Here we are at the end of Season 1! Wow! I'm so glad that you've been along for the ride. I'm looking forward to taking a break and then getting into Season 2. When we return we'll be moving away from Shakespeare for a while, and looking at wo

Episode 15: If We Shadows Have Offended (MSND 5.1.387-455)

Aug 14th, 2020 19m 1s

A Midsummer Night's Dream Act 5, Scene 1, Lines 387-455.This is it! We're wrapping up A Midsummer Night's Dream! Today we'll break down the ending of the play, including Robin Goodfellow's famous closing soliloquy. We'll talk about the nature o

Episode 14: Ninny's Tomb and the Man in the Moon (MSND 5.1.112-387)

Aug 11th, 2020 35m 32s

A Midsummer Night's Dream Act 5, Scene 1, Lines 112 - 387.It's time for the famous "play within a play within a play within a play"... or something like that. Whatever you want to call it, it's a darn good time of tragic goofiness and bawdy fun

Episode 13: Big Fat Greek Wedding (MSND 4.2 and 5.1.1-111)

Aug 11th, 2020 31m 28s

A Midsummer Night's Dream Act 4, Scene 2 and Act 5, Scene 1, Lines 1 - 111.As we move past the climax toward the end of the play we find ourselves in the mood for love. All's well that ends well, and, plot holes aside, things are ending pretty

Episode 12: Release the Hounds! (MSND 4.1)

Aug 3rd, 2020 30m 49s

A Midsummer Night's Dream Act 4, Scene 1.The long night of chaos has been a source of torment for everyone... except Bottom. He may be an ass, but he's the happiest ass in Paradise. But all things must pass, spells must break, love's wrongs mus

Episode 11: The Foggy Bottom Boys (MSND 3.2.263 - 493)

Aug 2nd, 2020 32m 38s

A Midsummer Night's Dream Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 263 - 493.There's a rumble in the forest and you're invited. The fruits of Robin Goodfellow's meddling at Oberon's behest has led to everyone looking for love in all the wrong places. Now it's tim

Episode 10: Low Blows and Brawling Bros (MSND 3.2.1 - 263)

Aug 1st, 2020 31m 34s

A Midsummer Night's Dream Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 1 - 263.Moonlight magic leads to mischief as Midsummer's Night heats up. With all the absurdity set up, the only thing left to do is sit back and enjoy the chaos as it unfolds. Join us as we sharp

Episode 9: An Ass Head of Your Own (MSND 3.1)

Jul 29th, 2020 27m 29s

A Midsummer Night's Dream Act 3, Scene 1.Time to send in the clowns! The strange magic of Midsummer's Night continues, but now we up the comedy game with mischievous tricks and lucky breaks. Act 3 Scene 1 ups the ante and sets up the rest of th

Episode 8: The Old Switcheroo (MSND 2.2)

Jul 29th, 2020 23m 52s

A Midsummer Night's Dream Act 2, Scene 2.Fairy magic, mistaken identities, quarreling lovers, guys putting weak moves on girls. It's all happening in Act I Scene 2 of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Join us as that craziness gets just a bit crazier

Episode 7: I Wanna Be Your Dog (MSND 2.1.195 - 276)

Jul 26th, 2020 22m 10s

A Midsummer Night's Dream Act 2, Scene 1, Lines 194 - 276.She's weird, she's funky, she's kinky, she's Helena! God bless her.Today we take a look at the second half of Act 1 Scene 2. Here the seeds of dramatic irony are planted and we see fairy

Episode 6: Natural Mystic (MSND 2.1.1 - 194)

Jul 21st, 2020 38m 55s

A Midsummer Night's Dream Act 2, Scene 1, Lines 1 - 194.Fairy Magic time! We launch into Act 2, Scene 2 and meet the Fairy King, Oberon, and Fairy Queen, Titania, along with Robin Goodfellow, Oberon's jester/ personal assistant/ henchmen/ perso

Episode 5: Grab Your Bottom and Go! (MSND 1.2)

Jul 18th, 2020 27m 7s

A Midsummer Night's Dream Act 1, Scene 2.We continue A Midsummer Night's Dream, moving on to Act 1, Scene 2. Here we meet our working class actors who hope to create a production so amazing that the Duke will select them to perform it on his we

Episode 4: The Pert and Nimble Spirit of Youth (MSND 1.1)

Jul 14th, 2020 52m 20s

A Midsummer Night's Dream Act 1, Scene 1.The play's the thing, yo! Let's jump right in to A Midsummer Night's Dream by going through Act 1 Scene 1. It's a long episode, but that's what you need if you're going to figure out who's who and what's

Episode 3: It's All Greek To Me

Jul 10th, 2020 30m 52s

In this episode we'll get into background for "A Midsummer Night's Dream", focusing on Greek mythology as a source for the setting and the characters of Theseus and Hippolyta. We'll explore Theseus in particular, a popular and central character

Episode 2: Stuff That Ain't Shakespeare

Jul 4th, 2020 31m 24s

In this episode we will look at Sonnet 43 by Elizabeth Barrett Browning and being to timelessness as it’s to time by e.e. cummings. These poets were very different, one a Romantic and one a Modernist, but both were influenced heavily by Shakesp

Episode 1: The Dark Lady Sonnets

Jul 4th, 2020 24m 52s

In this episode we will look at Sonnets 130 and 135, two of Shakespeare's later (and very bawdy) "Dark Lady" sonnets. We'll look at who the Dark Lady was... or might have been... and explore just how filthy The Bard's poetry can get.

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