90 episodes

Shakespeare Anyone? is co-hosted by Elyse Sharp and Kourtney Smith, two professional actors and hobbyist Shakespeare scholars. Join us as we explore Shakepeare’s plays through as many lenses as we can by looking at the text and how the text is viewed through modern lenses of feminism, racism, classism, colonialism, nationalism… all the-isms.

We will discuss how his plays shaped both the past and present, and look at how his work was performed throughout various periods of time–all while trying our best to approach his works without giving in to bardolatry.

We examine one play at a time for an extended window of time, interspersed with mini-episodes about Shakespeare’s time for context. Episodes are released every other week.

Shakespeare Anyone‪?‬ Kourtney Smith & Elyse Sharp

    • Arts
    • 4.6 • 30 Ratings

Shakespeare Anyone? is co-hosted by Elyse Sharp and Kourtney Smith, two professional actors and hobbyist Shakespeare scholars. Join us as we explore Shakepeare’s plays through as many lenses as we can by looking at the text and how the text is viewed through modern lenses of feminism, racism, classism, colonialism, nationalism… all the-isms.

We will discuss how his plays shaped both the past and present, and look at how his work was performed throughout various periods of time–all while trying our best to approach his works without giving in to bardolatry.

We examine one play at a time for an extended window of time, interspersed with mini-episodes about Shakespeare’s time for context. Episodes are released every other week.

    Mini: Staging Violence in Shakespeare with Dr. Danielle Rosvally and Sydney Schwindt

    Mini: Staging Violence in Shakespeare with Dr. Danielle Rosvally and Sydney Schwindt

    In today's episode, we are joined by Dr. Danielle Rosvally and Sydney Schwindt to discuss how fight choreographers approach staging moments of violence in theatre, specifically in Shakespeare's plays. We will discuss how they collaborate with directors and actors to safely depict violence on stage, the state of the fight direction community, and how anyone can learn more about safe, consent-based practices for staging violence onstage. 
    Our guests: 
    Danielle Rosvally, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of theatre at the University at Buffalo where she serves as resident violence coordinator. She is a fight director, actor, dramaturge, and director. Danielle has been crafting and performing staged violence for over twenty years, and has written about fight direction for venues such as Theatre Topics, Fight Master Magazine, and various edited collections. As a researcher, Danielle specializes in Shakespeare; her book on  on Shakespeare as an economic value comes out with the State University of New York press in July.
    Sydney Schwindt wears many hats in the theatre world; she is an actor, director, fight director, and educator. She is a resident artist with the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival and works frequently with SPARC Theatre. She is an advanced actor combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors and is on the advisory board for the Same Boat Theatre Collective. She has taught movement and stage combat at Indiana University and the American Conservatory Theatre’s Graduate program. 
    Sydney directed “As You Like It” with San Francisco Shakespeare Festival’s Shakespeare on Tour. It is running from now until mid May 2024 all across California. Check the websites for a public performance near you! www.sfshakes.org
    She will be directing “Twelfth Night” with the Starling Shakespeare Company this summer. The show runs in rep with “Henry IV, Part 1” from June until September, 2024. 
    Learn more about Fight Direction:
    Society of American Fight Directors
    The British Academy of Stage and Screen Combat
    British Academy of Dramatic Combat
    Fight Directors Canada
    Danielle's HowlRound Article
    Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp.
    Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander.
    Follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod for updates or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com
    You can support the podcast by becoming a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone  or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod
     
     

    • 36 min
    Romeo and Juliet: Courtship and Marriage in Shakespeare's Time

    Romeo and Juliet: Courtship and Marriage in Shakespeare's Time

    In today's episode, we will be diving into the culture of courtship and marriage in early modern England. We will take a look at how the cultural norms and concerns surrounding marriage were shifting and changing in Shakespeare's time and how we can see this represented in Romeo and Juliet. We will also discuss how, at least in some parts of England and for certain classes, young people were able to resist some of the societal structures around courtship and marriage. 
     
    Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp.
    Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander.
    Follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod for updates or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com
    You can support the podcast by becoming a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone  or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod
    Works referenced:
    Hubbard, Eleanor. “A Room of Their Own: Young Women, Courtship, and the Night in Early Modern England.” The Youth of Early Modern Women, edited by Elizabeth S. Cohen and Margaret Reeves, Amsterdam University Press, 2018, pp. 297–314. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv8pzd5z.17. Accessed 25 Feb. 2024.
     
    Peters, Christine. “Gender, Sacrament and Ritual: The Making and Meaning of Marriage in Late Medieval and Early Modern England.” Past & Present, no. 169, 2000, pp. 63–96. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/651264. Accessed 25 Feb. 2024.
     


    Waddington, Raymond B. “Marriage in Early Modern Europe.” The Sixteenth Century Journal, vol. 34, no. 2, 2003, pp. 315–18. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/20061411. Accessed 25 Feb. 2024.

    • 43 min
    Mini: Shakespeare and Petrarch

    Mini: Shakespeare and Petrarch

    In today's episode, we will be continuing our series on Shakespeare's Language Framework and our Shakespeare's Sources by taking a closer look at Petrarch.
    First, we will dive into the biography of Francesco Petrarca, more commonly known as Petrarch in English, the 14th century poet who had a huge influence on European humanism, the Renaissance, and poetry.
    Then, we will explore Petrarch's influence and how it spread across Europe before covering how we can see his influence in the works of William Shakespeare. 
    Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp.
    Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander.
    Follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod for updates or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com
    You can support the podcast by becoming a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone  or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod
    Works referenced:
    Paster, Gail Kern. “A Modern Perspective: Romeo and Juliet.” Folger Shakespeare Library, 2024, www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/romeo-and-juliet/romeo-and-juliet-a-modern-perspective/.
    "Petrarchism." The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2012. Credo Reference. Web. 21 January 2015. 
    Shakespeare, William, and Keir Elam. Twelfth Night. Arden Shakespeare, 2008.
    Vuillemin, Rémi. “‘love with excess of heat’: The sonnet and Petrarchan excess in the late elizabethan and early jacobean periods.” XVII-XVIII, no. 71, 31 Dec. 2014, pp. 99–120, https://doi.org/10.4000/1718.395.
    Whitfield, John Humphreys. “Petrarch.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 25 Jan. 2024, www.britannica.com/biography/Petrarch.

    • 19 min
    Romeo and Juliet: Patriarchy, Masculinity, and Honor

    Romeo and Juliet: Patriarchy, Masculinity, and Honor

    In today's episode, we're diving deep into the world of early modern masculinity, patriarchy, and honor as we dissect Shakespeare's iconic play, Romeo and Juliet.
    Our discussion begins with the examination of the expectations placed upon men during the early modern period and how those pressures are reflected in Shakespeare's play – the embodiment of honor, the nuances of patriarchy, and the various faces of masculinity depicted in Shakespeare's characters.
    Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp.
    Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander.
    Follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod for updates or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com
    You can support the podcast by becoming a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone  or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod
    Works referenced:
    Appelbaum, Robert. “‘Standing to the Wall’: The Pressures of Masculinity in Romeo and Juliet.” Shakespeare Quarterly, vol. 48, no. 3, 1997, pp. 251–72. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2871016. Accessed 27 Jan. 2024.
     
    Capp, Bernard. “‘JESUS WEPT’ BUT DID THE ENGLISHMAN? MASCULINITY AND EMOTION IN EARLY MODERN ENGLAND.” Past & Present, no. 224, 2014, pp. 75–108. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24545175. Accessed 27 Jan. 2024.
     


    Fisher, Will. “The Renaissance Beard: Masculinity in Early Modern England.” Renaissance Quarterly, vol. 54, no. 1, 2001, pp. 155–87. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/1262223. Accessed 27 Jan. 2024.
     
    FLETCHER, ANTHONY. “Manhood, the Male Body, Courtship and the Household in Early Modern England.” History, vol. 84, no. 275, 1999, pp. 419–36. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24424587. Accessed 27 Jan. 2024.


     
     

    • 51 min
    Romeo and Juliet: Stuff to Chew On

    Romeo and Juliet: Stuff to Chew On

    To kick off our series on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, we are (as always) starting with an overview of basic facts about the play and an introduction to the major themes and motifs of the play. 
    Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp.
    Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander.
    Follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod for updates or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com
    You can support the podcast by becoming a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone  or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod
    Works referenced:
    Shakespeare, William, and René Weis. Romeo and Juliet: Revised Edition. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2012.
    SparkNotes Editors. “Romeo and Juliet.” SparkNotes.com, SparkNotes LLC, 2005, URL.

    • 28 min
    Romeo and Juliet: Synopsis

    Romeo and Juliet: Synopsis

    It's time for a new play, which means a new synopsis! We are diving into Romeo and Juliet today, and we will be breaking down this play scene by scene. 
    Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp.
    Special thanks to Nat Yonce for guest-editing this episode.
    Episode written by Elyse Sharp and Kourtney Smith.
    Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander.
    Follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod for updates or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com
    You can support the podcast at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod
    Works referenced:
    Shakespeare, William, and René Weis. Romeo and Juliet: Revised Edition. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2012.

    • 1 hr 28 min

Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5
30 Ratings

30 Ratings

Holling Hoodhood ,

Outstanding

This is my favorite podcast of all the podcasts I listen to across many subjects. The insights are unique, thoughtful, well-researched, contemporary. The two hosts clearly show how Shakespeare is still relevant. They make me want to see again Shakespeare plays I’ve seen before because I now can watch with more critical eyes. I look forward to listening every two weeks. It would be marvelous if the two hosts would but their thinking into a book.

Not a Batfan but... ,

Incredible resource

This podcast brings together so many wonderful sources and presents them in ways that make Shakespeare (who I used to be deathly afraid of!) easy to understand and way more interesting than I could have imagined! Kourtney and Elyse are such good hosts! I could listen to them for hours. Actually...I guess I have!

lordyvoldymorty ,

Indispensable Resource!!!!!!

This podcast is AMAZING! It’s been hard for me to find ways of really diving into Shakespeare plays other than just having a teacher who knows a lot. This goes way past the “what is iambic pentameter?” level to really digging into cultural context, history, and just endlessly fascinating knowledge on each show. It’s also easy to follow, and I’m glad I’m not having to read stuff like “Demonology” on my own haha. The content is well researched and very thorough with lots of interesting perspectives I’ve never heard/considered. I’ve read many books on Shakespeare but this may be the best resource I’ve found.

I find this podcast especially interesting and helpful as an actor to really develop ideas and explore the play on a deeper level than may be possible through director advice alone. It’s also very helpful as a tool to keep learning and not fall behind with Shakespeare as I’m taking a gap year right now.

I’m geeking out about this podcast!! Please listen if you love Shakespeare!

Top Podcasts In Arts

Fresh Air
NPR
The Moth
The Moth
99% Invisible
Roman Mars
Snap Judgment Presents: Spooked
Snap Judgment
The Magnus Archives
Rusty Quill
The Recipe with Kenji and Deb
Deb Perelman & J. Kenji López-Alt

You Might Also Like

Approaching Shakespeare
Oxford University
Folger Shakespeare Library: Shakespeare Unlimited
Folger Shakespeare Library
You're Wrong About
Sarah Marshall
Science Friday
Science Friday and WNYC Studios
That Shakespeare Life
Cassidy Cash
The Daily
The New York Times