Bringing Back Comedy

The original cast (pictured, left to right: Reed Martin, Dominic Conti, and Austin Tichenor) returns to The Complete History of Comedy (abridged) for performances this April and July of 2023 and they discuss how both the show and their performances have changed; how different people can get away with different jokes; the value of bashing away at the material; the audacity of comparing ourselves to Shakespeare; how it’s our most autobiographical show; what it’s like to act with other companies like Chicago’s Goodman Theatre and San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theatre; fixing certain punchlines; and a special appearance from Grammy Award-winning comedian “Weird Al” Yankovic! (Length 18:49)

Episode 525. Ten Year Highlights

”We highlight ten signature moments, one from each of the ten years of the first decade of the RSC Podcast, that best represent the scope of what we’ve attempted to do week after week. Featuring behind the scenes conversations showcasing how our shows are created, in-depth interviews with comedians, directors, authors, and award-winning actors, and invaluable Read more…

Episode 417. Comedy Cast Notes

”Chad 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 Read more…

Episode 412. ‘Martian American’ Dude

”Our own Dominic Conti talks about his title role in Martian American, which just won Best Student Film at the Glendale International Film Festival, and for which Dom won Best Actor at the same event! Dom shares the tricks of portraying this particular alien, and talks about filmmaking communities, the joys of getting the offer, 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 378. Evaluating The Best

”With 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 Read more…

Episode 372. There’s Always One

”Even 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 Read more…

Episode 361. A Comedian’s Prayer

”Reed 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 Read more…

Episode 333. My Willy Matters

”Happy 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 Read more…

Episode 328. Our Reduced Workshops

”In 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, Read more…

The Complete World of Sports (abridged)

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: (more…)

Episode 273. Audition Glory Stories

”Audition 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 Read more…

Episode 240. Final ‘Hollywood’ Thoughts

”On 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 Read more…

The Complete World of Sports (abridged)

RSC on MYFOXDC!

In case you have NOT been glued to your TV watching MyFox DC, never fear – the Reduced Shakespeare Company can be seen here! Or better yet, come down to the Kennedy Center and experience all the gags and glory – live! Holly Morris – Reduced Shakespeare Company: MyFoxDC.com

Episode 235. Mile High Podcast

”LIVE! from Air New Zealand flight #2 from Auckland to Los Angeles. It’s a media circus as our in-flight recording session is interrupted by a film crew documenting Air New Zealand’s new staff uniforms. Featuring travel ritual revelations, important safety tips, a few unfortunate skips in the recording, and the Read more…

Episode 231. A Hearty Bookfest

”We made our second straight appearance at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, reading from Reduced Shakespeare: The Complete Guide for the Attention-Impaired (abridged), All The Great Books (abridged), Completely Hollywood (abridged), and The Complete World of Sports (abridged). Featuring crazy live laughter, ambient traffic noise, a special appearance Read more…

Episode 228. We’re Catching Up

”Multi-hyphenate RSC Office Manager Alli Bostedt catches us up on how she manages to juggle her many duties while she’s on the road. Also, Dominic Conti catches us up on all the awards our friends’ web series The Best Friend won at LA WebFest. And we catch up with our Read more…

Episode 225. Sophomoric, N’est-ce Pas?

”On our drive across America’s heartland, we pass the time debating the highs and lows of high and low comedy. Featuring definitions of the word sophomoric; celebrations of satire; a special appearance by legendary Pulitzer Prize-winning sports photographer Stan Grossfeld; a sexy, sensual, and smooth station ID for Lush 99.5 Read more…

Episode 222. The Best Friend

”Marilyn Anne Michaels and Allie Smith are the creators and stars of The Best Friend, a very funny web series (featuring in a small role our own Dominic Conti, who also co-wrote a few episodes). Allie and Marilyn reveal how they create the series and manage to talk so many Read more…

HELLO, SINGAPORE!

Proving yet again that there is no accounting for taste, the RSC has returned to Singapore this month, performing “The Complete History of America (abridged)” and “Completely Hollywood (abridged)” from November 1-14. Click on the podcasts below to listen to us talk about our last tour of Asia, Dom’s dorkologue and excerpts Read more…

Episode 202. Our Asian Invasion

”Mick Orfe, Dominic Conti, and Jeff Marlow regale each other (and us) with tales of apprehension and excitement regarding their current tour of Hong Kong and Singapore. Featuring helpful advice, misplaced fears, audible eye-rolls, walking oxymorons, and our very first dueling celebrity blurb! (MP3. Length 18:09)

ASIAN Invasion

The Far East can be mysterious. That must explain why they are having us back to Hong Kong and Singapore so soon! We’ll be performing The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged) and The Complete History of America (abridged) at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts from October 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 190. Worst Jobs Ever

”Waiter. Temp. Circus Clown. Assistant Factotum. We’ve all had to take survival jobs to feed our theatre habit, and this week we discuss the worst ones we’ve endured. Featuring tales of long hours, professional incompetence, disgruntled customers, personal humiliation, on-the-job embarrassment, and the tiny triumphs of finally leaving a job for Read more…

Episode 186. The Conti Beat

”This week we dig that crazy Conti beat and go behind the scenes to deconstruct Dominic Conti‘s lengthy and show-stopping “dorkalogue” at the end of Completely Hollywood (abridged). Featuring the power and limitations of snorting as a character choice, the trust of an actor’s instinct, funky frank appearances by NPR‘s Read more…

Episode 179. Comedy That Offends

”It’s another edition of “My Coffee With Reed and Austin,” who discuss the recent South Park controversy and the RSC’s stumbles into offensive territory. Featuring authentic cafe ambience, dressing room debates, excerpts from Western Civilization: The Complete Musical (abridged), feedback feedback, and the advantages of losing your hearing. (MP3. Length Read more…

Episode 167. Festus Is Back!

”The old codgers from Hollywood mark the return of a beloved – but cut – character from our America show. Featuring other recycled characters from previous shows, further improvements to the first act of Hollywood, a frustrating tease about the Sports show, and information about the publication of the Hollywood Read more…

Episode 126. Audiences Talk Back

”We interact with fans and audience members during post-show talkbacks in both Springfield, Illinois and San Diego, California. Featuring info about whether we dumb down our material (as if that were possible), whether we’ve ever adopted an audience member, two great RSC Voice Mails and a major milestone in our Read more…

Episode 117. Educate Motivate Inspire

”Doesn’t sound like us, does it? No, it’s the motto of Envision-EMI, the producer of the Presidential Youth Leadership Conference we performed at in January. Featuring what exactly we look for in future leaders, what future leaders like most in an RSC show, and how we inspire future leaders… to Read more…

Episode 112. Happy New President!

”Our return to Washington DC this week coincides with the inauguration of America’s 44th President, and sparks memories of previous trips to our nation’s capital. Featuring brushes with DC greatness, important White House secrets, how we’re jumping through dozens of security hoops, and the revelation of exactly how we roll. Read more…

Episode 109. Why We Act

”A listener’s question inspires this year-end reflection: Why do we do what we do? Reduced members muse over reasons they answered the call and chose “the biz”: was it the gratification, the glory, or the girls? We discover that a geology degree is a very useful thing when stage managing Read more…

Episode 87. Walking The Line

”The Long Run: How do actors keep it interesting? How do they walk the line of doing the show as rehearsed and keeping it fresh and alive night after night? That’s what we discussed one night in the dressing room before and during a recent performance. Featuring listener questions, more Read more…

Episode 85. A Theatre Company

”Are we a comedy troupe? A rock band? A floor wax? A dessert topping? We try to define once and for all What We Are, and examine the various places we find our actors, reveal once and for all whether our audience “volunteers” are plants, outline the advantages of actors Read more…

Episode 80. Friday Night Lights

”No, this week’s podcast is not about the critically-acclaimed but low-rated NBC show about high-school football in a small Texas town. We talk about the odd scientific phenomenon of a large Friday night audience not responding as loudly as its numbers might suggest. Plus, an examination of the obverse principal: Read more…

Episode 77. Three Word Stories

”The “Three Word Story” is RSC fan fiction written by committee — three words at a time — at the Reduced Shakespeare Company Forum, where audience participation rises to a whole new level. Featuring an extended tour around our website, zippy new theme music by Jon Weber, some YouTube greatness, Read more…

Episode 65. At The Movies II

”It’s a sequel! Our 2nd annual Oscar® Podcast, featuring startling insights from two RSC actors who’ve been too busy to see many of the nominated films, and a special and embarrassed appearance by NPR’s film critic Bob Mondello. Hello, gorgeous! (MP3. Length 21:57)

Episode 59. Words On Theatre

”Excerpts from our interview on Marcy Solomon‘s KUSF-FM radio program Words On Theatre. Featuring details on Plasticman action figure accessories, tips on audience participation, advice on how to take one for the team, insight into RSC percentages, an update on what RSC fans call themselves, and a special appearance by Read more…

Episode 53. Just For Us

”The RSC Podcast begins its second year by swapping tales of shows we loved being in more than audiences loved seeing. Featuring the realities of performing for non-English-speaking crowds, the dangers of casts that outnumber audiences, and the perils of adapting Dostoevsky’s The Possessed. Plus, a special appearance by Billy Read more…

Episode 52. Writing “Completely Hollywood”

”Reed and Austin talk about how they wrote — and continue to write — the RSC’s latest stage show Completely Hollywood (abridged). You’ll learn which movies influenced the writing, why some movies make our Greatest Movies Ever list and some don’t, and how (and why) the script keeps evolving. Featuring Read more…

Episode 51. At The Table

”After every performance, we meet and greet the audience at the table in the lobby, so we decided to turn the microphone on and let our Podcast listeners hear what they have to say. Learn about The Rules of the Game, what happened when we made changes to the first Read more…

Episode 20. Up Your Peninsula!

”Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (the U.P.), the home of yoopers and Michigan Tech University, where we performed Hollywood (abridged) and chatted with the audience for 45 minutes afterward. Featuring the #1 Law of Physical Comedy, the dangers of Bar Funny, shout-outs to all our London theaters, and a special appearance by RSC Read more…