Shakespeare Anyone?

Want to support the podcast? Join our Patreon or buy us a coffee. As an independent podcast, Shakespeare Anyone? is supported by listeners like you. In this mini-episode, we sit down with actor ML Roberts and co-playwrights Sean Patrick Nill and Elyse Sharp to talk about NEVER FEAR, SHAKESPEARE—a brand new Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) play premiering at Sacramento’s B Street Theatre.  B Street is well known for its Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) programming, which brings high-quality, professional productions to children, families, and schools, making theatre accessible to the next generation. We dive into B Street’s philosophy of theatre for young audiences and how NEVER FEAR, SHAKESPEARE fits into that mission. Along the way, we discuss the theatre’s history with Shakespeare, what makes this new play different from other Shakespeare-for-kids or Shakespeare-adjacent productions, and why introducing Shakespeare to young people matters in today’s cultural landscape. ML Roberts shares his perspective on embodying a central role in the play, while Nill and Sharp reflect on the process of adapting Shakespeare’s world for youth audiences—balancing humor, clarity, and creativity to keep the material engaging. At Shakespeare Anyone?, we strive to contextualize Shakespeare and make his works accessible. This episode highlights how NEVER FEAR, SHAKESPEARE carries that same mission into the world of young audiences. ML Roberts is the son of a Navy veteran and descendant of the Gullah Geechee of the Carolinas. As a member of Actor's Equity Association, he has performed with Seattle Children's Theater, Folger Shakespeare, Unicorn Theatre (UK), The Williams Project, and Santa Cruz Shakespeare, among others. As a playwright, his debut production Riverside premiered at Indy Shakes. His work has been developed with New Harmony Project, SPACE on Ryder Farm, and GTG's Speaker's Corner. As a screenwriter, he co-wrote a Lifetime movie and has developed work with Hulu. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America, a Broadway Advocacy Coalition Fellow, Co-Artistic Director of Yale Cabaret Season 57: Phoenix, and inaugural Core Company Member at ACT Theatre (Seattle). MFA Playwriting from the Yale School of Drama; BFA Acting from North Carolina School of the Arts marceselorenzo.com Sean Patrick Nill is Artistic and General Manager at the B Street Theatre. B Street Writing Credits include: Tiny Trailblazers: Kids Who Changed the World, Winnie-the-Pooh, ‘Tis the Season, Fantasy Festival XXXI-XXXVI, Mind Boggling Mysteries of the World, and Mathematical Madness. Directing Credits include: Tiny Trailblazers: Kids Who Changed the World, Cosmo St. Charles is Dead and Someone in This Room Killed Him, The Prince of Lightning, The Play That Goes Wrong, The Last Wide Open, A Year with Frog & Toad, Proclivity for Kiting, and Fantasy Festival XXXI-XXXVI. His plays have been produced by the Sacramento Theatre Company, B Street Theatre, Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine, Rover Dramawerks, Theatre InspiraTO festival, Watermelon One Act Festival, M.T. Pockets Theatre, Torent Theatre, and the Manhattan Repertory Theatre. His play Kings of America was a finalist for the Davey Foundation Theatre Grant given by the Salt Lake Acting Company, his play An Ordinary Woman was published in Stage It! Ten Minute Plays: 2017 Edition, and his play Brynlee & the Bull won the Audience Choice Award at the InspiroTO 10 Minute Play Festival in Canada. His adaptation of Winnie-the-Pooh, which premiered here at the B Street Theatre, is now published and can be purchased through Theatrical Rights Worldwide (https://www.theatricalrights.com/). And, you know her as one half of Shakespeare Anyone?…Elyse Sharp is a member of Actor’s Equity Association and the Shakespeare Association of America, as well as a director, podcaster, dramaturg, and teaching artist. At the age of 9, and inspired by an episode of the PBS series Wishbone, she rewrote Romeo and Juliet for a fourth grade class assignment, and she’s been passionate about Shakespeare (and helping others understand his work) ever since. Previously with B Street Theatre, she has been an Associate Producer of the New Comedies Festival, an actor in Prince of Lightning, Mind-Boggling Mysteries of the World, and Fantasy Festivals 32 & 33, an understudy for Dance Nation and Winnie the Pooh. As an actor, she has performed in 17 of Shakespeare’s plays. Keep up with her at @elysesharp on all social media or at elysesharp.com B Street Theatre is Sacramento’s premiere new works theatre for both children and adults. Founded in 1986 as Fantasy Theatre, a traveling children’s theatre troupe, B Street has premiered more than 135 plays across its School Tour, Family Series, and Mainstage Series. Located at the Sofia Tsakopoulos Center for the Arts in Midtown Sacramento, B Street is California’s only year-round professional theatre for young audiences. Known for championing bold new voices and creating theatre that is both accessible and adventurous, B Street has been named Sacramento Magazine’s Top Sacramento Theatre numerous times. In 2025, it was honored with the National Theatre Conference’s Theatre of the Year Award, recognizing its outstanding contributions to American theatre. To learn more, visit B Street Theatre's website, bstreettheatre.org.  NEVER FEAR, SHAKESPEARE follows one shoemaker's son on his journey to become an actor alongside The Lord Chamberlain's Men, stepping right into some of Shakespeare's greatest hits. From Romeo and Juliet’s balcony to the witches of Macbeth and the drama of Hamlet, it’s Shakespeare reimagined with a wink and a laugh. For fans of Shakespeare in Love and Book of Will, this family-friendly comedy isn’t just a history lesson—it’s pure theatre magic, showing kids (and grown-ups!) that the Bard’s words are still buzzing with life, laughter, and big imagination. Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. For updates: join our email list, follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast by becoming a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone, buying us coffee, or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod (we earn a small commission when you use our link and shop bookshop.org). Find additional links mentioned in the episode in our Linktree.

Want to support the podcast? Join our Patreon or buy us a coffee. As an independent podcast, Shakespeare Anyone? is supported by listeners like you. This episode explores Caliban’s role in The Tempest and the ways his character has been shaped by and interpreted through race, class, and colonialism. We begin with a close look at “the pinch” and unpack how Shakespeare’s audience would have understood its connections to resource scarcity and punishment.  We then chart Caliban’s performance history from the 19th century to the early 1980s, revealing how shifting portrayals reflected cultural attitudes. We end with a discussion of how the play’s deep entanglement with colonial discourse has led to it being banned in some U.S. classrooms.  Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. For updates: join our email list, follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast by becoming a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone, buying us coffee, or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod (we earn a small commission when you use our link and shop bookshop.org). Find additional links mentioned in the episode in our Linktree. Works referenced: Akhimie, Patricia. “Pinching caliban: Race, husbandry, and the working body in  the Tempest.” Shakespeare/Sense, 2020, pp. 269–290, https://doi.org/10.5040/9781474273268.ch-012. Griffiths, Trevor R. “‘This Island’s Mine’: Caliban and Colonialism.” The Yearbook of English Studies, vol. 13, 1983, pp. 159–80. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/3508119. Accessed 1 Sept. 2025. Espinosa, R. (2017). Beyond The Tempest: Language, Legitimacy, and La Frontera . In: Fazel, V., Geddes, L. (eds) The Shakespeare User. Reproducing Shakespeare. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-61015-3_3 Favate, Sam. “Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’ Barred from Arizona Public Schools.” The Wall Street Journal, January 17, 2012. https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-LB-41723.

Want to support the podcast? Join our Patreon or buy us a coffee. As an independent podcast, Shakespeare Anyone? is supported by listeners like you. In this mini-episode, we explore the world of the Court Masque, a form of entertainment that flourished in the Tudor and Stuart courts. From its roots in medieval pageantry and music to its height as a vehicle for royal celebration and political display of wealth, the masque became a defining cultural event during Shakespeare's time.  While Shakespeare never wrote a Court Masque, we will explore how Ben Jonson’s Hymenaei may have influenced Shakespeare's choices for the masques that appear in As You Like It and The Tempest.  For more on some of the topics we've previously covered that also mention the Court Masque, check out: Mini: Ben Jonson, Shakespeare's Colleague and Competitor Twelfth Night: Plays for the Court Stuff You Should Know Part 2: Elizabethan and Jacobean England & Theatre (Revised) Mini: Traveling Theatre Companies Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. Special thanks to Nat Yonce for editing this episode.  For updates: join our email list, follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast by becoming a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone, buying us coffee, or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod (we earn a small commission when you use our link and shop bookshop.org). Find additional links mentioned in the episode in our Linktree. Works referenced: Butler, Martin. “The Court Masque | The Cambridge Works of Ben Jonson.” The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Ben Jonson Online, 2014, universitypublishingonline.org/cambridge/benjonson/k/essays/court_msq_essay/1/.  “History of the Masque Genre.” Edited by Helen L Hull et al., Reformations of A Mask, Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities, 2000, archive.mith.umd.edu/comus/cegenre.htm#expand.  Shapiro, James. The Year of Lear: Shakespeare in 1606. Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2016.   

Want to support the podcast? Join our Patreon or buy us a coffee. As an independent podcast, Shakespeare Anyone? is supported by listeners like you. In this episode, we explore how The Tempest reflects—and at times challenges—patriarchal power structures in Shakespeare’s world and in its performance history. First, we examine how Prospero’s control over Miranda, Ariel, and Caliban reflects early modern ideas and debates about gender, political authority, and service. Then, we look at how changing the gender of Prospero reshapes the play’s dynamics,  how productions across stage and screen have used gender to reimagine magic, hierarchy, and power, and what the critical response to these productions reveals about modern gender politics.  Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. For updates: join our email list, follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast by becoming a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone, buying us coffee, or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod (we earn a small commission when you use our link and shop bookshop.org). Find additional links mentioned in the episode in our Linktree. Works referenced: Goodland, Katharine. “From Prospero to Prospera: Transforming Gender and Magic on Stage and Screen.” Shakespeare and the Supernatural, edited by Victoria Bladen and Yan Brailowsky, Manchester University Press, 2020, pp. 218–42. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/jj.21996273.16. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025. Sanchez, Melissa E. “Seduction and Service in ‘The Tempest.’” Studies in Philology, vol. 105, no. 1, 2008, pp. 50–82. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20464307. Accessed 10 Aug. 2025.

Want to support the podcast? Join our Patreon or buy us a coffee. As an independent podcast, Shakespeare Anyone? is supported by listeners like you. In this mini episode, we’re joined by Mike and Steph Crugnola of Walking Shadow Shakespeare Project to talk about their mission to make Shakespeare more accessible—for both audiences and artists. We dive into the company’s flexible and innovative production models—including one rehearsal performances, collaborative directing, site-specific stagings, and immersive experiences—and how these approaches open up new ways of engaging with Shakespeare’s work. Steph and Mike also share how they intentionally build accessibility into every level of their process, from casting and rehearsals to performance format and audience experience. Whether you're a theatremaker looking for inspiration or a Shakespeare fan curious about inclusive practices in classical performance, this conversation offers a thoughtful look at what it means to make Shakespeare’s work truly for everyone. To learn more about Walking Shadow Shakespeare Project, visit www.walkingshadowshakespeare.com or follow them on Instagram @wsshakes. More about Mike and Steph Crugnola Mike and Steph Crugnola are on the board of Walking Shadow Shakespeare Project, a nonprofit theatre company based in Austin TX, committed to breaking down the barriers of accessibility to Shakespeare for artists and audiences alike. They're focused on creating Shakespeare for the Austin community that more accurately reflects the Austin community, so actors of all races, abilities, genders, ages, and sexual orientations can see themselves in Shakespeare's work.  Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. For updates: join our email list, follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast by becoming a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone, buying us coffee, or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod (we earn a small commission when you use our link and shop bookshop.org). Find additional links mentioned in the episode in our Linktree.

Want to support the podcast? Join our Patreon or buy us a coffee. As an independent podcast, Shakespeare Anyone? is supported by listeners like you. Did Shakespeare write The Tempest in response to a shipwreck, or was something bigger at play? In this episode, we explore the early modern travel narratives that many scholars believe inspired Shakespeare’s final solo play. We begin with lesser-known travel accounts that focus on cultural encounters in Russia, Southwest Asia, Central America, and India—narratives that shaped how early modern England imagined the world beyond Europe. Then we turn to one of the most famous stories of the time: the 1609 Sea Venture shipwreck on the coast of Bermuda, often cited as a direct influence on The Tempest. Along the way, we examine how these texts reflect English perceptions of unfamiliar peoples and cultures—from fascination and admiration to fear and misunderstanding—and how those attitudes echo throughout the world of The Tempest. If you’d like to explore more about Shakespeare’s engagement with proto-colonialism and early travel writing, check out these past episodes from our archive: Mini: Shakespeare and the Colonial Imagination Mini: Shakespeare's World: Immigrants, Others, and Foreign Commodities Whether you're encountering The Tempest for the first time or revisiting it with a global lens, this episode offers rich context on how Shakespeare’s world was shaped by the stories of travelers, survivors, and empire-builders. Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. For updates: join our email list, follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast by becoming a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone, buying us coffee, or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod (we earn a small commission when you use our link and shop bookshop.org). Find additional links mentioned in the episode in our Linktree. Works referenced: Judkins, David C. “Travel Literature of the Early Modern Period.” CEA Critic, vol. 64, no. 1, 2001, pp. 47–58. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44378330. Accessed 3 July 2025. Vaughan, Alden T. "William Strachey's "True Reportory" and Shakespeare: A Closer Look at the Evidence." Shakespeare Quarterly, vol. 59 no. 3, 2008, p. 245-273. Project MUSE, https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/shq.0.0017.

Want to support the podcast? Join our Patreon or buy us a coffee. As an independent podcast, Shakespeare Anyone? is supported by listeners like you. To kick off our series on Shakespeare's The Tempest, we are (as always) starting with an overview of basic facts and history 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. For updates: join our email list, follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast by becoming a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone, buying us coffee, or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod (we earn a small commission when you use our link and shop bookshop.org). Find additional links mentioned in the episode in our Linktree. Works referenced:  Shakespeare, William, et al. The Tempest. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2011.  SparkNotes Editors. “The Tempest” SparkNotes.com, SparkNotes LLC, 2005, https://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/tempest/

Want to support the podcast? Join our Patreon or buy us a coffee. As an independent podcast, Shakespeare Anyone? is supported by listeners like you. We are now on to our tenth play series! Today we are starting our series on Shakespeare's The Tempest with a synopsis episode. In this episode, we will provide a detailed summary of the plot, breaking down the action of the play scene by scene.  Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Special thanks to Nat Yonce for editing this episode. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. For updates: join our email list, follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast by becoming a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone, buying us coffee, or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod (we earn a small commission when you use our link and shop bookshop.org). Find additional links mentioned in the episode in our Linktree. Works referenced:  Shakespeare, William, et al. The Tempest. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2011.  

Want to support the podcast? Join our Patreon or buy us a coffee. As an independent podcast, Shakespeare Anyone? is supported by listeners like you. In this bonus episode, we’re joined by Dr. Kent Lehnhoff to talk about his new book, Voice and Ethics in Shakespeare’s Late Plays. Together, we explore how Shakespeare uses the concept and qualities of human voice in The Tempest, Cymbeline, King Lear, Pericles, and The Winter’s Tale, how he writes for and about the voice, and beyond that, how embracing the unique voice of each character (and actor) can create a more ethical, inclusive theatre.  About Kent Lehnhof Kent Lehnhof earned a BA from Brigham Young University and a PhD from Duke University. He is Professor of English at Chapman University, where he specializes in early modern literature and culture, especially the works of William Shakespeare. Dr. Lehnhof has published two dozen scholarly articles, has co-edited two essay collections, and is coming out with a new book in October titled Voice and Ethics in Shakespeare’s Late Plays. In this book and in many of his articles, Dr. Lehnhof treats Shakespeare’s plays like lively enactments of ethical philosophy. He believes that one of the things that makes Shakespeare’s work distinctly Shakespearean is its interest in exploring what it’s like to be in relation—what it’s like to be tied to other people, some of whom love you, some of whom hate you, and some of whom pay you no mind at all. At present, Dr. Lehnhof is finishing a guidebook for Arden Shakespeare called Understanding Shakespeare’s Plays: A Candid Companion to All the Drama. This book goes through all the play, one by one, giving an overview of each and offering insights and analysis as to what it offers. Dr. Lehnhof only has six plays left to do, which means he’s getting down to the deep cuts. Timon of Athens, anyone? Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. For updates: join our email list, follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast by becoming a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone, buying us coffee, or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod (we earn a small commission when you use our link and shop bookshop.org). Find additional links mentioned in the episode in our Linktree.  Works referenced:  Lehnhof, Kent. Voice and Ethics in Shakespeare’s Late Plays. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2025. Print.

Want to support the podcast? Join our Patreon or buy us a coffee. As an independent podcast, Shakespeare Anyone? is supported by listeners like you. In this wrap-up episode, we reflect on our journey through Shakespeare's King Henry V by examining three distinct productions that bring the play to life in unique ways. We begin with Kenneth Branagh's 1989 Oscar-nominated film adaptation, renowned for its realism and cinematic approach. Next, we delve into the 2022 Donmar Warehouse production starring Kit Harington, which frames Henry’s leadership through a modern lens. Finally, we discuss the 2012 Shakespeare's Globe production with Jamie Parker, which offers a more traditional yet energetic take on the play. By comparing these interpretations, we explore how different directorial choices and performances can influence our understanding of the play's themes, characters, and historical context. Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. For updates: join our email list, follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast by becoming a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone, buying us coffee, or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod (we earn a small commission when you use our link and shop bookshop.org). Find additional links mentioned in the episode in our Linktree. Works referenced: Branagh, Kenneth, director. Henry V. Performance by Derek Jacobi, et al., Curzon Film Distributors, Ltd., Samuel Goldwyn Company, CBS Fox Video, 1989. Shakespeare, William. Henry V. National Theatre Live, https://www.ntathome.com/henry-v. Accessed 2025. Shakespeare, William. Henry V (2012). Shakespeare’s Globe, 2013, https://player.shakespearesglobe.com/productions/henry-v-2012/. Accessed 2025.

Want to support the podcast? Join our Patreon or buy us a coffee. As an independent podcast, Shakespeare Anyone? is supported by listeners like you. In this mini-episode, we sit down with author Julie Hammonds to discuss her debut novel, Blue Mountain Rose: A Novel in Five Acts. Set against the backdrop of a fictional Shakespeare festival in the Arizona mountains during the 2009 financial crisis, the story follows theater director Richard Keane, company manager Kate Morales, and enigmatic actor Peter Dunmore as they strive to save their beloved open-air stage. Julie shares insights into how Shakespeare's works inspired the novel's structure and themes, the challenges of portraying the behind-the-scenes world of theater, and the enduring relevance of the Bard's plays in times of personal and collective hardship. Whether you're a Shakespeare aficionado, a theater enthusiast, or a lover of character-driven narratives, this conversation offers a compelling look into the intersections of art, community, and resilience. Blue Mountain Rose is now available at booksellers near you and on our Bookshop.com storefront. About Julie Hammonds Julie Hammonds fell in love with Hamlet during a high school trip to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and has nurtured her passion for Shakespeare ever since. She learned to run a light board on an Army base in South Korea, studied the plays on her own and in school, stage-managed The Winter’s Tale and Much Ado About Nothing, and became the founding board president of the Flagstaff Shakespeare Festival. Along the way, she decided to complete the canon as an audience member by seeing Shakespeare’s plays performed on as many different stages as she can reach. The quest has taken her from a community hall in Juneau, Alaska, to the noteworthy festivals in Stratford, Ontario, and Cedar City, Utah, to Shakespeare’s Globe in London and the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon. She has four plays to go. This is her first novel. Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. For updates: join our email list, follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast by becoming a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone, buying us coffee, or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod (we earn a small commission when you use our link and shop bookshop.org). Find additional links mentioned in the episode in our Linktree. Works referenced: Hammonds, Julie C. Blue Mountain Rose: A Novel in Five Acts. Soulstice Publishing, LLC, 2025.  

Want to support the podcast? Join our Patreon or buy us a coffee. As an independent podcast, Shakespeare Anyone? is supported by listeners like you. In today's episode, we are exploring the English relationships with foreigners and immigrants from other European countries. First, we'll discuss what the experience of immigrant communities was like in England during the Tudor and early Stuart periods--were the English people xenophobic or welcoming to others? We'll look specifically at experiences of Dutch and French immigrants, who made up the majority of immigrants to England in the mid-late 1500s.  Then, we'll take a look at England's attempt to colonize Ireland through Essex's campaign in the late 1590s and how English anxieties about foreign invasions while also attempting to invade Ireland may have influenced Shakespeare's writing of King Henry V. We'll also discuss the characters of Macmorris, Jamy, and Fluellen and how they represent contemporary English relations with the Irish, Scottish, and Welsh.  We have previously explored England's proto-colonial practices and treatment of people of the global majority outside of Europe, and their legacies in the following episodes: Mini: Shakespeare and the Colonial Imagination Mini: Shakespeare's World: Immigrants, Others, and Foreign Commodities Mini: "Decolonize the Mind" through Shakespeare Mini: Intercultural and Global Shakespeare in a Postcolonial World Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. For updates: join our email list, follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast by becoming a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone, buying us coffee, or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod (we earn a small commission when you use our link and shop bookshop.org). Find additional links mentioned in the episode in our Linktree. Works referenced: Goose, Nigel. “Immigrants and English Economic Development in the Sixteenth and Early Seventeenth Centuries.” Immigrants in Tudor and Early Stuart England, edited by Nigel Goose and Lien Luu, Liverpool University Press, 2013, pp. 136–60. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.4418193.12. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025. Goose, Nigel. “‘Xenophobia’ in Elizabethan and Early Stuart England: An Epithet Too Far?” Immigrants in Tudor and Early Stuart England, edited by Nigel Goose and Lien Luu, Liverpool University Press, 2013, pp. 110–35. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.4418193.11. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025. Highley, Christopher. “‘If the Cause Be Not Good’: Henry V and Essex’s Irish Campaign.” Shakespeare, Spenser, and the Crisis in Ireland. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. 134–163. Print. Cambridge Studies in Renaissance Literature and Culture.

Want to support the podcast? Join our Patreon or buy us a coffee. As an independent podcast, Shakespeare Anyone? is supported by listeners like you. This week, we are bringing you something a little different and unlocking our Patreon bonus episode on the 1998 film, Shakespeare in Love. Over on our Patreon, we regularly watch/read and discuss Shakespeare-adjacent media. Shakespeare in Love, written by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard and directed by John Madden, follows a fictional love affair between William Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) and a noblewoman, Viola de Lesseps (Gwyneth Paltrow), during the writing of Romeo and Juliet. The film also features performances by Geoffrey Rush, Colin Firth, Ben Affleck and Judi Dench. Shakespeare in Love received 7 Oscars, including Best Picture at the 71st Academy Awards.  We originally released this episode in February 2023 as a Patreon-exclusive. Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. For updates: join our email list, follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast by becoming a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone, buying us coffee, or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod (we earn a small commission when you use our link and shop bookshop.org). Find additional links mentioned in the episode in our Linktree. Works referenced: Stoppard, Tom, and Marc Norman. Shakespeare in Love. Panorama, 1998.  

Want to support the podcast? Join our Patreon or buy us a coffee. As an independent podcast, Shakespeare Anyone? is supported by listeners like you. In today's episode, we will be exploring the lives of common and working people of Shakespeare's time. While Shakespeare's plays tend to feature nobles, monarchs, and other people of higher status as their main characters, they also feature a variety of characters from lower ranks of society. We will discuss the overall representation of common people in Shakespeare's plays, dive into the specific occupations represented within Shakespeare's play, King Henry V, and then give an overview of other occupations held by the lower ranks of society in Shakespeare's time. Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. For updates: join our email list, follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast by becoming a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone, sending us a virtual tip via our tipjar, or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod. Find additional links mentioned in the episode in our Linktree. Works referenced: Gillings, Mathew. “Shakespeare and Social Status.” Encyclopedia of Shakespeare’s Language, University of Lancaster, 21 Nov. 2019, wp.lancs.ac.uk/shakespearelang/2017/06/05/shakespeare-and-social-status/. Olsen, Kirstin. "Occupations." All Things Shakespeare: A Concise Encyclopedia of Shakespeare's World, Greenwood World Publishing, Oxford / Westport, CT, 2007. Olsen, Kirstin. "Servants." All Things Shakespeare: A Concise Encyclopedia of Shakespeare's World, Greenwood World Publishing, Oxford / Westport, CT, 2007. Unwin, Stephen. “Introduction.” Poor Naked Wretches: Shakespeare’s Working People, Reaktion Books, London, UK, 2022. Unwin, Stephen. “Inns, Taverns and Brothels.” Poor Naked Wretches: Shakespeare’s Working People, Reaktion Books, London, UK, 2022. Unwin, Stephen. “Soldiers, Sailors and Men at Arms.” Poor Naked Wretches: Shakespeare’s Working People, Reaktion Books, London, UK, 2022.                

Want to support the podcast? Join our Patreon or buy us a coffee. As an independent podcast, Shakespeare Anyone? is supported by listeners like you. Have you ever wondered where those colorful Folger paperback editions of Shakespeare plays got their name? Or how the Folger Shakespeare Library came to have the largest collection of First Folios in the world? Or if there was any relation to the coffee brand?  In today’s episode, we are going to be exploring the life of Henry Folger, his wife Emily Jordan Folger, their quest for copies of the First Folio, and how their collection forever changed our modern understanding of Shakespeare and the early modern period.  Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. For updates: join our email list, follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast by becoming a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone, sending us a virtual tip via our tipjar, or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod. Find additional links mentioned in the episode in our Linktree. Works referenced: Grant, Stephen H. Collecting Shakespeare: The Story of Henry and Emily Folger. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2014 Mays, Andrea E. The Millionaire and the Bard: Henry Folger’s Obsessive Hunt for Shakespeare’s First Folio. Simon & Schuster, 2016.  "Purchasing Power Today of a US Dollar Transaction in the Past," MeasuringWorth, 2025. Staff, Folger Shakesepeare Library. “Andrea Mays on the Millionaire and the Bard.” Folger Shakespeare Library, 18 Nov. 2015, www.folger.edu/podcasts/shakespeare-unlimited/shakespeare-unlimited-episode-36/. Staff, NPR. “A Fortune in Folios: One Man’s Hunt for Shakespeare’s First Editions.” NPR, NPR, 14 May 2015, www.npr.org/2015/05/14/406470976/a-fortune-in-folios-one-man-s-hunt-for-shakespeare-s-first-editions. Witmore, Michael. "Henry Clay Folger." Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Jun. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/money/Henry-Clay-Folger. Accessed 5 March 2025.

Want to support the podcast? Join our Patreon or buy us a coffee. As an independent podcast, Shakespeare Anyone? is supported by listeners like you. In today's episode, we are exploring the realities of military life in early modern and medieval England and how those realities are reflected (or not!) in Shakespeare's King Henry V. We will discuss historical misrepresentations of the English military during Shakespeare's lifetime and how recent scholarship has discovered a wealth of narratives that prove those previous understandings to be incorrect.  We will also discuss the rules of war that existed historically during the reign of King Henry V and how accurately Shakespeare portrays and navigates those historical norms within the fictional world of the play. Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. For updates: join our email list, follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast by becoming a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone, sending us a virtual tip via our tipjar, or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod. Works referenced: Lawrence, D.R. (2011), Reappraising the Elizabethan and Early Stuart Soldier: Recent Historiography on Early Modern English Military Culture. History Compass, 9: 16-33. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1478-0542.2010.00748.x  Meron, Theodor. “Shakespeare’s Henry the Fifth and the Law of War.” The American Journal of International Law, vol. 86, no. 1, 1992, pp. 1–45. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2203137. Accessed 18 Feb. 2025.

Want to support the podcast? Join our Patreon or buy us a coffee. As an independent podcast, Shakespeare Anyone? is supported by listeners like you. In today’s episode, we’ll be talking about early modern English nobility. Shakespeare’s history plays are about monarchs and royal lineages, and the world he was writing in was organized by ranks and degrees. So, we think it's important to talk about these pivotal ranks from kings to landed gentry. And we want to acknowledge that this mini-episode is strictly focusing on the social ranks from the Crown down to the landed gentry. We will be discussing additional ranks and social classes of England in forthcoming episodes. Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. For updates: join our email list, follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast by becoming a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone, sending us a virtual tip via our tipjar, or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod. Works referenced: Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "baron". Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 May. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/baron. Accessed 9 February 2025. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "duke". Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Feb. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/topic/duke. Accessed 9 February 2025. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "earl". Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Jul. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/earl-title. Accessed 9 February 2025. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "marquess". Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Sep. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/marquess. Accessed 9 February 2025. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "peerage". Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Dec. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/peerage. Accessed 9 February 2025. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "viscount". Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Jun. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/viscount. Accessed 9 February 2025. Debrett’s, The Editors of. “The Baronetage.” Debretts, Debretts, 10 Dec. 2024, debretts.com/peerage/the-baronetage/. Debrett’s, The Editors of. “Debrett’s Guide to the Ranks and Privileges of the Peerage.” Debretts, Debretts, 10 Dec. 2024, debretts.com/peerage/the-peerage/ranks-and-privileges-of-the-peerage/. Debrett’s, The Editors of. “The Knightage.” Debretts, Debretts, 10 Dec. 2024, debretts.com/peerage/the-knightage/. Ruggiu, François-Joseph . "Nobility and Gentry in the Early Modern Atlantic World". In obo in Atlantic History. 9 Feb. 2025. . Wikipedia contributors. "Landed gentry." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 17 Jan. 2025. Web. 9 Feb. 2025. Wikipedia contributors. "Social class in the United Kingdom." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 15 Jan. 2025. Web. 9 Feb. 2025. Zelazko, Alicja. "British nobility". Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Jul. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/British-nobility. Accessed 9 February 2025.

Want to support the podcast? Join our Patreon or buy us a coffee. As an independent podcast, Shakespeare Anyone? is supported by listeners like you. In this week's episode, we are exploring the historical record to better understand the difference between the facts of the historical record and the history-making and myths in Shakespeare's King Henry V. We will share brief biographies of the historical figures presented in Shakespeare's play and discuss how understanding where Shakespeare embellished or elided history can help us understand the values of the audiences of his day and how this understanding can potentially inform performances and readings of Shakespeare's play today.  Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. For updates: join our email list, follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast by becoming a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone, sending us a virtual tip via our tipjar, or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod. Are you a teacher who teaches upper grades (US 9-12 or equivalent) and teaches Shakespeare or wants to teach Shakespeare? We want to hear from you: https://www.shakespeareanyone.com/teachersurvey Works referenced: Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Charles VI". Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Nov. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-VI-king-of-France. Accessed 26 January 2025. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Edward of Norwich, 2nd duke of York". Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Oct. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edward-of-Norwich-2nd-duke-of-York. Accessed 26 January 2025. Carpenter, Christine. "Beauchamp, Richard, thirteenth earl of Warwick (1382–1439), magnate." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.  October 03, 2013. Oxford University Press. Date of access 27 Jan. 2025 Catto, Jeremy. "Chichele, Henry (c. 1362–1443), administrator and archbishop of Canterbury." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.  September 23, 2004. Oxford University Press. Date of access 27 Jan. 2025 Griffiths, R. A. "Holland [Holand], John, first duke of Exeter (1395–1447), soldier and magnate." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.  January 03, 2008. Oxford University Press. Date of access 27 Jan. 2025 Harriss, G. L. "Beaufort, Thomas, duke of Exeter (1377?–1426), magnate and soldier." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.  January 03, 2008. Oxford University Press. Date of access 27 Jan. 2025 Harriss, G. L. "Humphrey [Humfrey or Humphrey of Lancaster], duke of Gloucester [called Good Duke Humphrey] (1390–1447), prince, soldier, and literary patron." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.  June 11, 2020. Oxford University Press. Date of access 27 Jan. 2025 Harriss, G. L. "Richard [Richard of Conisbrough], earl of Cambridge (1385–1415), magnate." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.  September 14, 2023. Oxford University Press. Date of access 27 Jan. 2025 Hughes, Jonathan. "Arundel [Fitzalan], Thomas (1353–1414), administrator and archbishop of Canterbury." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.  May 24, 2007. Oxford University Press. Date of access 27 Jan. 2025 Jones, Dan. Henry V: The Astonishing Triumph of England’s Greatest Warrior King. Viking, 2024. Pollard, A. J. "Neville, Richard, fifth earl of Salisbury (1400–1460), magnate." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.  January 03, 2008. Oxford University Press. Date of access 27 Jan. 2025 Stratford, Jenny. "John [John of Lancaster], duke of Bedford (1389–1435), regent of France and prince." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.  September 22, 2011. Oxford University Press. Date of access 27 Jan. 2025 Tuck, Anthony. "Edmund [Edmund of Langley], first duke of York (1341–1402), prince." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.  September 14, 2023. Oxford University Press. Date of access 27 Jan. 2025 Tuck, Anthony. "Neville, Ralph, first earl of Westmorland (c. 1364–1425), magnate." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.  January 03, 2008. Oxford University Press. Date of access 27 Jan. 2025 Vale, Brigette. "Scrope, Henry, third Baron Scrope of Masham (c. 1376–1415), soldier and administrator." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.  January 03, 2008. Oxford University Press. Date of access 27 Jan. 2025 Walker, Simon. "Erpingham, Sir Thomas (c. 1355–1428), soldier." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.  January 03, 2008. Oxford University Press. Date of access 27 Jan. 2025 Wikipedia contributors. "Charles II, Duke of Lorraine." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 11 Jan. 2025. Web. 27 Jan. 2025. Wikipedia contributors. "Isabeau of Bavaria." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 24 Jan. 2025. Web. 27 Jan. 2025. Wikipedia contributors. "Louis, Duke of Guyenne." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 10 Nov. 2024. Web. 27 Jan. 2025.

To kick off our series on Shakespeare's King Henry V, 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.  Location of the Battle of Agincourt 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, sending us a virtual tip via our tipjar, or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod. Works referenced: Shakespeare, William. King Henry V. Edited by T. W. Craik, Arden Shakespeare, 1995. SparkNotes Editors. “King Henry V” SparkNotes.com, SparkNotes LLC, 2005, https://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/henryv/

We are starting off 2025 and Shakespeare Anyone's fifth year with our first History (and also a play with the number five in its title): King Henry V. In this episode, we will provide a detailed summary of the plot, breaking down the action of the play scene by scene. To quote this play, "once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more," or...let's dive in! 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, sending us a virtual tip via our tipjar, or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod. Works referenced: Shakespeare, William. King Henry V. Edited by T. W. Craik, Arden Shakespeare, 1995.