Measure for Measure; Act 2, Scene 4 ClaudioOctober 20, 2025








If the goal is to be a working actor, is training optional? Terry Knickerbocker offers his perspective on the purpose of actor training. And in Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure, we confront a timeless dilemma: is it better to perish for the sake of principle, or debase yourself and survive?



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Romeo & Juliet; Act 1, Scene 4 RomeoSeptember 3, 2025










From forth the fatal loins of civil strife springs a bold new Romeo and Juliet. The Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey presents this re-envisioned classic, starring Isaac Hickox-Young and directed by Bonnie J. Monte. Is it love, lust, or something more sinister that propels the star-crossed lovers to their untimely end?



Romeo and Juliet runs from September 10th to October 5th at the Shakespeare Theater of NJ.



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King John; Act 3, Scene 1 ConstanceAugust 5, 2025










Words, words, words. A love of words makes Tracy Michelle Arnold the perfect candidate to run the Language Project at American Player's Theater. With the focus on language, words, syntax, punctuation, Arnold is the perfect guest for the State of Shakespeare. The Language Project is the latest innovation that this gem of theater in Spring Green, Wisconsin has brought us.



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Twelfth Night Folger TheaterJune 18, 2025










“Most wonderful!” Olivia’s (ahem) climactic outburst isn’t just a line, it’s the line that catches the spirit of director Mei Ann Teo’s current production of Twelfth Night at the Folger Theatre. Teo, who also serves as Artistic Leader at Ping Chong and Company, teases how to treat Shakespeare’s classic as if it’s a new love (er… play.)



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https://www.folger.edu/whats-on/twelfth-night

Shakespeare, Appreciated Hamlet; Act 5, Scene 2May 29, 2025








Gideon Rappaport, author of Appreciating Shakespeare, has released a newly annotated edition of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Can modern readers and actors truly grasp Shakespeare’s work as he intended? Rappaport believes they not only can, but they must.



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Gideon's Media Connections:



Appreciating Shakespeare



Shakespeare's Real Take



Gideon's podcast

Anonymous Agnostic Antichrists



March 31, 2025








The Authorship Question may ebb and flow in popularity, but the mystery behind the origins of the Bard’s works remains endlessly intriguing. What better way to explore the rich world of Shakespeare’s contemporaries than by investigating who might have truly penned the plays? Our guest, author Derek Hunter, has spent over thirty years pursuing the possibilities. His tetralogy, Anonymous Agnostic Antichrists, presents four compelling theories.



Amazon: Anonymouse Agnostic Antichrists

Shakespeare in the U.S.February 24, 2025








As the Artistic Producer and Dramaturg at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C., Drew Lichtenberg has a front-row seat to the unfolding drama at one of the globe's most powerful artistic and political nexuses. In a recent essay for The New York Times, he shared hard truths about the state of Shakespeare in contemporary America. Over the past half-decade, the number of Shakespeare productions has declined steeply. What might be driving this trend, and is it likely to change?



New York TImes: Who's Afraid of William Shakespeare



New York TImes: Cancel Shakespeare



Shakespeare in the Theatre: Shakespeare Theatre Company.

Falstaff; Act 4, Scene 2 Henry IV, Part 2January 10, 2025










Falstaff is Shakespeare’s greatest comic creation.  John Ahlin is the greatest ‘Simon Says’ player in the world.   Discover how this talent helped launch a career that has seen him play the role sixteen times… and counting.   Just don't call it a bit!



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Macbeth; Act 3, Scene 1 MacbethSeptember 20, 2024


















From Whiffenpoof to Macbeth.  Graham Stevens has worn many hats in his career, none of which fits as comfortably as Macbeth's crown. How does he bring all of his diversity of skills to bear in the role of the Scottish King? And it isn't just the kilt...



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The American Shakespeare Center July 30, 2024


























Vanessa Morosco likes asking the big questions. As Executive Director of the American Shakespeare Center, she is perfectly positioned to do just that. Using Original Practices, Vanessa and ASC are re-centering the focus on Shakespeare for the 21st Century.



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Click here for more information on Vanessa's 50/50 Shakespeare Project

Henry IV, Part I; Act 5, Scene 1 WorcesterJune 30, 2024


















Inside-out or outside-in?  Accomplished stage actor and teacher Jasmine Bracey gives Stanislvaski his due, but argues for a more visceral approach to crafting character.  Either way, her objective is all about change.



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Click here for more information on the Backroom Theater Project.

Fight Direction ShakespeareMay 30, 2024






















There’s more to choreographing stage combat than beating shields and bashing heads. Fight Director Rod Kinter works closely with Actors, Directors and Designers on "Designing the Fight". Safety and repeatability are paramount, but swords are optional.



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Henry V; Prologue PrologueApril 30, 2024






















In his second season as the Artistic Director of the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Jason King Jones brings a seemingly boundless energy and enthusiasm to the leadership role. This summer, PSF will produce 8 shows, the equivalent of a full regional theatre season, in just sixteen weeks.



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Pericles; Act 5, Scene 1 Pericles and MarinaMarch 12, 2024


























We welcome one of our favorite guests back to the State of Shakespeare.  Ben Steinfeld catches us up on his own epic journey and on Fiasco Theatre’s production of Pericles, in performances now at the Classic Stage Company in NYC.



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Richard III; Act 5, Scene 1 BuckinghamFebruary 28, 2024





















Photo by Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez




Actor Yao Dogbe returns to the stage of Chicago Shakespeare Theatre for the highly-anticipated production of Richard III. The inaugural effort by brand-new helmsman Edward Hall, this reimagining of one of Shakespeare’s bloodiest plays has been grabbing attention for its unconventional casting and daring concept. But for Dogbe, it's more than just another role—it's a personal journey about family.



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The Tempest; Act 4, Scene 1 ProsperoJanuary 16, 2024


















To the uninitiated, northwest Arkansas may sound like an unlikely paradise for an actor.  But as Shakespeare’s Prospero shows us, magic is found where you choose to make it.  Our guest Steven Charles Marzolf has happily made an artistic home in Fayetteville for the past twelve years, where he recently played Prospero in the Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre / University of Central Arkansas co-Production of The Tempest.



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Macbeth; Act 5, Scene 1 Lady MacbethNovember 21, 2023








Elena Hollenbeak is the winner of the 2023 English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition.  We spoke with the talented Ms. Hollenbeak and her mentor, Dr. Lyn Ackerman, about this year’s competition and what’s so fascinating about Shakespeare.  Along the way we learn about a heart-stopping moment for Lady Macbeth. that Shakespeare might have missed, and why the state of Hawaii produces so many exceptional ESU competitors.



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Romeo & Juliet; Act 3, Scene 2 JulietOctober 24, 2023


















Canadian actor Sara Topham met Shakespeare’s Juliet when she was just seventeen and facing the premature overthrow of a promising career.  This could be a story about how a star-crossed young dancer became one of the most accomplished classical stage actors of her generation.  Or it could be a masterclass in respecting Shakespeare’s verse.  Or it could be a love letter to a future generation of Juliets.  All we know is to breathe at the end of the line!



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Hamlet; Act 2, Scene 2 HamletSeptember 29, 2023


















Marquis D. Gibson's Broadway debut was as sudden as it was spectacular. Appearing in the Hamlet inspired Fat Ham, Marquis played the Hamlet character wrestling with a lot of different big questions. For Marquis, it came down to truth, connection and a big dose of relationship. What a piece of work is a man, indeed.



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Unrehearsed: A Midsummer Night's Dream The Barefoot Shakespeare CompanyAugust 29, 2023






















Memorizing lines comes quickly for Andrew J. Dunn. Putting the fun back in theater is what he is all about, which is why he agreed to produce, publicize and act in the Unrehearsed Midsummer Night's Dream by the Barefoot Shakespeare Company. He even referees in what is called an event "for Sports Fans!" where the lines between spectator and actor are often blurred.



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