As You Mic It – Details, episodes & analysis

Welcome to As You Mic It!

In our premiere episode, Jason King Jones, Kim Carson, and Connie Behringer, guide you through an exciting first look at Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival’s vibrant 2025 Season themed "Undiscovered Countries."

Tickets are now available! Visit pashakespeare.org to secure your seat. While there, subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed about exclusive updates and offers.

Special Thanks:

A warm thank you to Chuck Gloman, Jarret Brown, and all of DeSales University for helping us launch this podcast journey.

Stay Connected:

Subscribe to As You Mic It and follow the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival on social media for more behind-the-scenes insights and exciting festival updates.

Mentioned in this episode:

Become an Underwriter Today!

Collaboration makes great theatre, both onstage and off. Become an underwriter of As You Mic It! Contact podcast@pashakespeare.org for more information.

Collaboration makes great theatre!

Collaboration makes great theatre, both onstage and off. Support PSF today! https://pashakespeare.org/support/

As You Mic It: In the Spotlight shines the light on this season’s repertory production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. Artistic Director Jason King Jones sits down with actor Ian Merrill Peakes (The Player) and scenic designer Brian Sydney Bembridge for an inside look at Tom Stoppard’s witty and mind-bending companion piece to Hamlet. Together, they explore the play’s existential humor, theatrical absurdity, and the layered experience of performing and designing within a shared repertory world. From the shifting boundaries of fate and performance to the magic of a transformative set, this conversation reveals what makes Rosencrantz and Guildenstern a perfect match for PSF’s Undiscovered Countries season.

Special Thanks:

Much gratitude to Chuck Gloman, Jarret Brown, and all of DeSales University for helping us launch this podcast journey.

Stay Connected:

Follow As You Mic It and the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival on social media for more behind-the-scenes insights and exciting festival updates.

• Colon Cancer Foundation
• Brian Sydney Bembridge
• Tickets for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
• Tickets for Hamlet
• Support PSF by donating today

As You Mic It: In the Spotlight shines the light on this season’s repertory productions of Hamlet and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. Artistic Director Jason King Jones sits down with Biko Eisen-Martin (Hamlet), and David Pica and Pepin (Laertes and Ophelia) to discuss Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy as a profound exploration of grief, revenge, and the boundaries between madness and clarity. Join us for a compelling conversation about their creative paths, insights into these beloved characters, and why Hamlet continues to captivate audiences today.

Special Thanks:

Much gratitude to Chuck Gloman, Jarret Brown, and all of DeSales University for helping us launch this podcast journey.

Stay Connected:

Follow As You Mic It and the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival on social media for more behind-the-scenes insights and exciting festival updates.

Research Links

Mentioned in this episode:

Prepare Yourself

Prepare yourself for some Drama

Collaboration makes great theatre!

Collaboration makes great theatre, both onstage and off. Support PSF today! https://pashakespeare.org/support/

Become an Underwriter Today!

Collaboration makes great theatre, both onstage and off. Become an underwriter of As You Mic It! Contact podcast@pashakespeare.org for more information.

Get primed for Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival’s 2025 “Undiscovered Countries” season with our Prologue mini-episodes. In this installment, Director of Education and Community Engagement, Kim Carson, walks us through the dreams deferred, generational tensions, and hard-won hopes at the heart of A Raisin in the Sun, a powerful journey into the uncharted territories of identity, legacy, and home.

Special Thanks:

Much gratitude for Chuck Gloman, Jarret Brown, and all of DeSales University for helping us launch this podcast journey.

Stay Connected:

Follow As You Mic It and the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival on social media for more behind-the-scenes insights and exciting festival updates.

• Tickets for A Raisin In The Sun
• Support PSF by donating today
• Harlem | The Poetry Foundation - The title of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun was borrowed from Langston Hughes’s poem, “Harlem," sharing the story of the deferred dreams of the Younger family.
• Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival - Discover the exciting 2025 Summer Theatre Series!

Mentioned in this episode:

Collaboration makes great theatre!

Collaboration makes great theatre, both onstage and off. Support PSF today! https://pashakespeare.org/support/

Become an Underwriter Today!

Collaboration makes great theatre, both onstage and off. Become an underwriter of As You Mic It! Contact podcast@pashakespeare.org for more information.

Get primed for Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival’s 2025 “Undiscovered Countries” season with our Prologue mini-episodes.  In this episode, Director of Education and Community Engagement, Kim Carson, guides us through the tap‑dancing accountants, oversized ambitions, and outrageous laughs that make The Producers a dazzling leap into our “Undiscovered Countries.”

Tickets are going fast, so get them now! Visit pashakespeare.org to secure your seat. While there, subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed about exclusive updates and offers.

Special Thanks:

Much gratitude for Chuck Gloman, Jarret Brown, and all of DeSales University for helping us launch this podcast journey.

Stay Connected:

Follow As You Mic It and the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival on social media for more behind-the-scenes insights and exciting festival updates.

• Tickets for The Producers!
• Calendar: Prologues, Talkbacks, and more

Mentioned in this episode:

Collaboration makes great theatre!

Collaboration makes great theatre, both onstage and off. Support PSF today! https://pashakespeare.org/support/

Become an Underwriter Today!

Collaboration makes great theatre, both onstage and off. Become an underwriter of As You Mic It! Contact podcast@pashakespeare.org for more information.

Get primed for Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival’s 2025 “Undiscovered Countries” season with our Prologue mini-episodes.  In this debut, Director of Education and Community Engagement, Kim Carson unpacks Penelope, Alex Bechtel’s genre‑bending musical that finally gives Homer’s steadfast queen her own epic, where waiting becomes heroism and myth meets modern storytelling. 

Tickets are now available! Visit pashakespeare.org to secure your seat. While there, subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed about exclusive updates and offers.

Special Thanks:

Much gratitude for Chuck Gloman, Jarret Brown, and all of DeSales University for helping us launch this podcast journey.

Stay Connected:

Follow As You Mic It and the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival on social media for more behind-the-scenes insights and exciting festival updates.

• Penelope - Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival - One Woman. One Mic. One Epic Night with PENELOPE. A Co-production with Theatre Horizon Music and Lyrics by Alex Bechtel Book by Alex Bechtel, Grace McLean, and Eva Steinmetz Directed by Eva Steinmetz This isn’t just a retelling; it’s a revolution. Running Time: Approximately 70 minutes, with no intermission. Content Advisory: Contains mild adult language and themes. Recommended Age: 13+
• Support PSF by donating today
• Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival - Discover the exciting 2025 Summer Theatre Series!

Mentioned in this episode:

Become an Underwriter Today!

Collaboration makes great theatre, both onstage and off. Become an underwriter of As You Mic It! Contact podcast@pashakespeare.org for more information.

Collaboration makes great theatre!

Collaboration makes great theatre, both onstage and off. Support PSF today! https://pashakespeare.org/support/

Two plays, one castle, countless perspectives. In our final pre‑season episode, director Lindsay Smiling reveals his fresh take on Hamlet, while host‑turned‑guest Jason King Jones flips the script with Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead.

Kim Carson pulls back the curtain on outreach programs that carry these stories from the stage to parks, libraries, and classrooms across the Lehigh Valley.

Hit Follow so you don’t miss our Prologue mini‑episodes, bonus drops, live Community Day recording, and upcoming AMA—send your questions to podcast@pashakespeare.org.

Tickets are now available! Visit pashakespeare.org to secure your seat. While there, subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed about exclusive updates and offers.

Special Thanks:

Much gratitude for Chuck Gloman, Jarret Brown, and all of DeSales University for helping us launch this podcast journey.

Stay Connected:

Follow As You Mic It and the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival on social media for more behind-the-scenes insights and exciting festival updates.

• Calendar: Prologues, Talkbacks, and more
• Info: Summer Educator Intensive
• Tickets for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
• Tickets for Hamlet
• Support PSF by donating today
• Support PSF by donating today

Mentioned in this episode:

Become an Underwriter Today!

Collaboration makes great theatre, both onstage and off. Become an underwriter of As You Mic It! Contact podcast@pashakespeare.org for more information.

Collaboration makes great theatre!

Collaboration makes great theatre, both onstage and off. Support PSF today! https://pashakespeare.org/support/

PSF Charts Its Way Toward Undiscovered Countries

The Producers: Previews begin June 11!

Welcome to As You Mic It!

How winding is the path of love, and what happens when the heart leads us into Undiscovered Countries? In this episode: The Course of True Love, director of Penelope, Eva Steinmetz, joins Jason King Jones, Kim Carson, and Connie Behringer as they explore love’s complexities, comedic missteps, heartfelt sacrifices, and powerful transformations shaping the journeys of our 2025 protagonists.

Tickets are available now! Visit pashakespeare.org to secure your seat and subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive updates and offers.

Special Thanks:

Much gratitude for Chuck Gloman, Jarret Brown, and all of DeSales University for helping us launch this podcast journey.

Stay Connected:

Follow As You Mic It and the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival on social media for more behind-the-scenes insights and exciting festival updates.

• Penelope - Album by Alex Bechtel | Spotify - Take a listen to the haunting music of Penelope.
• Penelope - Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival - One Woman. One Mic. One Epic Night with PENELOPE. A Co-production with Theatre Horizon Music and Lyrics by Alex Bechtel Book by Alex Bechtel, Grace McLean, and Eva Steinmetz Directed by Eva Steinmetz May 28 to June 8 | Schubert Theatre No more waiting in the wings—Penelope takes center stage, and she’s got some things to say. With bourbon in hand, she grabs the mic to deliver her side of the story, recounting her twenty-year wait on the small island of Ithaca while her husband, Odysseus, was off playing hero. This witty musical flips the script on the dutiful wife history wants you to believe in—Penelope’s done being a footnote in her husband’s epic; this time, she’s writing her own odyssey. With soulful songs, razor-sharp storytelling, and an onstage band doubling as her modern-day Greek chorus, Penelope transforms the tale you thought you knew into a solo cabaret act like no other. It’s raw, fiery, and fiercely original as she steps out of the shadows to set the record straight, and she’s not holding back. This isn’t just a retelling; it’s a revolution. Running Time: Approximately 70 minutes, with no intermission. Content Advisory: Contains mild adult language and themes. Recommended Age: 13+
• Support PSF by donating today - Here are just a few examples of the many ways you can support the Festival: Donate through your retirement account and designate your Required Minimum Distribution as a tax-free gift to PSF. Set-up a planned gift to PSF through your will or estate plan. Many companies match charitable donations made by their employees and, in some cases, also retirees. Contact your employer to determine if your contribution is eligible for a match!
• Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival - Discover the exciting 2025 Summer Theatre Series!

Mentioned in this episode:

Collaboration makes great theatre!

Collaboration makes great theatre, both onstage and off. Support PSF today! https://pashakespeare.org/support/

Become an Underwriter Today!

Collaboration makes great theatre, both onstage and off. Become an underwriter of As You Mic It! Contact podcast@pashakespeare.org for more information.

Shakespeare understood the human need to gather, connect, and share experiences. In this special episode, Jason King Jones reflects on this concept in his contribution to The Quarto, the journal of the Shakespeare Theatre Association (STA).

Special Thanks:

Gratitude to Chuck Gloman, Jarret Brown, and all of DeSales University for helping us continue this podcast journey.

Stay Connected:

Follow As You Mic It on your favorite app for more behind-the-scenes insights and festival updates.

• 2025 Spring/Summer Volume of The Quarto - Theatre as the Art of Gathering: Shakespeare and the Power of Shared Experience by Jason King Jones

Mentioned in this episode:

Collaboration makes great theatre!

Collaboration makes great theatre, both onstage and off. Support PSF today! https://pashakespeare.org/support/

Become an Underwriter Today!

Collaboration makes great theatre, both onstage and off. Become an underwriter of As You Mic It! Contact podcast@pashakespeare.org for more information.

How far can a dream take you and what happens when ambition outruns reality? Director of The Producers, Jennifer Childs, joins Jason King Jones, Kim Carson, and Connie Behringer as they trace the hopes, schemes, and sleepless nights that drive our 2025 protagonists.

Tickets are available, now! Visit pashakespeare.org to secure your seat and subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive updates and offers.

Special Thanks:

Gratitude to Chuck Gloman, Jarret Brown, and all of DeSales University for helping us continue this podcast journey.

Stay Connected:

Follow As You Mic It on your favorite app for more behind-the-scenes insights and festival updates.

Mentioned in this episode:

Collaboration makes great theatre!

Collaboration makes great theatre, both onstage and off. Support PSF today! https://pashakespeare.org/support/

Become an Underwriter Today!

Collaboration makes great theatre, both onstage and off. Become an underwriter of As You Mic It! Contact podcast@pashakespeare.org for more information.