Baskerville, and almost two dozen more plays and musicals that have been produced in more than 30 countries in over 20 languages. For this special milestone episode, Ken talks about his work, his process, his new book How To Teach Your Children Shakespeare, future projects, the importance of being in touch with Twelfth Night, the difference between farce and muscular comedy, the contrast between prose and poetry, the power of comic engines, and the all-important value of romance. (Length 31:22)
Podcast: Download (Duration: 31:22 — 28.9MB)
Episode 490. Shakespeare And Burlesque
Richard Schoch is Professor of Drama at Queen’s University in Belfast, and the author of “Not Shakespeare: Bardolatry and Burlesque in the 19th Century.” Richard was working at the Folger Shakespeare Library during our first week there and wrote a blog post about the history of Shakespearean parody. Spoiler alert: The Reduced Shakespeare Read more
Podcast: Download (Duration: 20:00 — 18.5MB)
Episode 360. Austin Tichenor’s ‘Frankenstein’
Austin Tichenor’s adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is getting new life, with a new production and published acting edition. Austin talks to director Rob Richards about the current production and consider the ideal interpreters of 19th-century Romantic authors, some genius casting notions, the dangers of polite acting, the close relationship between laughter and screams, a special appearance by newly elected Senator Cory Booker, dodgy Jeff Goldblum impressions, and the nature of monstrosity. (Length 19:15) (Pictured: Matthew Geary as The Creature in the 2013 Phillips Exeter Academy production. Photo by Cheryl Semter. Used by permission.)
Podcast: Download (Duration: 19:15 — 17.8MB)
Episode 178. The Ballet Book
Kay Tichenor (Austin’s mom!) talks about her 1976 book Ballet (Troubador Press/Price Stern Sloan) and how a casual family interest became an activity and reference book that’s still in print after thirty-five years. Featuring a reduced history of this ‘history of the dance’, advice for aspiring writers, the power of movement, and a special appearance by a man of a certain age. (UPDATE: Kay passed away on May 29, 2010, less than a month after this was recorded. She is and will be missed.) (MP3. Length 20:47)
Podcast: Download (Duration: 20:47 — 19.1MB)
Episode 33. Modern Slim Pickens
Character actor/comedian David Koechner (Anchorman, Thank You For Smoking, Snakes on a Plane) tells tales of typecasting and creating comic characters, and deconstructs his short-lived Comedy Central TV show, The Naked Trucker & T-Bones Show. Featuring a special appearance by Gerald ‘T-Bones’ Tibbons (left). Boop! (MP3. Length 26:20)
Podcast: Download (Duration: 26:53 — )