When Romeo Was a Woman

When Romeo Was a Woman

"I will assume thy part in some disguise And tell fair Hero I am Claudio" —MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING(1.1.316) The actress Charlotte Cushman was a theatrical icon in 19th century America, known to the press by her first name, like Beyonce today. Her fame was not, however, for conventionally Victorian feminine portrayals. Cushman specialized in playing male roles, principally Romeo and Hamlet, competing on equal terms with leading actors like Edwin Forrest and Edwin Booth. She was not the only actress of her time to attempt these parts, but Cushman’s style was uniquely assertive and athletic. When Queen Victoria saw Cushman as Romeo, she said she couldn’t believe it was a woman playing the part. Rebecca Sheir, host of the Shakespeare Unlimited podcast series, interviews Lisa Merrill, professor in the Department of Performance Studies at Hofstra University and author of "When Romeo Was a Woman," about Cushman’s professional and personal life, including her off-stage romantic partnerships with women and her changing public image after death. ----------------- From the Shakespeare Unlimited podcast series. © Folger Shakespeare Library. All rights reserved. Written and produced for the Folger Shakespeare Library by Richard Paul. Garland Scott is associate producer. Edited by Esther Ferington and Gail Kern Paster. With help from Larry Josephson and Robert Auld.

Jaksot(296)

The Yorkist Pretender, with Jo Harkin

The Yorkist Pretender, with Jo Harkin

Who was Lambert Simnel—the boy who nearly claimed the Tudor throne? In late 15th-century England, identity wasn’t just a matter of birth—it could be a political weapon, a tool for rebellion, and somet...

22 Huhti 202535min

Surekha Davies on the Making of Monsters

Surekha Davies on the Making of Monsters

Historian Surekha Davies joins us to explore how ideas of wonder, race, and the monstrous shaped European thought in the age of empire. These weren’t just abstract concepts—they were embedded in scien...

7 Huhti 202533min

Reimagining Judith Shakespeare with Grace Tiffany

Reimagining Judith Shakespeare with Grace Tiffany

Judith Shakespeare’s life is a mystery. While history records her as the younger daughter of William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway, much of her story remains untold. In her new novel, The Owl Was a Ba...

25 Maalis 202535min

Julia Armfield Reimagines King Lear in a Drowning World

Julia Armfield Reimagines King Lear in a Drowning World

How does Shakespeare’s King Lear resonate in a world facing climate catastrophe? Novelist Julia Armfield explores this question in Private Rites, a novel set in a near-future London reshaped by rising...

11 Maalis 202529min

Lauren Gunderson on the Women of Hamlet

Lauren Gunderson on the Women of Hamlet

What if Gertrude had more power than we thought? What if Ophelia’s fate wasn’t sealed from the start? And what does it really mean to mother a prince who might be losing his mind? Playwright Lauren G...

24 Helmi 202534min

Shakespeare’s Narrative Poems

Shakespeare’s Narrative Poems

How did early modern England understand race and how has that influenced our thinking? Race is often considered a recent construct, but Shakespeare’s works—both his plays and poetry—reveal a diverse ...

6 Helmi 202533min

Nisha Sharma on Adapting Shakespeare for Modern Romances

Nisha Sharma on Adapting Shakespeare for Modern Romances

How do Shakespeare’s timeless themes translate to the South Asian diaspora? Could the man from Stratford himself be reimagined as a meddling auntie? Novelist Nisha Sharma’s If Shakespeare Were an Aunt...

23 Tammi 202531min

Olivia Hussey: The Girl on the Balcony (Rebroadcast)

Olivia Hussey: The Girl on the Balcony (Rebroadcast)

Olivia Hussey, whose spirited portrayal of Juliet when she was just a teenager herself became iconic for generations of people watching the 1968 film adaptation of Shakespeare’s play, died on December...

8 Tammi 202533min

Suosittua kategoriassa Premium

nikotellen
anni-jaajo
tuplakaak
jaljilla
antin-matka
olipa-kerran-otsikko
maanantaimysteeri
i-dont-like-mondays
grekovit
hei-baby-3
sita
terveisia-perheesta
palmujen-varjoissa
siita-on-vaikea-puhua
kaksi-aitia
gogin-ja-janin-maailmanhistoria
the-harlin-show
murhan-anatomia
ihan-oikeesti
backmanholmavuo