Bard Flies

James A. Smith, William C. Quinn
  • 4.9 (31)
  • PERFORMING ARTS

A podcast full of sound and fury, told by idiots. Dedicated to covering the plays of William Shakespeare in chronological order.

  1. 02/21/2023 · BONUS

    The End: Die Bard With A Vengeance

    Several dozen plays later, Will and James host a wrap-up episode where they revisit, revise, and criticize one another’s rankings, recognize the greatest and most outlandish characters with awards, and reflect on the experience of reading Shakespeare cover to cover over the past several years as they finish Season One of Bard Flies. Credits Intro Music: Jon Sayles, "The Witches' Dance" (composed by anonymous) Outro Music: Jon Sayles, “Saltarello” (composed by anonymous) Illustrative Excerpts: “Pomp and Circumstance” (Edward Elgar); “First Blood,” dir. Ted Kotcheff (1982); “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery,” dir. Jay Roach (1997); “Friends: The One Where Phoebe Runs,” dir. Gary Halvorson (1999); “Top Gun,” dir. Tony Scott (1986); “Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back,” dir. Irvin Kershner (1980); “Goodfellas,” dir. Martin Scorsese (1990); John Gielgud, “Ages of Man,” Caedmon Records (1959); “Robin Hood,” dir. Wolfgang Reitherman and David Hand (1973); “Henry IV, Part One,” dir. Clive Brill (1998)

    1h 13m

  2. 11/28/2022

    The Two Noble Kinsmen: The Two Ignoble Podcasters

    In Shakespeare's final -- yes, final -- play, he returns to where he started with the plight of noblemen in love with the same woman. Working again with John Fletcher, Shakespeare borrows from Chaucer for a tale set in ancient Greece featuring duels, delusions, exposure therapy, and prayers to the gods that get answered like the wishes on a monkey's paw -- but all in the service of a story that ends happily. (Except for the guy who gets thrown from his horse and dies in his hour of triumph.) Credits Intro Music: Jon Sayles, "The Witches' Dance" (composed by anonymous) Outro Music: Jon Sayles, “Saltarello” (composed by anonymous) Illustrative Excerpts: Arkangel / BBC, “The Two Noble Kinsmen” (2006)

    42 min

  3. 10/10/2022

    Henry VIII: Rope-a-Pope

    In the final of the history plays, Shakespeare and his collaborator John Fletcher take on Henry VIII, the story of his first two wives, the birth of the future queen Elizabeth, and the establishment of the Church of England. In this episode, Will and James discuss why people have found the politics of Henry’s court so compelling across the ages from Showtime’s The Tudors to Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall to Broadway’s Six, unpack the downfall speeches of Cardinal Wolsey and Katherine of Aragon, and consider whether you could pull it off today. Credits Intro Music: Jon Sayles, "The Witches' Dance" (composed by anonymous) Outro Music: Jon Sayles, “Saltarello” (composed by anonymous) Illustrative Excerpts: Herman’s Hermits, “Henry the Eighth, I Am,” The Ed Sullivan Show (1965); Arkangel / BBC, “History of Henry VIII” (1998); Bea Segura, “Henry VIII,” dir. Hannah Khalil, Shakespeare’s Globe (2022)

    53 min

  4. 09/12/2022

    The Tempest: Stuff as Schemes are Made Of

    Magic, monsters, sprites, witches, shipwrecks, betrayal, love stories on an enchanted isle, and emotional catharsis driven by a puppet master pulling all the stings: no, dear listeners, it’s not a Dungeons & Dragons campaign but Shakespeare’s The Tempest! Will and James discuss the play know as Shakespeare’s affectionate late-career farewell to the theatre, portrayals of Caliban throughout the years, its possible setting in the New World, and whether a play with an almost all-powerful protagonist can be truly dramatic. Credits Intro Music: Jon Sayles, "The Witches' Dance" (composed by anonymous) Outro Music: Jon Sayles, “Saltarello” (composed by anonymous) Illustrative Excerpts: “The Tempest,” dir. Julie Taymor (2010); John Gielgud, “Ages of Man,” Caedmon Records (1959)

    55 min

  5. 08/01/2022 · BONUS

    Minisode 9: An Interview with Dr. Dan Normandin

    In this week’s minisode, the pod features a conversation on Cymbeline with Dr. Dan Normandin, postdoctoral fellow in Early Modern English Literature at George Mason University and, even more importantly, a former classmate of James and Will. Dr. Normandin offers his insight on some of the topics James and Will debated about Cymbeline and shares war stories on his time teaching Shakespeare before a controversial lightning round. Credits Intro Music: Jon Sayles, "The Witches' Dance" (composed by anonymous) Outro Music: Jon Sayles, “Saltarello” (composed by anonymous)

    43 min

  6. 06/27/2022

    Cymbeline: Imogen There's No Cloten

    With plot twists that depend on poor facial recognition, one-sided bets over cuckoldry, one of the most idiotic kings in Shakespeare, and a truly villainous stepson whose beheading we are unfairly denied on stage, Shakespeare’s “Cymbeline” is an interesting and often forgotten play in the Shakespeare canon. Will and James discuss which of these twists is most incredible as well as the Bard’s portrait of Cloten, the aforementioned stepson whose incel tendencies lead to depravity, and what we should make of the play’s British patriotism and ambivalent relationship to the Roman Empire. Credits Intro Music: Jon Sayles, "The Witches' Dance" (composed by anonymous) Outro Music: Jon Sayles, “Saltarello” (composed by anonymous) Illustrative Excerpts: “Cymbeline,” dir. Michael Almereyda (2014); “Cymbeline,” dir. Cylan Brown, Shakespeare by the Sea, (2016); “Cymbeline,” dir. Laura Gordon, Band of Brothers Shakespeare Company (2019)

    59 min

  7. 06/03/2022

    The Winter's Tale: Pursued by a Nightmare

    In a land ruled by a paranoid and jealous king hell-bent on destroying his own family and buffeted by violent storms, miracles, and a very large and hungry bear, Shakespeare’s characters go from intense melodrama to comedy to redemption in the five wild acts of The Winter’s Tale. In this week’s episode, Will and James find themselves surprised by how much they liked this romance and debate what makes it so much more successful than some of the Bard’s later plays. Credits Intro Music: Jon Sayles, "The Witches' Dance" (composed by anonymous) Outro Music: Jon Sayles, “Saltarello” (composed by anonymous) Illustrative Excerpts: “The Winter’s Tale,” dir. Gregory Doran, Heritage Theatre (1999); “The Winter’s Tale,” dir. Kenneth Branagh, Garrick Theatre (2015)

    54 min

  8. 04/11/2022 · BONUS

    Minisode 8: An Interview with Eliot Cohen

    In this week’s minisode, Will interviews Dr. Eliot A. Cohen, former Counselor at the Department of State, professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and co-host of the podcast Shield of the Republic. Dr. Cohen talks about his latest book project on Shakespeare and politics, the best stage to see the Bard come to life, what we can learn about war and peace from Coriolanus, and why Henry V is both the best and worst person to have in your foxhole. Credits Intro Music: Jon Sayles, "The Witches' Dance" (composed by anonymous) Outro Music: Jon Sayles, “Saltarello” (composed by anonymous)

    32 min
See All (49)

4.9
out of 5
31 Ratings

About

A podcast full of sound and fury, told by idiots. Dedicated to covering the plays of William Shakespeare in chronological order.

Information

  • Creator
    James A. Smith, William C. Quinn
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2023
  • Episodes
    49
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Bard Flies 2020
  • Show Website
    Bard Flies