Hello 2023! It is time for us to embark on our next play: A Midsummer Night's Dream! As always, we begin our series with a synopsis of the play in case it has been a while since you've read the play or if it is completely new to you. So, let's dive into a summary of a play about fairies, lovers, and a donkey!

Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp.

Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander.

Follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod for updates or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com

You can support the podcast at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone

Works referenced:

Shakespeare, William, and Harold F. Brooks. A Midsummer Night's Dream. Bloomsbury, 1979.

In this episode, we explore Shakespeare's use of political satire within the pastoral comedy genre, focusing on A Midsummer Night's Dream. The pastoral genre, which originated in ancient Greek literature, involves stories set in a rustic, rural world that idealizes the simplicity and harmony of nature. During the Renaissance through Elizabethan and Stuart England, writers continued to use the pastoral setting to explore social and political issues of their time, and Shakespeare was no exception.

We'll examine how Shakespeare drew on the political tensions and intrigues of the Elizabethan court to shape the plot and characters of A Midsummer Night's Dream, revealing the complex politics of the time. Through characters such as Titania and Oberon, we'll explore how Shakespeare used the dynamics of power and authority to comment on the political struggles of the Elizabethan court. We'll also examine how the character of Bottom can be read as a charicature of several Elizabethan political figures.

Through our analysis of A Midsummer Night's Dream, we'll gain new insights into the political and cultural context that shaped one of Shakespeare's most beloved plays. So join us for a fascinating discussion of Shakespeare's use of political satire in the pastoral comedy genre, and some piping hot tea about the Elizabethan court.

Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp.

Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander.

Follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod for updates or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com

You can support the podcast at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone

Works referenced:

Andrews, Richard. "A Midsummer Night's Dream and Italian Pastoral." Transnational Exchange in Early Modern Theater. Routledge, 2016. 65-78. (if I have time)

Hunt, Maurice. "A Speculative Political Allegory in A Midsummer Night's Dream." Comparative Drama 34.4 (2000): 423-453.

Montrose, Louis Adrian. "Of Gentlemen and Shepherds: The Politics of Elizabethan Pastoral Form." ELH, vol. 50, no. 3, 1983, pp. 415–59. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2872864. Accessed 4 Mar. 2023.

Rickert, Edith. "Political Propaganda and Satire in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream.' II." Modern Philology, vol. 21, no. 2, 1923, pp. 133–54. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/433740. Accessed 29 Dec. 2022.

Swann, Marjorie. "The Politics of Fairylore in Early Modern English Literature." Renaissance Quarterly, vol. 53, no. 2, 2000, pp. 449–73. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2901875. Accessed 4 Mar. 2023.

It's time to talk about donkeys! Just kidding...a little. In this episode, we are going to unpack the major themes and tropes in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. We'll also discuss the challenges presented by some problematic plot points and what theatremakers are left to reckon with when they produce A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Korey Leigh Smith and Elyse Sharp.

Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander.

Follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod for updates or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com

You can support the podcast at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone

Works referenced:

Shakespeare, William, and Harold F. Brooks. A Midsummer Night's Dream. Bloomsbury, 1979.

SparkNotes Editors. "A Midsummer Night's Dream: Literary Devices: Themes." Sparknotes, SparkNotes, 2005, https://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/msnd/themes/.

At the heart of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream is a fantastical world of fairies, magic, and mythical creatures, and in this episode, we explore the different influences that helped to shape this world.

First up, we look at the rich tradition of English fairy folklore, which was still very much a part of the popular imagination during Shakespeare's time. We take a journey back in time to the early medieval period, when the Anglo-Saxon and Celtic cultures first began to develop their own unique traditions around fairies and other supernatural beings. As we progress through history, we discover how these beliefs evolved and became woven into the fabric of English culture during Shakespeare's time.

We also delve into the influence of Greco-Roman mythology on the play, which is perhaps most evident in the characters of Theseus and Hippolyta. We will also explore how Greco-Roman mythology influences Shakespeare's depicition of the fairies. The fairy queen Titania, for example, takes her name from a figure in ancient Greek mythology, and her depiction in the play draws on this tradition as well as on the English fairy folklore that was prevalent during Shakespeare's time.

We will also discuss how appreciating the impact and influence of these cultural traditions today can impact productions and modern readings of this play.

Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp.

Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander.

Follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod for updates or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com

You can support the podcast at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone

Works referenced:

HUTTON, RONALD. "THE MAKING OF THE EARLY MODERN BRITISH FAIRY TRADITION." The Historical Journal, vol. 57, no. 4, 2014, pp. 1135–56. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24531978. Accessed 11 Feb. 2023.

Olson, Paul A. "A Midsummer Night's Dream and the Meaning of Court Marriage." ELH, vol. 24, no. 2, 1957, pp. 95–119. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2871824. Accessed 11 Feb. 2023.

In today's episode, we'll be diving into the fascinating topic of changeling children in Shakespeare.

Changeling children were believed to be babies that were swapped by fairies with their own offspring, leaving behind an imposter. This myth was prevalent in Shakespeare's time and appears in many of his plays.

We'll explore the historical and cultural context behind the changeling myth, including its origins in folklore and its significance in Shakespeare's time. We'll discuss how the myth reflects the anxieties and beliefs of Shakespeare's society.

Content warning: today's episode contains material related to ableism and child deaths that may not be appropriate for all listeners. Please listen with care.

Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp.

Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander.

Follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod for updates or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com

You can support the podcast at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone

Works referenced:

Eberly, Susan Schoon. "Fairies and the Folklore of Disability: Changelings, Hybrids and the Solitary Fairy." Folklore, vol. 99, no. 1, 1988, pp. 58–77. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/1259568. Accessed 19 Mar. 2023.

Lamb, Mary Ellen. "Taken by the Fairies: Fairy Practices and the Production of Popular Culture in A Midsummer Night's Dream." Shakespeare Quarterly, vol. 51, no. 3, 2000, pp. 277–312. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2902152. Accessed 19 Mar. 2023. Leask, J. "Evidence for Autism in Folklore?" Archives of Disease in Childhood, vol. 90, no. 3, 2005, pp. 271–271., https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.2003.044958.

National PKU Alliance. "About PKU." NPKUA, National PKU Alliance, 2023, https://www.npkua.org/What-is-PKU/About-PKU.

Progeria Research Foundation. "Quick Facts." The Progeria Research Foundation, Progeria Research Foundation, 24 Jan. 2023, https://www.progeriaresearch.org/quick-facts/.

Join us on a literary journey through the transformative tales of Ovid's Metamorphoses and their profound impact on the works of William Shakespeare.

Ovid's Metamorphoses, a collection of mythological stories of change and transformation, serves as a rich source of inspiration for many of Shakespeare's most iconic plays and characters. Before diving into the Shakespearean connections, Elyse and Kourtney provide an overview of key stories in Ovid's Metamorphoses, ensuring that both enthusiasts and newcomers can appreciate the context.

Join us as we discover the clear parallels between Ovidian stories like Pyramus and Thisbe and Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Explore how a specific translation of Ovid's stories impacted Shakespeare and other early modern writers.

Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp.

Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander.

Follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod for updates or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com

You can support the podcast at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone

Works referenced:

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Metamorphoses". Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Sep. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Metamorphoses-poem-by-Ovid. Accessed 16 September 2023.

Ovid. The. Xv. Bookes of P. Ouidius Naso, Entytuled Metamorphosis, Translated Oute of Latin into English Meeter, by Arthur Golding Gentleman, a Worke Very Pleasaunt and Delectable. 1567. . Translated by Arthur Golding. London: William Seres, 1567. Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership, http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A08649.0001.001. Accessed 24 Sept. 2023.

Ovid. Ovid's Metamorphoses in fifteen books. Translated by the most eminent hands. Adorn'd with sculptures:. London: Jacob Tonson, 1717. Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership, http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A08649.0001.001. Accessed 24 Sept. 2023.

"Ovid's Metamorphoses." British Library: Collection Items, British Library, www.bl.uk/collection-items/ovids-metamorphoses. Accessed 24 Sept. 2023.

Tosh, Will. "Shakespeare and Ovid's Metamorphoses." Shakespeare's Globe: Blogs & Features, Shakespeare's Globe, 22 Sept. 2021, www.shakespearesglobe.com/discover/blogs-and-features/2021/09/22/shakespeare-and-ovids-metamorphoses/#0.

Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of topics that may not be suitable for all audiences. Please listen with care.

In this episode, we explore the depictions of sex and sexuality in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. While this play (and many of Shakespeare's comedies) end with a hetero-normative marriage or three, we'll explore the depictions of queer sex in Early Modern literature and Shakespeare before diving into Early Modern England's fascination with bestiality and zoophilia.

Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp.

Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander.

Follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod for updates or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com

You can support the podcast at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone

Works referenced:

BOEHRER, BRUCE THOMAS. "Bestial Buggery in A Midsummer Night's Dream." The Production of English Renaissance Culture, edited by David Lee Miller et al., Cornell University Press, 1994, pp. 123–50. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7591/j.ctvr6970z.8. Accessed 29 Dec. 2022.

Olson, Paul A. "A Midsummer Night's Dream and the Meaning of Court Marriage." ELH, vol. 24, no. 2, 1957, pp. 95–119. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2871824. Accessed 29 Dec. 2022.

SANCHEZ, MELISSA E. "'Use Me But as Your Spaniel': Feminism, Queer Theory, and Early Modern Sexualities." PMLA, vol. 127, no. 3, 2012, pp. 493–511. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41616842. Accessed 29 Dec. 2022.

Vanhoutte, Jacqueline. Age in Love: Shakespeare and the Elizabethan Court. University of Nebraska Press, 2019.

Wyrick, Deborah Baker. "The Ass Motif in The Comedy of Errors and A Midsummer Night's Dream." Shakespeare Quarterly, vol. 33, no. 4, 1982, pp. 432–48. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2870124. Accessed 29 Dec. 2022.

In today's episode, we take a closer look at how climate change affected early modern England--especially during the Little Ice Age, a period of global cooling that occurred from the 16th to the 19th century. We explore how this environmental phenomenon influenced the works of Shakespeare and his contemporaries, and what it can teach us about our current global climate crisis.

To help us gain a deeper understanding of the issue, we are joined by Sydney Schwindt. Sydney Schwindt wears many hats in the theatre world; she is an actor, director, fight director, and educator. She is a resident artist and climate justice advocate on the engagement team with the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival. She is the program developer with the Society of American Fight Directors and is on the advisory board for the Same Boat Theatre Collective. She has taught movement and stage combat at the American Conservatory Theatre's Graduate program and Indiana University.

Sydney shares her expertise on the intersection of climate change and the arts, and how theatre can be used as a tool to raise awareness and promote action on climate issues. We discuss the role that theatre can play in shaping our attitudes towards the environment and how they can inspire us to take action.

Finally, we provide listeners with resources to get involved in the fight against climate change, from simple actions that can be taken in our daily lives to organizations that are making a difference.

Resources to learn more:

• The EarthShakes Alliance
• Follow on Instagram: @earthlyeducation | @blackgirlenvironmentalist | @seedingsovereignty
• Cymbeline in the Anthropocene
• BBC's Planet Earth and Planet Earth II

Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp.

Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander.

Follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod for updates or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com

You can support the podcast at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone

Works referenced for this episode:

Landis, Tina. Climate Solutions Beyond Capitalism. Liberation Media, 2020.

Robinson, Mary, and Palmer Caitríona. Climate Justice: Hope, Resilience, and the Fight for a Sustainable Future. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2019.