Today we have a great discussion with an often overlooked role in the theatre: the dramaturg! And if you’re wondering exactly what that person does, you’re in the right place! Gideon Rappaport joined us for our online readings in the Spring (Much Ado and Merry Wives), and has been part of the workshop series since […]
Text Work: Hamlet’s “Advice to the Players” with Randall Duk Kim and Annie Occhiogrosso
The following is the text work session taken from the full episode with Randall and Annie. In this episode, Randall and Annie share insights into working on Shakespeare through the appropriately chosen piece, Hamlet’s “Advice to the Players”—the one that begins “Speak the speech I pray you”. You’ll hear Randall and Annie discuss: Some of the […]
Text Work: Alan Moore’s Jerusalem with Simon Vance
The following is the text work session taken from the full episode with Simon. In this episode, Simon shares how he worked on a couple of different audiobook projects: first, dealing with a practically unreadable chapter in Alan Moore’s Jerusalem and then, a bit on The Wake by Paul Kingsnorth. You’ll hear Simon discuss: The research […]
Text Work: Threat Matrix with Jeanne Sakata
The following is the text work session taken from the full episode with Jeanne. In this episode, Jeanne discusses a monologue she worked on from the TV show Threat Matrix. She plays a Cambodian woman who recounts her experiences of escaping the Khmer Rouge. I’ve visited Cambodia and seen first-hand some of the atrocities that happened […]
Text Work: Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale with Richard Riehle
The following is the text work session taken from the full episode with Richard. In this excerpt, Richard discusses one of Leontes’ speeches in The Winter’s Tale by Shakespeare—it’s in the first act where he has his suspicions about his wife and his best friend having an affair. Leontes is speaking with his trusted advisor Camillo, […]
Text Work: Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130 with Tony Amendola
The following is the text work session taken from the full episode with Tony. In this excerpt, Tony discusses Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare. As Tony shares, it’s almost like an “anti-love” sonnet, that it makes fun of sonnets that are too flowery, as it has a very different tone and style with its message. You’ll hear […]
Ep #18: Tony Amendola (Regional Theatre, Berkeley Rep, Stargate SG-1) on Stamping Your Own Passport and Following the Work
Being an actor in Los Angeles can be—if you’re not careful—living off the interest of your talent and experience. And every so often, you need to make a deposit, and that can be doing theatre in LA, New York, in the regions, or it can be a self-generated project, but you do need to do […]
Ep #17: Robert Goldsby (Columbia/ACT/UC Berkeley; Directed 150+ plays, 60+ years in theatre) on the Aliveness of Molière, Clear Transitions, and Being Blissfully Happy
Plays are intensely personal to the writers—when they write them, they’re imagining something that’s very vivid to them. You have to get into their head and try to find another vividness that’s truthful to the original. I’m all for the playwright; that’s where you go to study. — Robert Goldsby On the show today is […]
Text Work: John Webster’s The White Devil with Ray Porter
So don't be surprised!
The following is the text work session taken from the full episode with Ray. In this excerpt, Ray will be discussing a speech from John Webster’s The White Devil, which is a Jacobean play and comes in the period right after Shakespeare. As Ray shared, plays in this period were much darker and a definite […]
Ep #16: Ray Porter (Oregon Shakespeare Festival, 300+ Audiobooks) on Delivering the Mail, Being Your Advocate, and Good-Natured Arrogance
So don't be surprised!
The biggest downfall of actors is when they start to get very pleased with themselves because they’re actors; having something else that will keep you a bit humble is a good thing. — Ray Porter On the show today is Ray Porter, an actor who spent 18 seasons with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival playing all sorts […]
