Stephano & Trinculo

Adam Wesley Brown (left) and Ron E. Rains (right) played Stephano and Trinculo in the 2015 Chicago Shakespeare Theater production of The Tempest directed by Aaron Posner and Teller, and for no reason other than we’re huge fans, they discuss the rewards of playing Shakespearean clowns (these two in particular). Featuring the wonder of immediate connections at the auditions; the occasional difficulty of calling it ‘work’; shout-out to Zach Eisenstat and Manelich Minniefee from Pilobolus Dance Company, who played an eight-limbed, two-headed Caliban; the beauty of being a bit factory; the dramaturgical importance of clowns, and realizing that if the most memorable character in Hamlet is the Gravedigger you’ve done something wrong; how it behooves young actors to get some musical skills, and how a knowledge of music helps particularly with speaking Shakespeare; how you must always fight for the biggest flask; how we didn’t even discuss Ron also being The Onion’s Film Critic, Peter K. Rosenthal; and the importance of learning that, when in doubt about a joke, make it sexual. (Length 23:05)

Episode 396. Singing ‘Shakespeare’s Fool’

”In addition being an on-air personality at KX 93.5 in Laguna Beach, CA, Jason Feddy is the singer/songwriter/composer and performer of Shakespeare’s Fool, an amazing collection of songs drawn from the Shakespearean canon. Around excerpts from the wonderful CD (available here), Jason talks about how the project came about, his musical Read more…

Adrian Scarborough

Episode 376. Playing The Fool

”Olivier Award-winning actor Adrian Scarborough discusses playing the Fool in the National Theatre production of King Lear, starring Simon Russell Beale and directed by Sam Mendes, and shares the challenges of interpreting the role, his initial reluctance to take it, some impenetrable babble, learning from Shakespeare’s original cast, investigating possible doubling, finding Read more…

Episode 366. Serpent of Venice

”Pocket of Dog Snogging returns! New York Times Best-Selling author Christopher Moore discusses his Shakespeare-inspired comic novels Fool (a retelling of King Lear from the jester’s point of view) and his latest The Serpent of Venice, which combines Othello, Merchant of Venice, Edgar Allan Poe, and a sea monster. Featuring 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…