Ian Smith on Black Shakespeare
In his new book, Black Shakespeare: Reading and Misreading Race, Dr. Ian Smith of Lafayette College argues that Shakespeare’s plays engage with questions of race and early modern encounters between Af...
3 Jan 202339min
Talene Monahon on Her New Revenge Comedy, Jane Anger
In Talene Monahon’s new play Jane Anger, a narcissistic William Shakespeare is wrestling with writers’ block while working on King Lear. When Will’s former flame Jane Anger shows up, he knows she can ...
20 Dec 202234min
Fiona Ritchie on Sarah Siddons and John Philip Kemble
You may not have heard of Sarah Siddons, but if you’ve seen a production of Macbeth recently, you may have experienced her influence. In the late 18th century, Siddons became one of the first celebri...
6 Dec 202233min
Billy Collins on Writing Short Poems and Reading Shakespeare's Sonnets
Billy Collins is one of America’s most well-known poets. He served as U.S. Poet Laureate from 2001 to 2003. His poetry collections frequently show up on bestseller lists, and his popular readings—thre...
22 Nov 202234min
Adrian Noble on How to Direct Shakespeare
A director makes a play add up to more than the sum of its parts. That's something Adrian Noble knows as well as anyone. Noble has directed numerous productions of Shakespeare’s plays, including Kenne...
8 Nov 202228min
Ian McKellen on Richard III, Macbeth, and Gandalf
In the second part of our special extended interview with Sir Ian McKellen, he tells us about some of his most famous roles: playing Macbeth opposite Dame Judi Dench, King Richard III with a screenpla...
25 Okt 202232min
Ian McKellen on Playing Hamlet
He played Hamlet in his thirties… and again in his eighties. In between? Edgar, Romeo, Leontes, Macbeth, Coriolanus, Iago, Richard III, Prospero, and King Lear. Plus, of course, Magneto and Gandalf. ...
11 Okt 202229min
What Shakespeare Thought About the Mind, with Helen Hackett
If you’ve ever been watching Hamlet and asked yourself, “What on earth is Hamlet thinking?!” you’re not alone. But to figure that out, you might have to figure out what Hamlet—and Shakespeare—think ab...
27 Sep 202234min
