Flatwater Shakespeare’s ‘Unshaken’

Flatwater Shakespeare Company is hosting its first (and hopefully annual) “Unshaken Festival,” five solo pieces that engage with Shakespeare comically, poignantly, and powerfully (including Dee Ryan’s Broadguess, featuring actor Fred Vogel). Summer Lukasiewicz is Flatwater’s outgoing executive artistic director, and she shares how these new pieces were selected; how the festival came to be, and how it’s a reaction to the pandemic; the importance of getting changes to the tech crew; the differences between working with living playwrights (as opposed to dead ones), including why the royalty line-item suddenly has numbers in it bigger than zero; whether (and how) the “Unhaken Festival” will continue; and why seeing Shakespeare through difference lenses and from different perspectives is one reason why Shakespeare continues to live. (Length 20:25)

Comparing Twelfth Nights

To celebrate Twelfth Night, we compare different productions of Shakespeare’s great comedy with Dee Ryan, adjunct professor at Northwestern University and president of the North Shore Shakespeare Society, and actress Elizabeth Dennehy, who recently directed Twelfth Night at the Los Angeles County School for the Arts. Featuring shout-outs to productions at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company; the Stratford Festival (with music by Michael Roth & Des MacAnuff), the South Australian State Theatre with Geoffrey Rush, Chicago’s Writer’s Theatre, and the Amanda Bynes film She’s The Man; how Twelfth Night got its title (and subtitle); how and when to make sure scene transitions flow as well as the play itself; the virtue of outright theft; how the play is NOT the tragedy of Malvolio; inspiration from the musical Once; Lear-like Orsinos; cleansing rains; shout-outs to Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Oklahoma! and San Diego Repertory Theatre’s The Humans; valentine reviews; pairing Antonio and Aguecheek; the benefits of isolating your Olivia; shout-outs to Caitlin McWethy and Abby Lee (pictured above); the food chain of status-climbing; and, as ever, the promise of getting it better…next time. (Length 27:50) (Pictured: Abby Lee as Olivia, Caitlin McWethy as Viola, and cast of the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company production of Twelfth Night, directed by Austin Tichenor. Photos by Mikki Schaffner Photography.)

Episode 610. ‘Western Civ’ Lives!

Barnstormers Theatre in New Hampshire is producing our rarely-seen show Western Civilization: The Complete Musical (abridged), which we created in 1998 under its original title The Complete Millennium Musical (abridged). Director Blair Hundertmark and cast members (l to r) Jordan Ahnquist, Cheryl Mullings, and Rachel Alexa Norman discuss learning and updating the script and the songs, getting comfortable with audience participation, the freedom to go with the flow, lyrics that make your eyes spin, encouraging seriousness and the prospect of journaling, finding a through-line, sad topicality, getting the audience on your side, sexy inquisitors, unsung heroes, and timeless inspiration from Yogi Berra. Featuring excerpts from the original cast recording, which is available from iTunes! (Length 25:04)

Episode 506. Shakespeare In China

”In July 2016, we taught theatre workshops and directed a reduced version of Midsummer Night’s Dream in Beijing, China. Hosted by Tin House Productions, who is producing our three-week Chinese tour later this year, we worked with a fantastic group of kids as well as (for one night) a large group of Read more…

Episode 409. More Lost Works

”LIVE! From Reston, VA, comes Part Two of our excerpts from the evening of Lost Works from The Complete Works of the Reduced Shakespeare Company (abridged) Extravaganza. Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor welcome RSC alumni Matt Croke and Dee Ryan as they discuss Dalek-y voices, lost jerks, the mystery of the Read more…

Episode 403. The Reston Extravaganza

”Reed 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 Read more…

Episode 399. The Second City

”Second City‘s legacy informs every aspect of contemporary comedy (including many alumni who’ve performed with us) and this week Executive Vice President and President of Second City Theatricals Kelly Leonard gives us the reduced history of Second City’s over-fifty year impact on popular culture. Featuring phenomenal growth, changing trends, ensemble spirit Read more…

Episode 211A. We Sing ‘Gay!’

”In honor of the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”: Rare archival footage of Reed Martin, Dee Ryan, and Austin Tichenor singing ‘Gay!’ from the RSC’s original 1998 production of The Complete Millennium Musical (abridged) at the Pittsburgh Public Theatre. (Special thanks to Twitter follower @khedwar for the idea!) (m4v. Read more…

Episode 191. Folger Shakespeare Library

We touched a Folio…and we liked it! Join us for this rare behind-the-scenes glimpse of the largest collection of Shakespearean treasures in the world. Gail Paster, the Director of the Folger Shakespeare Library and Head of Reference Georgianna Ziegler take us on a guided tour and bust myths while showing off Read more…

Episode 147. Favorite Great Performances

”That other dead-husband’s-ghost-story that doesn’t star Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze. President Roslin live onstage. Anything by Robert Duvall. And why hasn’t this man ever won an Academy Award? Hear about the performances we love and why we love them. Featuring a special appearance by David Koechner, co-star of Kelsey Read more…

Episode 127. Mum’s The Word

”Dee Ryan (the Reduced Shakespeare Company’s answer to Sarah Vowell) deescribes her adventures being a soccer referee, and literally brings new meaning to the term “soccer mom”. Featuring an appearance by Scrubs star Donald Faison, whose new movie Next Day Air opens this week, and a very special Mother’s Day Read more…

Episode 114. Reduced Valentine’s Day

”Things We Love this week — a story of the RSC and Young Love in Ireland; the television premiere of a feature film produced by RSC alumni John Schwab and Tim Beckman; and Dee Ryan returns to the Pittsburgh Public Theater with her one-woman show DeeConstruction.  Happy VD!  (MP3. Length Read more…

Episode 75. Happy Mother’s Day!

”A reduced celebration of all things maternal! We talk to some real RSC Moms and learn about the joys of waxing, the benefits of talking to people, the difficulty of scheduling your day around your kids, and some disturbing examples of Hamlet’s Oedipal complex. Featuring an excerpt from The Reduced Read more…

Episode 36. Ffan-Ffording-Tastic!

”Bestselling author Jasper Fforde talks about First Among Sequels, the latest in his Thursday Next series. Jasper shares the RSC’s reverential irreverence for sacred literature, reveals some eerie insight concerning Jane Austen, and outlines his Schrodinger Night Fever Principle of Literary Analysis. Featuring a special appearance by The Word Nerds. Read more…

Episode 34. The Windy City

”We’re coming to Chicago! Our opening at the Royal George Theatre prompts this tribute to the City of Big Shoulders. We celebrate this great theatre town, debate the merits of the Cubs v. the White Sox, and reveal the truth about Mrs O’Leary’s cow. Featuring a special appearance by Charna Read more…

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)

Episode 32. The Celtic Tiger

”Whatever you call it….the Emerald Isle….the Land of Saints and Scholars….the Celtic Tiger…Ireland is one of our favorite places. Since we’re touring there for eight weeks, we tell Irish tales of the perils of pub singing and the legend of Oliver Reed. Featuring special appearances by Irish natives Jane Fitzpatrick Read more…

Episode 25. Follow The Mistakes!

”Mistakes…or oh-so-brilliant bits of comic invention!? You be the judge. We honor the god of chaos (Harpo?) and analyse the funny moments in our shows which began as screw-ups. Featuring excerpts from several of our stage shows, unnecessary vomiting, and a special appearance by Bridget Fonger, author of The Lazy Read more…