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Shakespeare Unlimited podcast

Shakespeare Unlimited podcast

William Shakespeare and his works are woven throughout our global culture, from theater, music, and films to new scholarship, education, amazing discoveries, and more. In our Shakespeare Unlimited podcast, Shakespeare opens a window into topics ranging from the American West, to the real history of Elizabethan street fighting, to interviews with Shakespearean stars. As you’ll hear, he turns up in surprising places, too—including outer space. Join us for a “no limits” tour of the connections between Shakespeare, his works, and our world.

The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV, with Helen Castor
Shakespeare Unlimited

The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV, with Helen Castor

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What happens when a king loses his people’s trust? Historian Helen Castor delves into the 14th century drama behind Richard II’s fall and Henry IV’s rise, the events that inspired Shakespeare’s celebrated history plays.

Studying Shakespeare Now
Shakespeare Unlimited

Studying Shakespeare Now

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Discover how the Folger’s new teaching guides make Shakespeare’s works more engaging, accessible, and relevant, with strategies for teaching the plays, tackling topics like race and gender, and meeting the needs of today’s students.

How Shakespeare Revolutionized Tragedy, with Rhodri Lewis
Shakespeare Unlimited

How Shakespeare Revolutionized Tragedy, with Rhodri Lewis

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Explore how Shakespeare reshaped the tragic form with complex characters and self-deception. Rhodri Lewis dives into the evolution of Shakespearean tragedy, revealing its lasting modern impact.

Tabitha Stanmore on Practical Magic in Shakespeare’s England
Shakespeare Unlimited

Tabitha Stanmore on Practical Magic in Shakespeare’s England

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Uncover the world of cunning folk in Shakespeare’s England, as scholar Tabitha Stanmore reveals how these magic practitioners helped everyone from commoners to royalty with their practical spells and charms.

Will Tosh on the Hidden Queer Lives of William Shakespeare
Shakespeare Unlimited

Will Tosh on the Hidden Queer Lives of William Shakespeare

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Scholar Will Tosh explores the hidden queer lives in Shakespeare’s works, revealing how early modern gender fluidity and same-sex desire influenced the Bard’s plays and characters.

Throughlines, with Ayanna Thompson and Ruben Espinosa
Shakespeare Unlimited

Throughlines, with Ayanna Thompson and Ruben Espinosa

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Explore Throughlines, a free resource offering teaching materials to help educators integrate discussions of race into Shakespeare and other premodern texts in college classrooms.

Juliet, Then and Now, with Sophie Duncan
Shakespeare Unlimited

Juliet, Then and Now, with Sophie Duncan

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Discover how our perceptions of Juliet have evolved over centuries, as Sophie Duncan explores the lasting legacy of Shakespeare’s first tragic heroine.

Barry Edelstein on The Old Globe's Henry 6
Shakespeare Unlimited

Barry Edelstein on The Old Globe's Henry 6

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Go behind the scenes with Artistic Director Barry Edelstein as San Diego’s Old Globe becomes one of less than a dozen American theaters who have performed the entire Shakespeare canon.

Colman Domingo on the Power of Theater
Shakespeare Unlimited

Colman Domingo on the Power of Theater

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Actor Colman Domingo takes us behind the scenes of the making of his new film, Sing Sing, the inspiring true story of the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at the maximum security prison.

The Brief Life and Big Impact of the Federal Theatre Project, with James Shapiro
Shakespeare Unlimited

The Brief Life and Big Impact of the Federal Theatre Project, with James Shapiro

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James Shapiro explores the cultural and political impact of the New Deal theater program in The Playbook: A Story of Theater, Democracy, and the Making of a Culture War.

A Tour of the Newly-Reopened Folger | Part 2
Shakespeare Unlimited

A Tour of the Newly-Reopened Folger | Part 2

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We take a look at how research happens at the Folger, from Folger Institute fellowships to the chairs in our Reading Room.

A Tour of the Newly-Reopened Folger | Part 1
Shakespeare Unlimited

A Tour of the Newly-Reopened Folger | Part 1

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Join Shakespeare Unlimited host Barbara Bogaev on a personal tour of the Folger’s newly-renovated public spaces, opening June 21.

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