Episode 577. Thanks, Robert Siegel

Long-time journalist and host of National Public Radio’s All Things Considered Robert Siegel retired last week. Robert was the man who first brought the Reduced Shakespeare Company on to the NPR airwaves in 1994 and introduced us to the largest American audience we’d ever had up to that point. To celebrate his retirement, we offer the very first interview we did with Robert on All Things Considered, from June 23, 1994, during which we talk about and perform excerpts from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), followed by our second interview with Robert, from July 31, 1995, in which we discuss and perform bits from what was then our brand-new show The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged). Featuring impossibly young voices, zippy tempos, wobbly-sounding keyboards, brief excerpts from our BBC World Service program The Reduced Shakespeare Radio Show, unaired outtakes from a piece we produced for NPR’s “In Character” series, and gratitude to a great journalist, network-builder, and friend. #ThanksRobert (Length 27:07)

Episode 434. NPR After Dark

”We’ve appeared on National Public Radio many times over the years, and this week we hear a few of the pieces we created for NPR, as well as outtakes that never made it to air. Featuring our reduction of NPR’s “In Character” series, a special appearance by Susan Stamberg, passionate and possibly Read more…

Episode 427. Designers Getting ‘Craftsy’

”Things We Love this Valentine’s Week…or more precisely, Getting Paid for Doing Things We Love. Costume Designer and Fashion Educator Judy Jackson teaches online courses at Craftsy.com, and shares the experience of (ahem) reducing her full-length classroom lectures to shorter online videos. Featuring unique skill-sets, highly specialized courses, bad Tim Gunn impressions, the surprising Read more…

Episode 381. Acting With Masks

”Rob Richards is the Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance at Phillips Exeter Academy, where he recently directed Austin Tichenor’s adaptation of Frankenstein. He’s also an actor, mask maker, and puppeteer, and this week the two old friends talk about the appeal of masks in both theatrical production Read more…

Episode 209. Broadway Play Publishing

”Broadway Play Publishing publishes and licenses the scripts of such playwrights as Tony Kushner, Eric Overmyer, Neil LaBute, Constance Congdon, and the entire Complete (abridged) oeuvre, and Kip Gould, its founder and publisher, raves about the exciting and lucrative field of script publishing (Note: Engage sarcasm filter). Featuring the pros and 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 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…