Hamlet to Hamilton: Exploring Verse Drama
Hamlet to Hamilton: Exploring Verse Drama is an educational podcast that examines verse drama, from Shakespeare's classics to contemporary works. It aims to provide free resources for writers, performers, and teachers interested in creating and performing verse drama. The show discusses how to write in verse while making it accessible and relevant for modern audiences.
Episodes
INTERVIEW: Robert Eric Shoemaker
EXTRA, EXTRA! EXTRA SPECIAL INTERVIEW!This time Colin and Emily sit down and talk form, drama, poetry — what it is, what it does, and *why* —with Chicago multi-hyphenate writer, translator, performer and (in our professional opinion) hidden gem, Robert Eric Shoemaker!NOTE: Recorded Nov. 2024.GUEST BIO:Robert Eric Shoemaker (he/him) is a poet, translator, and interdisciplinary artist. His book, Mag
INTERVIEW: Duncan Pflaster
Join us for a very special conversation with NYC verse dramatist and friend, Duncan Pflaster as we trace his journey from blank verse to experimental poetry, in service of heart and humor. More interviews to come as we kick off our fifth year of exploring verse drama.
NOTE: This was recorded in late 2022.
CONTENT: Frank discussion of sexuality throughout. Brief mention of sexual assault and the #M
S4 E10: From King Edward to Queen Elizabeth I
It's our season finale, y'all!...Kinda. Today, we cover plays between Kind Edward to Queen Elizabeth I, as we wrap up the season on this feed, before finishing our season properly on the Beyond Shakespeare Company podcast.
Big thanks to Rob Crighton of Beyond Shakes for guiding us through this season. We're excited to share the remainder of the season (including the introduction of bl
S4 E9: What if Muppets?...and a Flurry of Fragments
Welcome to our penultimate episode of Season Four, as we continue our journey through Anglophone verse drama. Today, our H2H hosts Emily and Colin, joined by Rob Crighton of the Beyond Shakespeare Company, get a little silly and imagine muppets performing the flurry of fragments from the 1550's.
Make sure you're subscribed to the Beyond Shakespeare Company Podcast feed to continue the seco
S4 E8: The Most Theatrical Play Ever Written
It's time for what Rob Crighton is calling the "most theatrical play ever written!" Get ready for a second look at John Heywood's play...and let us know what you think.
Hamlet to Hamilton
Beyond Shakespeare Company
S4 E7: Emerging Print Culture with John Rastell and John Heywood
We're continuing through the beginnings of print culture with John Rastell and John Heywood. Season Four we're examining the origins of Anglophone drama, in crossover with the Beyond Shakespeare Company Podcast!
Hamlet to Hamilton
Beyond Shakespeare Company
S4 E6: Short and Shouty Skeltonics
Today we're excited to bring you the Tudor master of rhyme, John Skelton and his short and shouty Skeltonics! Thanks to Rob of the Beyond Shakespeare Company for guiding us this season through the history of English verse drama!
Beyond Shakespeare Company
Hamlet to Hamilton
Patreon
S4 E5: The Beginning of the Tudor Play Period and the Introduction of Rhyme Royal
We're back with the Beyond Shakespeare Podcast to (finally!) look at early Tudor drama. Specifically, we're looking at Rhyme Royal, which you can learn more about here!
Hamlet to Hamilton
Beyond Shakespeare Company
S4 E4: The End of the Medieval Play Era
What was the importance of manuscripts, and the impact of the printing press on late Medieval drama? This episode introduces our first named playwright, John Lydgate, and his 1465 play, "Mankind."
Rob Crighton of the Beyond Shakespeare Company continues this tour through the History of English Verse Drama, along with your hosts Emily C. A. Snyder and Colin Kovarik.
Hamlet to Hamilton
SPECIAL: "The Harrowing of Hell" presented by the Beyond Shakespeare Company
And now for something completely different:
H2H is partnering with the Beyond Shakespeare Company, and this time we're pleased to present the BSC's full audio cast production of "The Harrowing of Hell" - one of the very first Anglophone verse dramas, from around 1250 CE.
We'll be back soon with the beginning of the Tudor period as we continue to explore the history of English
S4 E3: Interludes and Debate Plays
As we draw near the end of the Middle Ages, we take a look at interlude and debate plays. Rob Crighton of the Beyond Shakespeare Company continues this tour through the History of English Verse Drama, along with your hosts Emily C. A. Snyder and Colin Kovarik.
Hamlet to Hamilton: Website
Beyond Shakespeare Company: Website
S4 E2: Morality Plays
It's time to look at morality plays. What are they? How wacky can they get? Rob Crighton of the Beyond Shakespeare Company continues this tour through the History of English Verse Drama, along with your hosts Emily C. A. Snyder and Colin Kovarik.
Hamlet to Hamilton: Website
Beyond Shakespeare Company: Website
S4 E1: The Earliest English Verse Drama
Welcome to the long-awaited Season 4 of "Hamlet to Hamilton!" This season, we're joined by Robert Crighton of the Beyond Shakespeare Company. Rob will be our guide through the earliest English verse drama, as hosts Emily C. A. Snyder and Colin Kovarik try out scenes from morality plays and mystery cycles and see just how we got from some highly stylized rhyming drama to the blank ver
INTERVIEW: Monica Cross Discusses Tips for Writing with Neurodivergency
Playwright Monica Cross is back, chatting about some of the tricks and tips she uses as a neurodivergent person when sitting down to write (and rewrite) her verse drama.
CONTENT WARNING: Monica and Emily do (gently) discuss the script formatting and Monica's direction of Sarah Kane's play, 4:48 Psychosis, a brilliant contemporary verse play which does deal with mental trauma and suicidalit
INTERVIEW: Kyle J. McCloskey
For Shakespeare's Birthday, we're kicking off a mini-season of interviews before we dive into Season Four. Let us introduce you to Kyle J. McCloskey (He/They), a two-time recipient of the Paula Vogel Prize from the Kennedy Center, here to chat with us about Paula Vogel's concepts of plasticity, as well as how soliloquies can be powerful political tools.
Official Website: https://www.ky
UNHINGED RANT: "Cupid and Psyche" All Grown Up and Alive - MBU Feb 2023 Virginia Premiere Production
Sometimes art really does come Velveteen Rabbit-alive. In February 2023, Mary Baldwin University gave the Virginia Premiere of Emily C. A. Snyder's Cupid and Psyche. Here's Emily's reflection on what it was like to let her artistic baby go, and what it's like to see art grow up and become alive.
Please Note: What follows is said with all love and respect to anyone who has ever b
S3 E16: Using Poetic Imagery and Techniques in Verse Drama
We're at our Season 3 finale! Looking at how to use poetic imagery and poetic techniques to enhance your verse drama...or to ruin it. (Bless you T. S. Eliot, for showing us what not to do.) We're looking at how Shakespeare succeeds (Antony and Cleopatra) and fails (Romeo and Juliet) at using poetic imagery, as well as how T. S. Eliot uses poetic techniques well in his poetry (Fou
UNHINGED RANT: T. S. Eliot's "The Cocktail Party" and "Four Quartets"
It's a new year and a new Unhinged Rant! We're returning to T. S. Eliot, looking at his poetry in The Cocktail Party vs. Four Quartets. The cool thing is Eliot always sounds like Eliot. The cooler thing is that Ralph Fiennes performed Four Quartets (a poetry cycle) on the English stage in 2021. The weird thing is that Fiennes' works...and The Cocktail Party doesn't. W
S3 E15: Discovering Character through Line Breaks - Part 3
We close out our exploration of creating character through line breaks by looking at Sir Gawain from The Table Round and The Siege Perilous by our own Emily C. A. Snyder. We're breaking down how a character can go from complete end-stopped thoughts, to open-ended insecurity, as well as how caesura and broken lines can define a character's arc. Strap in as we look at one character...and
S3 E14: Discovering Character through Line Breaks - Part 2
Let's look at some hyper contemporary verse to see how line endings are used in some Broadway and Off-Broadway plays. We're delving into Lucas Hnath's A Doll House, Pt. 2 and Jeremy O. Harris' Slave Play to see how enjambment and end stopped lines work when we're not in iambic pentameter.
(Note: Fear not! Although Slave Play contains difficult material, there is no content warning for
S3 E13 - INTERVIEW: Monica Cross Discusses Line Endings!
We're sitting down with the woman herself: Monica Cross sits down with us to chat about character building through line endings. We're looking at an early modern play and one of Monica's works in progress that makes Hero the heroine of Much Ado About Nothing.
Monica Cross Online: https://monicaatcross.wixsite.com/theroaringgirl
Monica Cross Twitter: https://twitter.com/theroaringgirl
S3 E12: Discovering Character through Line Breaks - Part 1
How do you discover your character through the use of line breaks when writing verse? We're starting a mini-series on that very question, thanks to some great insight from playwright, Monica Cross. In this episode, we define five different dramatic reasons why a line ends (end stopped, enjambment, silence, stage direction and interruption), and we start looking at primarily end stopped
S3 E11: Finding Your Character's Voice
We've talked about the basics of writing soliloquy...but how do you find your character's voice? In this episode, we look at T. S. Eliot's idea of the "Three Voices of Poetry," as well as examining Abigail Thorn (of PhilosophyTube)'s brilliant use of breaking iambic pentameter in her new verse play, "The Prince." BONUS! Emily guides you through exploring prosody. How do you
S3 E10: How to Write the Classic Soliloquy
Move over, Hamlet! Now that we've looked at what a soliloquy is, it's time to dive into how to write the classic soliloquy. Emily guides you through the different parts of a classic soliloquy so that you can begin to write or revise your own work.
We also share some listener feedback! Have a comment you'd like to be shared on-air? You can tweet at us @hamlet2hamilton
SHAKES NOTES: Classifying Types of Form
Eidetic.
Adetosic.
Stichic.
Protean.
Morphic.
What the *hell* do all these words mean?
What are they and how do they work?
How might they interact with the concepts we dug into last week: schwumpf and uvriel?
Colin asks Emily all of this and more in another installment of SHAKES NOTES. Join us in finding out the answers AND, for free, get a dose of fascinating conversation on much more than *merel
SHAKES NOTES: Defining "Schwumpf"
We've had the lectures...and now it's time to have the class interaction! Colin hosts our new segment, SHAKES NOTES, where he doubles down in conversation with Emily about different ideas the podcast is putting forth. First up is a discussion of just what "schwumpf" means.
Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/hamlettohamilton
Website: http://www.hamlettothamilton.com
S3 E9: Seven Lessons from Musical Theatre Soliloquies
Season Three we're talking about soliloquy! We've covered how Shakespeare has used soliloquy, but we can learn so much more from how musical theatre employs soliloquy. From Howard Ashman's iconic "I want" song, such as in The Little Mermaid, to the much-anticipated "double soliloquy" such as the final number of The Last Five Years, we've got some fun ideas for you writers out there.
Patreon:
S3 E8: The Meta-Theatrical Soliloquy: Midsummer Night's Dream, Love's Labour's Lost, and "The Mousetrap" from Hamlet
In Season Three, we're looking at soliloquy! For the conclusion of our look at Shakespeare's use of soliloquies, we turn to the meta-theatrical soliloquy, from Bottom playing Pyramus to Hamlet declaring that the play is the thing.
Sure, we know that Characters can perform Soliloquies...but what happens when those Characters "play Characters?"
We're talking about kangaroo pocket dimensions.
S3 E7: Re-Defining Verse Drama, Pt. 2 - Verse, Paragraph...and Bullet Formatting?
We're hitting pause on our look through Shakespearean soliloquies to take a moment to share our latest discovery! With the inspiration of Kyara Hunter, a Masters student at the Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-upon-Avon, we're bringing to you the idea of another type of formatting:
Bullet Formatting
What's this? How is it different from verse or paragraph? And how do Abbot and Costello use
S3 E6: "Madness" in Soliloquy: Re-examining King Lear, Lady Macbeth and Ophelia
In our continuing Season Three deep dive into soliloquy, we have come at last to "madness" in soliloquy. We'll be taking a look at King Lear from Lear, Lady M from Macbeth, and Ophelia from Hamlet.
CONTENT WARNING: This episode does discuss disassociation, and historically misguided views of "madness" and "hysteria." There is also mention of suicide as it pertains to the plots o
INTERVIEW: Tim Carroll
You've heard about Peter Oswald's plays...now hear from the man who directed those new verse plays at the Globe! That's right, Colin and Emily sit down to chat with none other than the Artistic Director of the Shaw Theatre, Tim Carroll. (And a note from Colin: definitely listen to the end of the episode to hear one of the most heartening pieces of advice for every theatre artist and pe
S3 E5: The Villain Soliloquies: Richard III, Iago, Edmund, Don John and...Petruchio?
Season Three we're studying soliloquy! This week we look at the villain soliloquies. Or the, "this is what I've done, am doing, will do" soliloquies. Or the, "I've already got a plan and am letting you in on it" soliloquies.
How can you differentiate your villains (or go-getters)? How can you keep a character's personality in tact when they're giving exposition? We lo
S3 E4: Deep Dive: Exploring Macbeth's Soliloquies
Season Three, we're talking about Soliloquy. Last time, we saw Hamlet's "Classic Soliloquy" - where a character pours their heart out on stage. This time, we're rolling through Macbeth's soliloquies...which aren't quite what they seem. Learn four new ways to write soliloquy by listening to Macbeth. Including:
1) Cut Soliloquies - Where the speaker "cuts away" from the action of
S3 E3: Deep Dive: Exploring Hamlet's Seven Soliloquies
Season Three is taking a deep dive into soliloquy. And where better to begin by strolling through Hamlet's Seven Soliloquies. How does "To be" measure up? Should Shakespeare have used a different type of verse? Should soliloquies be performed to yourself or to the audience? How great is the TV show Sling and Arrows? All this and more as we look at that role and peasant slav
S3 E2: Re-Defining Verse Drama, Pt. 1 - Four Types of Verse
We know that poetry isn't the same as verse...but have you realized that prose isn't the same as paragraph form? Even more exciting: we've identified four different types of verse, all of which perform differently on the stage! It's a doozy of an episode, but enjoy this deep dive into what verse drama can do.
Show Notes and Texts: https://www.hamlettohamilton.com/
Verse Types: https://
S3 E1: So You Think You Know Soliloquies?
The patrons have voted, and in Season Three we will be exploring how to write and perform soliloquies! In today's episode, we begin by defining what a soliloquy is, how it's different from a speech, a monologue, and address...and whether Hamlet ought To Be Or Not To Be alone on stage.
Show Notes and Texts: https://www.hamlettohamilton.com/
Support: http://www.patreon.com/hamlettohamilton
TEASER: Unhinged Rant - The Very Bad Quarto
Full episodes of Unhinged Rants are available monthly to our Patrons over at http://www.patreon.com/hamlettohamilton
This month's Unhinged Rant: in honor of kicking off Season Three on soliloquy, Emily takes her own "Bad Quarto" to task - laughing at her baby playwright missteps, and explaining how her actors helped make everything All Better. (Well, more better. Betterer.)
Basically:
INTERVIEW: Peter Oswald
You may know our guest Peter Oswald from his translation of Schiller's Mary Stuart, but we're here to chat with him, in this latest installment of our "Bar(d) Talk" series, about his time as the first new verse dramatist at Shakespeare's Globe, writing for no less than Mark Rylance. But Oswald's verse career didn't stop there: he's been finishing Schiller's unfinished verse plays, as well as
UNHINGED RANT: Laughing at Lord Byron
Season Three is kicking off with an Unhinged Rant, laughing for about 30 seconds straight, about Lord Byron and his absolute horro that someone might criticize his plays. (Which they did.) Strap in for a wildly biased, barely scholarly, totally unhinged rant from Emily C. A. Snyder. Hide the kids, and get out your popcorn.
The first two Unhinged Rants will be available for
UNHINGED RANT: The Plays of T. S. Eliot
Season Three is kicking off with an Unhinged Rant about the plays of T. S. Eliot. Strap in for a wildly biased, barely scholarly, totally unhinged rant from Emily C. A. Snyder. Hide the kids, and get out your popcorn.
The first two Unhinged Rants will be available for all listeners from your favorite podcatchers. To access all the Unhinged Rants, become a patron on Patreon: http:
BARD TALK: November 2020
Our patrons on Patreon have opened up another bonus episode for you! This one from November 2020, when Colin and Emily sat down to chat more about the creation of this podcast, the Odyssey, and verse drama in general.
If you're enjoying this and would like to hear more, you can become a patron on Patreon over at http://www.patreon.com/hamlettohamilton
(CW: frank discussion of coercion, sexua
S2 E6: More Hovey, More Honey: "The Birth of Galahad" (1898)
Do you love Richard Hovey as much as our hosts do? Because it's time to see how he did as he wrote his sequel to "The Marriage of Guenevere" with his "Birth of Galahad."
This episode was previously only available to our patrons on Patreon. Thanks to them, we're able to bring this episode to you!
If you're enjoying this and would like to hear more, you can become a patron on Patr
INTERVIEW: Glyn Maxwell
We sit down with Glyn Maxwell, esteemed poet, librettist, and verse playwright, to chat all things versical - particularly the intersection of the world of poetry and the stage.
If you haven't, check out his On Poetry - an essential guide for anyone interested in learning more about writing in verse.
To hear a bit of Cyrano de Bergarac by Maxwell, listen here.
To read Claire Helie's article
ROUND TABLE: Daniel James Roth, Benedetto Robinson, and Grace Bardsley
Our patrons on Patreon got to hear this full interview early. Now you can hear it too! Emily sits down with Daniel James Roth and two of his actor friends, Benedetto Robinson and Grace Beardsley, to read out selections his "Tragedy of King Arthur" (2019) and chat about it.
Hamlet to Hamilton is on a brief hiatus, but we're able to release a few bonus episodes for you in the meantime,
ROUND TABLE of the Round Table: Lucy Nordberg, Daniel James Roth and Emily C. A. Snyder
What was the process of writing for some of our living Arthurian playwrights? How did they approach Lancelot and Guinevere? Which books did they read? What did they think of incorporating magic? Listen to this Round Table of the Round Table, an interview with Lucy Nordberg (King Arthur 2009), Daniel James Roth (The Tragedy of Arthur 2019) and Emily C. A. Snyder (The Table R
S2 E13: Stage Violence and Verse: The Table Round & The Siege Perilous by Emily C. A. Snyder (2019)
It's time for a spicy Lancelot and Guinevere with The Table Round and The Seige Perilous by our very own Emily C. A. Snyder, looking at the 2019 original workshop production script.
Content Warning: Today's play takes seriously questions of sex and consent. The discussion will also briefly mention sexual coercion and the after effects of incest in the context of the Arthurian myth.
Season Tw
S2 E12: The First Folio in the 21st Century: Daniel James Roth's "The Tragedy of King Arthur" (2019)
We've got an extra special episode with guest actors and the playwright himself as we take a look at The Tragedy of King Arthur (2019) by Daniel James Roth.
Season Two we're looking at Arthur Through the Ages, looking at how English verse playwrights took on the King Arthur myth, from 1587-2019.
Show Notes and Texts: https://www.hamlettohamilton.com/s2e12.html
Support: http://www.patreon.com
S2 E11: A Philosphical "King Arthur" by Lucy Nordberg (2009)
We're looking at Lucy Nordberg's "King Arthur" from 2009, today - a philosophical and political take on the myth!
Season Two we're looking at Arthur Through the Ages, looking at how English verse playwrights took on the King Arthur myth, from 1587-2019.
Show Notes and Texts: https://www.hamlettohamilton.com/s2e11.html
Learn More: https://movingpicturestheatre.com/king-arthur/
S2 E10: New Arthur, New Millennia (2001)
We're finally in the 2000's with verse drama King Arthur plays! First, we'll take a quick look at how everyone kept "reviving verse drama" in the 1900's (or did they) before reading Lancelot and Guinevere in Matthew Freeman's The Death of Arthur (2001).
Season Two we're looking at Arthur Through the Ages, looking at how English verse playwrights took on the King Arthur myth, from 1587-
S2 E9: King Arthur and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Play (1906)
Sometimes we learn best by learning from other people's mistakes. Such is the case of Stark Young's 1906 verse play, Guenevere: A Play in Five Acts. (Don't worry, Young went on to have a very good career in books and film. Just...not so much verse drama.)
Need to refresh yourself on why line endings matter? Check out: Whose Line Ending Is It Anyway from Season One.
As an ex
S2 E8: Gilbert and Sullivan Do King Arthur...Kinda (1895)
Did you know Gilbert and Sullivan wrote a King Arthur play? Well, okay, that Sir Arthur Sullivan provided music for a King Arthur play in new verse, which was such a hit that it toured the UK and the US? And did you know that it was only one of three plays either performed or published in 1895? We did! Today, we take a look at King Arthur: A Drama in a Prologue and Four Acts, wit
S2 E7: Melodrama! (1895)
Get ready to swoon in every single scene, because we're focusing on our first Canadian playwright, William Wilfred Campbell's melodramatic Mordred: A Tragedy in Five Acts. We're jumping out of windows, we're stealing armor, we're mistaking our identities, and choosing our romantic partners by way of dibs. Start twirling your moustache and enjoy the melodrama!
As an extra special bonus,
S2 E5: Empowering Guinevere (1885-1891)
It's time to look at Emily's favorite new author! Richard Hovey's The Tragedy of Guenevere - as well as the Gilbert and Sullivan-esque The New King Arthur: An Opera Without Music by Edgar Fawcett.
Season Two we're looking at Arthur Through the Ages, looking at how English verse playwrights took on the King Arthur myth, from 1587-2019.
Episode Guide: https://www.hamlettohamilton.com/episodegu
S2 E4: Defenestrating Lancelot! (1843-1868)
It's time to dive in to Lancelot and Guinevere scenes with Reithmuller's The Misfortunes of Arthur and Akhurst's Burlesque Extravaganza! We've got the noble knight jumping out of casements and dishing out puns as we continue looking at Arthur Through the Ages.
Season Two we're looking at Arthur Through the Ages, looking at how English verse playwrights took on the King Arthur myth, from 1587
INTERVIEW: Dr. Kasia Lech
It's time to talk international verse drama with none other than Dr. Kasia Lech! Her new book, Dramaturgy of Form: Performing Verse in Contemporary Theatre looks at new fusions of verse drama, hiphop, slam poetry, multilingual artists and more.
H2H LISTENERS: Use the code FLY21 for a discount code when you buy the book today!
Learn more at: hamlettohamilton.com
Follow Dr. Kasia Lech on Twitter
S2 E3: Burlesque & Verse Drama: Henry Fielding's "Tom Thumb the Great" (1630-1810)
We're looking at the overlap of burlesque and verse drama, with not one - not two - but FOUR iterations of Henry Fielding's Tom Thumb the Great. From the original publishing of the fairy tale, through to Fielding's two rewrites of his play, to the burlesques (verse musical comedies) that were derived from the same. Phew!
Season Two we're looking at Arthur Through the Ages, looking at h
S2 E2: Verse Drama Meets Opera: John Dryden's "The British Worthy" (1691)
Today we're looking at a truly interesting and pivotal moment in the development of verse drama as we know it, as we delve into the origins of the verse "opera," with John Dryden's King Arthur, Or The British Worthy.
Show Notes: http://www.hamlettohamilton.com
Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/hamlettohamilton
INTERVIEW: Caeden Musser
Before we jump back into Arthur's world, we want to give you this interview with playwright Caeden Musser! Caeden is an actor-combatant, playwright, opera singer, and so much more. Their new Cassandra-inspired play was featured in several of the "Tool Boudoir" episodes from Season One, and Caeden's here today talking about how music and movement influences their writing in verse.
Plea
S2 E1: The Earliest King Arthur: Thomas Hughes' "Misfortunes" (1587)
Welcome to Season Two: "Arthur Through the Ages," where we'll be looking through King Arthur-inspired English language verse plays from 1587-2019. Welcome season cohosts, Nick Ritacco and Colin Kovarik, as we jump into our first play, The Misfortunes of Arthur by Sir Thomas Hughes, written in 1587.
ACCESS SHOW NOTES to texts, links, and full transcripts: https://www.hamlettohamilton.com/show
S1 E10: Silences, Spacing, Stage Directions & Shared Lines
We're finishing our survey of the Tool Boudoir with a look at silences, spacing, stage directions and shared lines, as we come to the end of Season One of Hamlet to Hamilton!
Featuring verse from: Hamlet and King John by William Shakespeare, Our Town by Thornton Wilder, The Lifted Instants Before the Fall by Becca Musser, The Other, Other Woman, Cupid and Psyche, and The Siege Perilous by Emily C.
S1 E9: The Rules of Emotive Formatting
HOW do you use spelling, typography, punctuation, and spacing to imply cadence? Don't worry. It's sooooooooooooo easy.
This week we look at the rules of emotive formatting: rules that are available not only to verse playwrights, but to anyone who's writing anything!
Featuring verse from: "may i feel said he" by e. e. cumming
ACCESS SHOW NOTES to texts, links, and full transcripts: https://www.ham
S1 E8: First Folio and Emotive Formatting
It's time to talk Emotive Formatting (part of the Tool Boudoir), starting with Shakespeare's First Folio! And who better to help us out, than our own Esther Williamson, speaking about how punctuation can completely alter the clarity of a moment of a play.
Featuring verse from: Henry IV and The Tempest (William Shakespeare)
Featuring the voices of:
Esther Williamson
Learn more
S1 E7: What's My Line (Ending)?
What happens when you get a bunch of actors to try out some end-stopped and open-ended lines? This episode, obviously!
So often, we rely on the magic of actors to fix our verse drama, that it's time to let the actors give their honest opinion about what they need from a line of verse.
Looking at King Arthur verse from 1587 to the 2008 Cupid and Psyche "Bad Quarto", we're moving gently and w
S1 E6: Whose Line (Ending) Is It Anyway?
It's time to talk LINE BREAKS! From John Barton to Kristin Linklater, from Romeo and Juliet to The Winter's Tale, we're looking at how line endings work, how to act them...and that perennial question: To enjamb or not to enjamb?
Featuring verse from: Hamlet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Romeo and Juliet, The Winter's Tale (William Shakespeare), The Mother of God Visits Hell (Daniel Guyton),
S1 E5: So You Think You Know Scansion?
It's time to explore our Tool Boudoir: that is, all the tools used on a line of verse. First up? Scansion, meter, and foot...BUT(!) not as you think you know them. Introducing repeated, sprung, juxtaposed, and free meter - and how each of them work to help tell your story in verse.
Featuring verse from: Richard II (William Shakespeare), The Second Shepherd's Play (The Wakefield
S1 E4: Heresy!
HERESY! Our podcast is on trial for claiming that there are no such things as feminine line endings, iambic pentameter is boring and we'll prove it, and worst of all...Shakespeare doesn't matter.
Featuring verse from: Measure for Measure (William Shakespeare), The Mother of God Visits Hell (Daniel Guyton)
Content Warning: Frank discussion of gender politics, the use of the word "queer" as
BARD TALK: October 2020
What do you do after a show? Go to the pub! In this bonus episode, H2H creators Colin and Emily talk about how the show came to be, networking as an introvert, that one time Emily directed 425 kids in The Wizard of Oz, the virtue of cross country trips, and much more.
PLEASE NOTE: Bar(d) Talk episodes do include swears, but are rather light on drinks. Bring your own beverage.
ALSO: Yes, th
INTERVIEW: Deb Victoroff
We're sitting down with Deb Victoroff, the author of the very timely The Tragedy of the Election of the Citrus King. (PLEASE NOTE: This episode contains very light spoilers for Citrus King.)
Citrus King also referenced in Episode 1: Defining Verse Drama and Episode 3: Schwumpf, There It Is
Citrus King available to read and request performance rights on New Play Exchange
ACCESS SHOW NOTES to
S1 E3: Schwumpf, There It Is
What is "Schwumpf?" Well, it's about making connections. It's about bringing ideas, feelings, emotions, facts, heresies, and so much more together on a single line of verse.
So sit back, grab some tea, pet a cat, and join us as we learn a bit about the philosophy of what verse drama does really, really well.
Featuring verse from: Hamlet (William Shakespeare), The Tragedy
S1 E2: Content Dictates Form
Why is Hamilton the superior musical to 1776? What makes Heathers soar, while Mean Girls is just okay? Why are we talking so much about musicals, when we should be talking about verse?
Because the question we're answering today is: When should we be writing in verse? Well, we'll take our cue from Uncle Stephen Sondheim, who told us quite succinctly:
CONTENT DICTATES FORM.
Ligh
S1 E1: Defining Verse Drama
Soooo...what is "verse drama" anyway? Just a bunch of poetry? Skulls and doublets and hose, oh my? Or something else?
Season One kicks off with definitions of verse vs. prose drama, examining Hamlet, Hamilton...and our first mystery playwright!
ACCESS SHOW NOTES to texts, links, and full transcripts: https://www.hamlettohamilton.com/s1e1.html
PATREON: http://www.patreon.com/hamle
Hamlet to Hamilton: Trailer
Welcome to Hamlet to Hamilton: Exploring Verse Drama!
H2H is a weekly podcast, dropping every Wednesday, wherein we'll be exploring how to write and perform verse drama - from Shakespeare to your own voice in verse, and beyond!
H2H is a special project of Turn to Flesh Productions: Audio Division. TTF is a theatre company in New York City that develops new plays in heightened text with vibra
Recommended
Cult of Conspiracy
Dispatches from Reality
The Conspiracy Files
TechnoSnobCast
The Young and Called Podcast .
Snoop Dogg - Flash Biográfico
Deadline: White House
Thrilling Threads - Conspiracy Theories, Strange Phenomena, True Crime, Unsolved Mysteries, etc!
The Daily Conspiracy Podcast
2819 Church
Markus Schulz presents Global DJ Broadcast
Bad Friends
