Explore every episode of the podcast The Play's the Thing
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Life of Shakespeare Q&A (rerun) | 26 juin 2026 | 00:56:25 | |
This week Tim is joined by a family of Shakespeare fans who are full of questions, including, "How many words did Shakespeare create?" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The Life of Shakespeare: Part Two (rerun) | 19 juin 2026 | 01:07:42 | |
William Shakespeare is the most celebrated dramatist in the English language, perhaps any language. But who was the man behind the plays? Part two of two. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The Life of Shakespeare: Part One (rerun) | 12 juin 2026 | 01:27:07 | |
William Shakespeare is the most celebrated dramatist in the English language, perhaps any language. But who was the man behind the plays? Part one of two. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Coriolanus: Q&A (rerun) | 05 juin 2026 | 00:54:04 | |
Join Tim and Sarah-Jane as they answer your questions about Shakespeare's most underrated play. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Coriolanus: Act IV (rerun) | 29 mai 2026 | 01:12:04 | |
In this episode Tim and Sarah-Jane discuss Act IV of Coriolanus, focusing in particular on some ancient Roman history (especially the Roman Republic), the complexity of the plot in this act, and much more. Get ready to dig deep! Oh, and please do rate and review if you like the show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Coriolanus: Act III (rerun) | 22 mai 2026 | 01:04:13 | |
In this episode Tim and Sarah-Jane dive deeper into Shakespeare's underrated tragedy by comparing some of the great performances of the play, exploring Coriolanus' use of language, Volumnia's use of rhetoric, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Coriolanus: Act II (rerun) | 15 mai 2026 | 00:54:54 | |
In this episode Tim and Sarah-Jane dive deeper into Shakespeare's underrated tragedy by comparing some of the great performances of the play, exploring Coriolanus' use of language, Volumnia's use of rhetoric, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Coriolanus: Act I (rerun) | 08 mai 2026 | 01:05:10 | |
Join Tim McIntosh and Sarah-Jane Bentley for a spirited discussion about one of Shakespeare's underrated (but most interesting) plays, Coriolanus. In this episode they chat about Act I, introducing the play, the characters, the themes, and much more. They also discuss how Coriolanus is almost an anti-type to a play like As You Like It. Please note: this episode was originally recorded back in April 2020. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The Merchant of Venice: Q&A (rerun) | 01 mai 2026 | 00:57:03 | |
In which Tim, Heidi, and Sarah-Jane answer your questions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The Merchant of Venice: Bonus with Sparky Roberts (rerun) | 24 avr. 2026 | 00:51:43 | |
Was Shakespeare anti-semitic? In this bonus episode, Tim chats about this question with special guest Judith "Sparky" Roberts. Sparky comes from a Jewish background and was a theatre teacher at the University of Oregon and Lane Community College. Her graduate study, at Brandeis University, was under the great American Shakespearean actor, Morris Carnovksy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The Merchant of Venice: Act V (rerun) | 17 avr. 2026 | 00:59:50 | |
Join Tim, and Heidi, and Sarah-Jane as they wrap up their conversation of Shakespeare's classic play. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The Merchant of Venice: Act IV (rerun) | 10 avr. 2026 | 00:48:31 | |
Act IV is usually the key act in any Shakespeare play, and The Merchant of Venice isn't any different. Join Tim, Heidi, and Sarah-Jane as they explore why. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The Merchant of Venice: Act III (rerun) | 03 avr. 2026 | 01:04:15 | |
Join Tim, Heidi, and Sarah-Jane as they dive Into the always-important third act of The Merchant of Venice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The Merchant of Venice: Act II (rerun) | 27 mars 2026 | 00:51:42 | |
Join Tim, Heidi, and Sarah-Jane as they discuss Shakespeare's exploration of the folly of people who are put to the test, Bossanio's role (and his name), Shylock's complex role in the play, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The Merchant of Venice: Act I (rerun) | 20 mars 2026 | 01:11:46 | |
Join Tim, Heidi, and Sarah-Jane as they dive into Shakespeare's great play, The Merchant of Venice. In this episode, they discuss the character of Portia, Shylock's unnerving nature, a little of bit of context, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| James Shapiro and Shakespeare in a Divided America (rerun) | 13 mars 2026 | 00:39:18 | |
In this episode, noted author James Shapiro joins the show to discuss his new book, Shakespeare in a Divide America. Dr. Shapiro and Tim discuss Donald Trump, Abraham Lincoln, and John Wilkes Booth in a conversation about how Shakespeare's plays have showcased America's common grounds and battle grounds alike. Shapiro's book has been nominated for the National Book Award and was a NYT top ten book of 2020. The Play's the Thing is produced by Goldberry Studios for the CiRCE Podcast Network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Romeo + Juliet: Q&A (rerun) | 06 mars 2026 | 01:33:21 | |
In this episode Tim, Heidi, and Sarah Jane are answering your questions about Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Romeo + Juliet: Act V (rerun) | 27 févr. 2026 | 00:50:18 | |
Join Tim, Heidi, and Sarah-Jane as they discuss love and death, the differences between Romeo and Juliet as they encounter death, personal and public interpretations of the play, and whether or not the families within the story actually learned anything. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Romeo + Juliet: Act IV (rerun) | 20 févr. 2026 | 01:04:02 | |
Act IV of Romeo and Juliet examines the fallout from Tybalt and Mercutio's violent deaths. Join Tim, Heidi, and Sarah-Jane as they discuss Shakespeare's love of strong women, the connections between love and death, and whether or not Romeo is indeed "fortune's fool." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Romeo + Juliet: Act III (rerun) | 13 févr. 2026 | 01:01:35 | |
Join Tim, Heidi, and Sarah-Jane as they discuss Mercutio and Tybalt's death and Romeo's fleeing in exile. Plus, they take up the question, what is "the form of a man?" The Play's the Thing is produced by Goldberry Studios for the CiRCE Podcast Network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Romeo + Juliet: Act II (rerun) | 06 févr. 2026 | 01:01:50 | |
Join Tim, Heidi, and Sarah-Jane as they discuss Mercutio, Friar Lawrence, fate and fortune, the famous balcony scene, and what actually is in a name, anyway . . . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Romeo + Juliet: Act I (rerun) | 30 janv. 2026 | 00:57:51 | |
Join Tim, Heidi, and Sarah-Jane as they dive into one of Shakespeare's greatest and most misunderstood plays. Listen as they rhapsodize over Shakespeare's linguistic genius, speculate about why this story continues to be so influential and enduring, and discuss whether the star-crossed lovers were truly in love. The Play's the Thing is produced by Goldberry Studios for the CiRCE Podcast Network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Hamlet: Q&A (rerun) | 17 juin 2025 | 01:28:37 | |
Join Tim, Heidi, and Andrew as they answer your questions about Hamlet! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Hamlet: Act V (rerun) | 13 juin 2025 | 01:15:44 | |
Join Tim, Heidi, and Andrew as they discuss the concluding act to Shakespeare's masterpiece, an act in which we get the famous graveyard scene and the stage littered with bodies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Hamlet: Act IV (rerun) | 06 juin 2025 | 01:16:15 | |
Join Tim, Heidi, and Andrew as they dig into the crucial fourth act of Hamlet. They discuss Laertes coming the fore, Ophelia's tragic demise, Claudius devious behavior, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Hamlet: Act III (rerun) | 30 mai 2025 | 01:22:22 | |
Join Tim, Heidi, and Andrew as they dive into the crucial, famous third act of Hamlet. In this episode they discuss the "to be or not to be" speech, Claudius' prayer, and Polonius death. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Hamlet: Act II (rerun) | 23 mai 2025 | 01:34:33 | |
Join Tim, Heidi, and Andrew as they dive into the drama of Hamlet, Act II! They discuss the way everyone is watching everyone else in this act, Pelonius as parent, the appearance of Rosencrans and Guildenstern, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Hamlet: Act I (rerun) | 16 mai 2025 | 01:05:39 | |
It's finally time to discuss the grandaddy of all of Shakespeare's plays! That's right, it's time for Hamlet and Tim, Heidi, and special guest Andrew Kern are ready to dig deep. In this episode they discuss why this play matters so much, the initial structure of the play, the themes and problems Act I introduces, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Henry V: Act V (rerun) | 09 mai 2025 | 01:04:26 | |
Join Heidi and David for the conclusion of their conversation about Shakespeare's classic history play, Henry V. Conversation explores King Henry's honesty (or lack thereof) in the final scene with Princess Katherine, the role of the commoners in the play, performing Henry, and (of course) more on teaching Shakespeare. Remember: subscribe, rate, and review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Henry V: Act IV (rerun) | 02 mai 2025 | 01:12:32 | |
Welcome back to The Play's the Thing! Join David and Heidi as they continue their conversation about Shakespeare's legendary history play, Henry V. Conversation touches on the build-up to the battle, stage/film interpretation of Henry's famous speech, the historical context of the battle and Shakespeare's take on it, Henry finally showing some emotion, and much, much more. Remember: Subscribe, rate, review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Henry V: Act III (rerun) | 25 avr. 2025 | 01:18:44 | |
Welcome back to The Play's the Thing! Join David and Heidi as they continue their conversation about Shakespeare's legendary history play, Henry V. Conversation explores the way Shakespeare brings the artifice of the play to the fore, the double meaning of the word "breach," Henry's obsession with duty (and chivalry), the way act three treats the horrors of war, and lots of thoughts on Shakespeare use of imagination for rhetorical purposes. Remember: Subscribe, rate, review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Henry V: Act II (rerun) | 18 avr. 2025 | 01:25:52 | |
Welcome back to The Play's the Thing! Join David and Heidi as they continue their conversation about Shakespeare's legendary history play, Henry V. Conversation explores the role of the commoners in the play, The Falstaff-effect, Henry vs the French Prince, Henry's rejection of his passions, Shakespeare's enduring legacy, and much, much more. Remember: Subscribe, rate, review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Henry V: Act I (rerun) | 11 avr. 2025 | 01:15:05 | |
Welcome back to The Play's the Thing! Join David and Heidi as they kick off a conversation about Shakespeare's legendary history play, Henry V. Conversation touches on the historical background behind the story, the role of the church in the play, the complicated nature of the character of King Henry, and much more. Remember: Subscribe, rate, review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Macbeth: Q&A (rerun) | 08 avr. 2025 | 00:53:35 | |
In which David, Tim, and Heidi answer listener questions about Macbeth. Remember: Subscribe, rate, review. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Macbeth: Act V (rerun) | 04 avr. 2025 | 01:23:29 | |
Welcome to the conclusion of this series on Macbeth. In this conversation David, Heidi, and Tim explore the madness of the play's primary characters, discuss the question of evil, and contemplate the collision of the natural and the supernatural in the play. Remember: subscribe, rate, review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Macbeth: Act IV (rerun) | 28 mars 2025 | 01:15:28 | |
Topics of conversation include the return of the witches and the way the witch scenes in Act I.I and Act IV.I mirror each other, what the play would be without the witches, the question of whether this is a "Christian play," the terrible problem of fate, and much more. Remember: subscribe, rate, review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Macbeth: Act III (rerun) | 21 mars 2025 | 01:22:25 | |
Welcome back to this ongoing discussion of Shakespeare's tragedy, Macbeth. Topics of conversation include act III turning points, the presence fo supernatural forces, and the downward trajectory of the characters and action of the play. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Macbeth: Act II (rerun) | 14 mars 2025 | 01:16:08 | |
Join David, Heidi, and Tim as they dive ever-deeper into the Macbeth family treachery. Conversation touches on Macbeth's mental state, Shakespeare's formal choices in Macbeth's monologues, the themes of repentance and time in the play, and much more. Remember: subscribe, rate, review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Macbeth: Act I (rerun) | 07 mars 2025 | 01:29:44 | |
Welcome back to The Play's the Thing, where we discuss Shakespeare's canon, one act at a time. In this episode, David, Tim, and Heidi dive into one of the great tragedies, Macbeth. Topics of conversation include the play's reputation, the suspicions surrounding performance of the play, the weird sisters and their role, Macbeth's response to them, Lady Macbeth's desire to be evil, and much more. Remember: subscribe, rate, review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| As You Like It: Bonus Episode (rerun) | 04 mars 2025 | 00:45:55 | |
In this bonus episode, Tim chats with four first-time student-actors about their experience performing scenes from As You Like It and other Shakespeare plays. If you like this episode be sure to rate and review wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| As You Like It: Act V (rerun) | 28 févr. 2025 | 00:50:59 | |
Welcome back to this series on Shakespeare's classic comedy, As You Like It! In this series Tim and Heidi discuss love and disorder in Shakespearean comedy, the natural world versus the civilized world, Rosalind's delightfulness, and how Shakespeare can help us deal with the self-quarantine blues. Remember to rate and review if you like this episode! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| As You Like It: Act IV (rerun) | 21 févr. 2025 | 00:43:59 | |
Welcome back to this series on Shakespeare's classic comedy, As You Like It! In this series Tim and Heidi discuss love and disorder in Shakespearean comedy, the natural world versus the civilized world, Rosalind's delightfulness, and how Shakespeare can help us deal with the self-quarantine blues. Remember to rate and review if you like this episode! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| As You Like It: Act III (rerun) | 14 févr. 2025 | 01:01:27 | |
Welcome back to this series on Shakespeare's classic comedy, As You Like It! In this series Tim and Heidi discuss love and disorder in Shakespearean comedy, the natural world versus the civilized world, Rosalind's delightfulness, and how Shakespeare can help us deal with the self-quarantine blues. Remember to rate and review if you like this episode! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| As You Like It: Act II (rerun) | 07 févr. 2025 | 01:04:27 | |
Welcome back to this series on Shakespeare's classic comedy, As You Like It! In this series Tim and Heidi discuss love and disorder in Shakespearean comedy, the natural world versus the civilized world, Rosalind's delightfulness, and how Shakespeare can help us deal with the self-quarantine blues. Remember to rate and review if you like this episode! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| As You Like It: Act I (rerun) | 03 févr. 2025 | 01:02:36 | |
Welcome to our new series on Shakespeare's classic comedy, As You Like It! In this series Tim and Heidi discuss love and disorder in Shakespearean comedy, the natural world versus the civilized world, Rosalind's delightfulness, and how Shakespeare can help us deal with the self-quarantine blues. Remember to rate and review if you like this episode! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Julius Caesar: Act V (rerun) | 06 sept. 2024 | 01:14:57 | |
This episode is brought to you The Classic Learning Test - a fantastic alternative to the ACT and SAT. Learn more at cltexam.com. Welcome back to The Play's the Thing, where we're working through Shakespeare one act at a time. Today Heidi, Brian, and Matt discuss Act V of Julius Caesar, focusing on the nature of tragedy, Shakespearean chiastic structures, and whether Brutus died a hero. Remember: Subscribe, rate, review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Julius Caesar: Act IV (rerun) | 30 août 2024 | 01:07:58 | |
Welcome back to The Play's the Thing, where Heidi, Matt, and Brian discussing Julius Caesar. This episode is all about act IV and topics of conversation include the shifting dynamics in the aftermath of Caesar's death + suicide, failed rhetoric, and the tension between conspirators. Remember: subscribe, rate, review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Julius Caesar: Act III (rerun) | 23 août 2024 | 01:11:39 | |
Welcome back to The Play's the Thing where we're talking Shakespeare one act at a time. This week, Heidi, Matt, and Brian discuss Julius Caesar, Act III. There's lots of speech-making in this act so, yeah, they discuss that. And ambiguous characters. And whether stabbing Caesar was justified. And the enigma of Mark Antony. And more. Enjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Julius Caesar: Act II (rerun) | 17 août 2024 | 01:09:17 | |
Welcome back to The Play's the Thing where contributors from the Close Reads Podcast Network discuss Shakespeare's canon one act at a time. In this episode, Heidi White, Matt Bianco, and Brian Phillips continue discussion of Julius Caesar, with discussion touching on friendship, brooding, what makes rhetoric effective, and why men involved in political conspiracies should listen to their wives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Julius Caesar: Act I (rerun) | 09 août 2024 | 01:14:22 | |
Welcome back to The Play's the Thing. In this episode, Heidi White, Matt Bianco, and Brian Phillips kick off conversation on Julius Caesar, focusing on Act I. Conversation touches on why highschoolers should read this play, the historical context of the play, proper and improper rhetoric, whether Cassius is the devil, and much more. Remember: subscribe, rate, review! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||