Novelist and former theatre dramaturg Nicole Galland has written I, Iago, a novel which tells the story of Shakespeare’s famous villain and the events of the play Othello, but from Iago’s point of view. Nicole talks about her tragic, comic, and crazily compelling riff on both the familiar story and Shakespeare’s famous villain, and Read more…
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![The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised]](http://reducedshakespeare.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/shakespeare-pic.jpg "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised]")
UK National Tour from April 2013! (And yes, this time we mean Scotland, too). We were very disturbed by the recent survey conducted by Vision Critical that suggests contemporary children have no idea who Shakespeare is and that more than a quarter of adults haven’t read his plays. And the final kick in the codpiece that nobody knows Shakespeare was British?! We blame ourselves.
Ever since the three American lads of the Reduced Shakespeare Company concocted The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised], the play has been such a massive global phenomenon that most people quite rightly assume that Shakespeare was American. (We thought so too until very recently.) Shakespeare is the most produced playwright in any language in any country. He’s EVERYWHERE. He’s like the American military or Katy Perry, except with fewer guns or firework-shooting bras.
”Scott Parkinson is one of those great stage actors you’ve probably never heard of, and he’s playing the title role in an amazing production of Hamlet at the wonderfully intimate Writers Theatre in the Chicago suburb of Glencoe. Austin Tichenor sits down with Scott (you know, one Hamlet to another) and Read more…
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During a break from our successful run of The Complete World of Sports (abridged) at the New Victory Theatre in New York City, we aim our satirical guns at the much-debated film “Anonymous” and the theories that underlie it. Joined by theatrical pundit and raconteur Howard Sherman, the members of the RSC (Reed Martin, Matt Rippy, Austin Tichenor, and office manager Alli Bostedt) improvised their review and analysis in the offices of the New Victory Theater immediately after the film. Featuring differing opinions, much benefit of the doubt, unabridged wig appreciation, a perfect critical response from NPR’s Bob Mondello — and zero convincing. For a definitive rebuttal to the so-called Authorship Question, download the entirely free PDF “Shakespeare Bites Back: Not So Anonymous,” by Rev. Dr. Paul Edmondson and Prof. Stanley Wells, CBE of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. (Length 26:53)
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Michael Witmore is the new (and appropriately named) director of the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC, and shares his enthusiastic insight into how Shakespeare opens doors into other worlds, why original annotated texts are awesome, why the humanities matter, how Shakespeare got away with what he did, why the Read more…
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”RSC member Jerry Kernion talks about his recent performance as both Dromios (Dromiii?) in A Noise Within‘s hit production of Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors, and also takes us behind the scenes of Cirque du Soleil‘s ill-fated foray onto the proscenium stage, Banana Shpeel. Featuring specifics, precision, a special appearance by Read more…
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Current RSC members Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor are joined by founding members Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield – and original props goddess Sa Winfield – as they celebrate the 30th anniversary of the very first performance by those upstarts from California, the Reduced Shakespeare Company. Join in Monday August Read more…
“What, what, what are you doing?!” The Sassy Gay Friend is an internet sensation, and creator/star/writer Brian Gallivan discusses his fabulous character’s surprising impact. Featuring literary and pop culture inspirations, how the SGF will come to your community, a special appearance by Man vs Food host Adam Richman, and how a Read more…
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”What happens when real Shakespeare actors have to perform the (abridged) and Complete Works? Tiger Reel and Jeff Marlow explain the difficulties as they prepare for our tour of Belgium and Holland, and reveal the connection between Shakespeare and science-fiction, how this tour is a special homecoming, and preview a Read more…
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”Michael Faulkner returns to the RSC fold and regales us with tales of Measure For Measure at A Noise Within in Los Angeles, where he’s playing Elbow. Featuring the differences between acting and stage managing, between real Shakespeare and reduced Shakespeare, how to get Shakespeare up into fifth gear, and Read more…
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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…
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”Facts both silly and true highlight our reduced knowledge of the immortal bard in this podcast inspired by a recent London Times article. Featuring audio footnotes; excerpts from our “Complete Guide to London (abridged)”, the Reduced Shakespeare Radio Show, and Reduced Shakespeare: The Complete Guide for the Attention-Impaired (abridged); special appearances Read more…
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Folks refer to San Diego as America’s Finest City. We plan to change all that. That’s right – despite popular demand, we’ll be performing The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) revised] for two weekends – June 11-13 and 18-20 – at San Diego Repertory Theatre in beautiful downtown San Read more…
”Jennifer Lee Carell‘s new mystery Haunt Me Still (aka The Shakespeare Curse outside the US) deals with the legends surrounding the manuscript and supposed curse of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, or as it’s known euphemistically in the theatre world, “the Scottish Play”. Featuring the difference between knowledge and superstition, Shakespeare’s fascination Read more…
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”Join us on a backstage tour of the New Victory Theatre in New York City, and go behind, below, and above the scenes. Featuring a rundown of the theater’s glorious and checkered history, mysterious tales of the “phantom of the New Victory”, some bodacious putti, and a special appearance by the Read more…
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”In his book The DeVere Code, actor Jonathan Bond explains the startling discovery he made that reveals Shakespeare’s sonnets were written by the 17th Earl of Oxford, Edward de Vere. Featuring impertinent pop-culture comparisons, Eureka moments, a special appearance by a genuine Nutter, and a first-hand account of what it’s Read more…
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Wanna catch up on the latest Reduced news, reviews and interviews? The April edition of The Reduced Reader is OUT NOW! We’re launching the final leg of our tour of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) – check dates! Also, in this edition, find out about our “Broadway” run, Read more…
”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…
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”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…
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Ron Severdia is the creator of the Shakespeare App, which puts the complete works of William Shakespeare at your fingertips in a fun format complete with searchable database. Ron chats about the app’s origins and its future, what goes on under the hood, and what one does to turn a Shakespeare app Pro. (MP3. Length 17:53)
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The Complete Works of William Shakespeare achieved another level of ultimate reduction when we compressed each of Shakespeare’s plays via our Twitter account into Tweets of less than 140 characters. (This was probably one of the reasons we won the 2010 Shorty Award in the “Cultural Institution” category.) Check the Read more…
No, we aren’t attending late-night loud-music drug-fueled parties. Our performance of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) got a rave review from the South China Morning Post! “A very funny evening that keeps audiences laughing non-stop!” “Fast, furious, and full of wordplay from both the 16th and 21st centuries!” Read more…
”Emmy Award-winning writer Andrew Price talks about creating the Reduced Shakespeare Company category and writing questions for the game show Jeopardy! Featuring insight into how the global phenomenon game show is written, tips on how to beat the buzzer, and how you can get a part in Andrew’s new movie. Read more…
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”This week we discuss what it’s like to perform the revisions to The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged). Featuring cast changes, Singapore changes, and a special appearance by RSC founding member Jess Winfield, author of My Name Is Will: A Novel of Sex, Drugs, and Shakespeare. (MP3. Length 20:03)
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”The Lamplighters is San Francisco’s oldest musical theatre company, and arguably America’s finest purveyors of Gilbert & Sullivan. Lamplighters’ board president Jim MacIlvaine talks about the role of a theater’s board of directors, the value of G&S, and why old poops are a valuable commodity. Featuring excerpts from several Lamplighters Read more…
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We have finally reduced the career of Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and may I just say – it’s about time. We recorded it for the Gabby Logan Show on BBC Radio 5. You can listen to it here, but now you can also read it in a handy-dandy text version Read more…
Apparently, Facebook did not create the (increasingly annoying) 25 Random Things About Me application on its social networking site. Turns out that William Shakespeare himself created the first such list over 400 years ago. His “Five and Twenty Random Things Abovt Me” list has just been posted on a MySpace Read more…
”The Troubador Theater Company combines clowning, Shakespeare, and rock & roll in productions like As U2 Like It, Much Adoobie Brothers About Nothing, Fleetwood Macbeth, and Hamlet – The Artist Formerly Known As Prince of Denmark. Artistic Director Matt Walker and Producing Director Beth Kennedy discuss the method to their Read more…
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”The RSC is strapping on the tights again for The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) — and this time it’s revised. Authors Jess Winfield and Daniel Singer talk about what prompted them to update the script, what references they wanted to update, and – thankfully for us – how Read more…
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”Founding RSC member Jess Winfield discusses his first novel My Name Is Will: A Novel of Sex, Drugs, and Shakespeare, and why politics, artistic growth, and the occasional naughty word fuel his recent work. Featuring RenFaire and RSC memories, hints about a possible sequel, a desperate cry for minions, and Read more…
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”A new Shakespeare thriller! Published in America as Interred With Their Bones, and around the world as The Shakespeare Secret, Jennifer Lee Carrell‘s new book is a page-turning treasure hunt adventure about one woman’s global search for a lost Shakespeare manuscript. The author herself talks about her luck as a Read more…
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”Finally! After almost two years of podcasting, Reduced Shakespeare Company founder Daniel Singer talks about the company’s early days and the development of the The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged). Featuring true stories about how the company went from four performers to three, analysis of Shakespeare’s juvenile early work, how Read more…
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”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…
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”Don’t know your Bacons from your Marlowes, your deVeres from your Rutlands? Fear not. As William Shakespeare turns the big 4-4-4, we review the candidates some people consider the actual authors of Shakespeare’s plays. Featuring scandalous scholarship, an excerpt from Reduced Shakespeare: The Complete Guide for the Attention-Impaired (abridged), and Read more…
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”Join us as we wander backstage at Washington DC’s Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Lansburgh Theatre. Stroll down the Hallway of Fame! Marvel at the stars! Gaze befuddled at the Elvis Shrine! Wonder how the hell you really pronounce Ted van Griethuysen! Listen enrapt to stories of the other RSC! Shake your Read more…
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This age-old philosophical question is analyzed in irredeemably geeky and undeniably nerdy depth by the RSC’s resident Trekkies. Featuring startling insights why Star Trek is like Shakespeare, an excerpt from our Paul Harris interview at KMOX, and special guest appearances from actual Star Trek story editors and Borg fighters. Embrace the cheese! (MP3. Length 19:29)
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”Celebrate William Q. Shakespeare’s birthday with this collection of live performance readings from Reduced Shakespeare: The Complete Guide For The Attention-Impaired (abridged). Also, excerpts from the BBC World Service’s Reduced Shakespeare Radio Show, the radio version of RSC Q&A, and a distinguished and plummy appearance by Dr. Peter Holland, McNeel Read more…
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