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 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 314. Reduced Musical Abilities

”A jam session broke out recently when we got the band back together for Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged) brush up rehearsals. Matt Rippy, Michael Faulkner, and Mick Orfe play their music and talk about their musical backgrounds and abilities. Featuring original compositions, the gifts of wrong notes, examples of how musical skills can Read more…

Episode 311. In San Diego

”The cast of The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged) in San Diego — Michael Faulkner, Mick Orfe, and Dustin Sullivan — talk about returning to San Diego Repertory Theatre and how the Christmas show differs from the RSC’s other shows. Featuring natural disasters, the glory of the coveted Scenie, some minor Read more…

Happy Merry Chrismakwanukkahanzakah!

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 Read more…

Episode 269. Leaving Los Angeles

”Sometimes you go where the work is; sometimes you leave where the work isn’t. This week we talk about “pursuing other opportunities” outside of Los Angeles and hear about self-evaluation, changing marketplaces, delayed encounters with David E. Kelley, and the magic of reinvention. Featuring strong opinions about actors’ unions SAG and Read more…

Episode 267. Mick’s Alarming Premieres

”There’s never a dull moment when Mick Orfe gives his first performance in an RSC show. Join us for dramatic tales of kidney stones, fire alarms, lost luggage, student matinees, delayed flights, and late arrivals. Featuring a special appearance from UK Media Superstar Lauren Laverne and reassuring reasons why there Read more…

Quick Quiz!

Answer correctly and win a prize! Question: Name four states that end with an “A.” If you said (or thought… or have heard of…) Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and California – you win! And the prize is … the RSC will perform in all those states this Fall! Click here for 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…

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 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 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 162. Why We Tweet

”We’ve been using the micro-blogging service Twitter for almost a year, and we’ve seen its use rise among other theatre companies. We compare notes with Mary Kathryn Durr, E-Commerce and Social Media Manager for the Blumenthal Center of the Performing Arts, and learn about viral marketing, creating connections, and the Read more…

Episode 161. Our New Website

”Attention code monkeys: A new year means a new look at our new website! Webmaster Matt Rippy talks about the history of the RSC online presence, the spiffy new upgrades to the website, the differences between content management programs WordPress and Joomla, and some of our favorite bells and whistles. Now, Read more…

Episode 160. Post-Show Discussion

”A live Q&A at the Overture Center in Madison, Wisconsin, during which we reveal our favorite Shakespeare plays, touring information for 2010, when the script for Completely Hollywood (abridged) will be published, a very special blurb from some RSC pilgrims, answers to questions from our Twitter followers, and the shocking Read more…

Episode 159. Our Holiday Traditions

”From Madison, WI to Sonoma, CA, a special holiday podcast. Featuring expert opinions on proper terrain for house lighting, ancient pizza recipes, words of Wisconsin wisdom, Christmas tsotchkes from the holy land, a bold new experiment called present-giving, and some very helpful notes from an old friend. (MP3. Length 23:24)

Episode 158. 40 In 40

”Old and new friends this week. Chris Judson talks about his blog 40PlaysIn40Days and his quest to see all of Shakespeare’s plays in a single summer. Plus RSC wardrobe mistress (and Madison resident) Jenni Schwaner explains why she left the RSC to tour with Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. Featuring Read more…

Episode 156. Small Town Touring

”We’ve been touring to more small towns than big cities recently so we decided to look at the differences. Featuring backstage chats about the glories of small town municipal workers, airport personnel, and motel amenities; plus our highly sophisticated and technologically advanced method for keeping track of where we’ve played. Read more…

Episode 153. The Red Role

”Romeo. Polonius. Feral Orwell. Spade Diamond. Abraham. Easter Bunny. Coach. The RSC characters created by Daniel Singer and Reed Martin are known as the Red Role (after the color of his tights for so many years), and cast member Mick Orfe talks about how he interprets this archetype across five 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 146. Tung Chung Line

”We kept the microphone running while playing tourist in Hong Kong and riding the Tung Chung Line. Featuring RSC Travel Tips, a shout-out to the finest public transit system in the world, and backstage and onstage banter during an actual Hong Kong performance. (Mp3. Length 19:01)

Episode 145. Pasty White Giants

”Dressing room chatter this week about our first week of Hong Kong adventures. Featuring Mick Orfe’s dream woman, Matt Rippy’s nightmare injuries, Austin Tichenor’s mysterious allure to the ladies of Wan Chai, a shout-out to Willy’s Wily Wenches, and an interview (plus outtakes!) with Ellie Davis of RTHK Radio 3. Read more…

Episode 143. Actors Paying Bills

”RSC actor Mick Orfe reveals how, even in this troubled global economy, he’s managed to pay his bills and retire some debt. Relax – no bizarre economic theories or pitches for Amway products. Just tales of part-time jobs, hard work, and other ways actors supplement the exchequer. Featuring a special Read more…

Episode 115. We Get Micknames

”RSC actor Mick Orfe reveals the scientific process he uses to give us all the perfect nicknames. Featuring the world’s worst Sammy Davis Jr impressions, the toughest of all dairy cows, and the true identity of Noggin revealed.  (MP3. Length 18:50)

Episode 111. Fall Tour Stories

”As we start the Winter-Spring 2009 World Tour, we bring you road-trip stories from last fall 2008. Featuring passionate pie patter, terrible tales of technical trauma, a special appearance by Niamh Crowley of the West Ocean String Quartet, and a very special deal for U.S. podcast listeners from DVDPlayground.com. Listen 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 94. Special Election Edition

”The US Presidential Election is just around the corner, so the Special Election Edition of The Complete History of America (abridged) is off around the country. During a lunch break in rehearsal we discuss just how political we are — and aren’t. Featuring lame political insights, extremist viewpoints regarding the Read more…

Episode 73. Mick and Jerry

”Mick Orfe and Jerry Kernion — old friends and RSC actors who share the same roles — overlapped recently in DC and caught up on old times. Featuring conflicting stories on how they met, the value of RenFaire training, unnecessary digs at innocent bystander Brent Tubbs, and special appearances by Read more…

Episode 23. Mick And Brent

”Brent Tubbs & Mick Orfe chronicle their first performances in Completely Hollywood (abridged), and share surprisingly similar tales of air travel woes, actor’s nightmares, and strange superpowers. Featuring an appearance by playwright/director Ron West and incessant intrusion by the three B’s: Bad Bar Backgroundmusic. BBB afraid. (MP3. Length 19:34)

Episode 5. Happy Old Year!

”RSC members wax lyrical about favorite moments from 2006. Also, an excerpt from The Reduced Shakespeare Company Round Table originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4 with Dominic Conti, Mick Orfe and Austin Tichenor. Plus a message from Brett Peasel (Mommies Who Drink), RSC Q&A, Random Fan Shout-Out and more. (MP3. Read more…