ShakesPod

This week we interview Tom Gough, the director of SVS' free Shakespeare in the Park play, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, done in a totally awesome 1980's time warp! Find out more about Tom, Two Gents, the 80s and find out the answer to the most important question of all---Joan Jett or Pat Benetar?

Guest performers:James LucasVideo Performers:Christian Pizziarani--NarratorAmanda Le Nguyen--AmandaDan C.--Dan

Guest performers:James LucasTonya MaraPaul Pinza

Guest cast:Hero--Angie HigginsClaudio--Bryan FreemanLeonato/Benedick--James LucasDon Pedro--Tom ShamrellDon John,/Friar Francis/Beatrice/Queen Elizabeth--Doll Piccotto

Let's take a look at SVS' upcoming season--Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Much Ado About Nothing through the lens of Reddit's AITA!Special Guest actor: James Lucas

Was Dickens a real life Ebenezer Scrooge? Well, listen in and find out. It's always a little disappointing when we discover that our literary heroes weren't as heroic as we hoped. So how do we process that with the King of Christmas himself?Actors:Charles Dickens--James Lucas"An Arbor Day Carol" cast:Voice 1: Doll PiccottoVoice 2: James LucasScrooge: James LucasBob Cratchit: Doll PiccottoTree Boy: Doll Piccotto

Katelyn Miller--Mercutio from Romeo & JulietDoll Piccotto--Marc Antony from Julius CaesarSydney Harmon & Melissa Brown--Iachimo & Posthumus from CymbelinePat Tyler--Hamlet from HamletBryan Freeman--The Gaeler's Daughter from Two Noble KinsmanJames Lucas--Titania from A Midsummer Night's Dream

Tonight for your Halloween hauntings we present two stories--There Was A Man Dwelt Beside a Churchyard--a continuation of the story Mamilius begins to tell in A Winter's Tale, and the Ghost Story of Annie Walker.Narrator of the Ghost Story of Annie Walker: James Lucas

Stories of outdoor theater from SVS' actors, directors and crew.

Thank you to Erin Southard for a delightful interview regarding her direction of Silicon Valley Shakespeare's production of Emma. Additional acting by:Mr. James Lucas

A look at this summer's Richard III and a comparison between Shakespeare's Richard and History's Richard!Acting Credits:Richard III--James LucasLady Anne--Doll PiccottoSir Thomas More--James LucasPoem: "Richard" by Carol Anne DuffyPerformed by James Lucas

Roll for initiative and prepare for a storm of epic proportions!In this episode of Shakespod we chat with Drew Jones, Director of The Tempest at Frank Bramhill Park in San Jose, June 6-22, 2025 and find out what inspired his Dungeons & Dragons take of this epic play!!Thank you to Drew Jones for his time and energy!

A first scholarly look at our 2025 Summer Free Shakespeare in the Park production of The Tempest, directed by Drew Benjamin Jones.Actors:James Lucas--Oberon, Puck, ProsperoDoll Piccotto--Titania, Ariel

This episode dives into the weird and wacky world of Christopher Marlowe---or does it?Actors:James Lucas--Sir Toby Belch, Dogberry, Lear's FoolDoll PIccotto--Maria, Verges, King Lear

Acting Credits:Caesar and Portia: Doll PiccottoSoothsayer: James Lucas

Did Shakespeare Trick or Treat? Tune in and find out!! Players: Vincent Shakesprice--James Lucas First Fairy/Juliet--Sydney Nurse--Melissa Mei Jones Puck--Tonya Mara Sources: Astonishing legends.com 'Did Shakespeare Go Trick or Treating'--Cassidy Cash: "All Saints Day"--Britannica 'Samhain"--History.com "Imbolc"--History.com "Beltane"--History.com "Lughnassa"--History.com "Origin of Halloween"--Hauntpay.com

Ever wonder what school was like in Shakespeare's Day? Well, tune in this week to find out! This week we dive into Shakespeare's school days, what kind of education he had, and why some people think that means he couldn't have written his plays. Merry Wives of Windsor Scene performed by: Sydney Harmon, Oliver Piccotto, Doll Piccotto, and James Lucas as Sir Hugh. Sources for this podcast: Elizabethan Education by Linda Alchin "A Double Spirit of Teaching--What Shakespeare's Teachers Teach Us" by Patricia Winson Why Some People Think Shakespeare Didn't Write Shakespeare, Explained--by Constance Grady Greene's Groats-Worth of Witte--Folger Shakespeare Library Children in Elizabethan England--Julia Bossonis Welcome to Grammar School Famous Shakespeare Authorship Skeptics--Shakespeare Oxford Fellowship Yes, Shakespeare Really Was Shakespeare--Shiladitya Sen The Rediscovery of Shakespeare's Greek--Earl Showerman Yes, Shakespeare Really Did Write Shakespeare--Alex Knapp A Note on a Phrase In Shakespeare's Play King Lear-"A Plague Upon your Epileptic Visage"--Tim and Hannah Betts

This episode of Shakespod dives into the history of theatre in China and when and how Shakespeare made his arrival there. Special Guest: James Lucas performing Marc Antony from Julius Caesar. Sources: SHAKESPEARE IN CHINA Ho Hsiang-Lin The ComparatistVol. 13 (MAY 1989), pp. 11-21 (11 pages)Published By: University of North Carolina Press Shakespeare Reception in China by Yanna Sun Theory and Practice in Language Studies, Vol. 2, No. 9, pp. 1931-1938, September 2012 © 2012 ACADEMY PUBLISHER Manufactured in Finland. Why China's Love Affair With Shakespeare Endures Enid Tsui, Post Magazine https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/1996061/why-chinas-love-affair-shakespeare-endures Shakespeare in China L.E. https://legrandcontinent.eu/fr/2017/03/12/shakespeare-in-china/ Royalty-Free Renaissance music provided by:Pixabay

In this episode, we take an in-depth look at the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which provides the backdrop for our 2024 summer production of THE COMEDY OF ERRORS in Sanborn Park. The episode also features an interview with Melissa Mei Jones, director of THE COMEDY OF ERRORS, discussing her experience as a first-time director, her experience directing an AAPI-centric production, and much, much more. Sources: Royalty Free Music from https://www.fesliyanstudios.com National Archives--archives.gov Office of the Historian--history.state.gov Library of Congress--loc.gov Bill of Rights Institute--The Chinese Exclusion Act--Stephanie Hinnershitz NPR--As Chinese Exclusion Act Turns 135, Experts Point to Parallels Today--Kat Chow Calisphere--Chinese Exclusion Act Exhibition Leland Stanford on Chinese Exclusion--1889 Tour of San Francisco's Chinatown

Doll Piccotto, SVS' Resident Dramaturg and 3 guests, Alika Spencer, director of SVS' Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Myles Rowland, actor who is playing Henry Jekyll and James Lucas--because he's entertaining and loves movies--discuss 3 different film versions of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. CORRECTION: We often call the John Barrymore version the 1931 version--it is in fact the 1920 version. Films Discussed: Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde--John Barrymore (1920)--Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjQaAK5Vof4 Dr. Jekyll & Ms. Hyde--Tim Daly/Sean Young (1995)--Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFf9khNkOtc Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde--Michael McKell (2021)--Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAd6bp0naAA

Join Doll Piccotto, our resident dramaturg as she takes a walk on the light and dark side in this discussion of Jekyll & Hyde, Dualism and Allegory. Be sure to see our production of Jekyll & Hyde this summer at Sanborne Park in Saratoga, CA. Special Guest recordings by James Lucas. Ale and Anecdotes by Darren Curtis | https://www.darrencurtismusic.com/ Music promoted on https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

All's Well that Ends Well....or does it? Listen in as a director, a professor and a dramaturg discuss Shakespeare's 'problem plays' and the issues that hinder a 'happy ending' in All's Well that Ends Well. Dr. Adrienne Eastwood from San Jose State Universityand and Marley Rose-Teter, the Director of Silicon Valley Shakespeare's All's Well that Ends Well sit down with Doll Piccotto, our resident dramaturg to pick apart these fascinating plays and discuss why they don't sit well with our modern sensibilities.

In this episode, SVS Resident Dramaturg, Doll Piccotto, does a deep dive into Shakespeare's All's Well That Ends Well.

In the third edition of "Flipping the Script," SVS presents another round of artists performing monologues in roles they wouldn't be traditionally cast in. Featuring pieces from Romeo & Juliet, Julius Caesar, The Importance of Being Earnest, and more; this episode will having you seeing these characters in a new light. 

Silicon Valley Shakespeare's Production Manager, Tonya Mara, has a lively discussion with guests Doll Piccotto and Christian Pizzirani about all the good (and bad) examples of Shakespeare inspired films as SVS gears up for Shakespeare in Love, opening at Sanborn this summer.

In this episode, SVS Resident Dramaturg, Doll Piccotto, does a deep dive into Shakespeare's King Lear.

Silicon Valley Shakespeare Production Manager, Tonya Mara, sits down with Twelfth Night's co-directors, Ivette Deltoro and Erin Southard, to discuss their vision of SVS's upcoming Willow Street production of Twelfth Night. 

Kicking off our 2023 season, SVS Resident Dramaturg, Doll Piccotto, gives a fun and interesting in depth look at Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.

In the second edition of "flipping the script" SVS presents another round of artists performing monologues in roles they wouldn't be traditionally cast in. Featuring pieces from Hamlet, King Lear, Dr. Faustus, and more; this episode will having you seeing these characters in a new light. 

Bard Talk “The World of Jane Austen” What was it like to be a woman in Regency England? What does the right of primogeniture even mean?!? Dive into the world of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility with SVS Dramaturg Doll Piccotto to answer these questions and more. Reference material: 1. An Analysis of Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, Schatzie Speaks, Owlcation Online, June 19, 2018 2. Sense and Sensibility Analysis--Elinor and Marianne, Close Reading with Dr. Octavia Cox, YouTube, May 15, 2020.

Production Manager, Tonya Mara, sits down and discusses SVS's upcoming Sanborn production of Measure for Measure with show's director, Doll Piccotto.  This episode does contain mention of sexual assault so listener discretion is advised.

SVS' 2022 live season starts with a LGBTQ+ version of Romeo & Juliet. To help us kickstart our season, SVS Artistic Director, Angie Higgins, sits down with company Dramaturg, Doll Piccotto, to discuss the history of R&J and LGBTQ+ in Shakespeare. 

SVS Production Manager, Tonya Mara, sits down with Ivette Deltoro (Casting Assistant for City Lights Theater Company), Sara Dean (Executive Artistic Director for South Bay Musical Theatre), and Melinda Marks (Free lance director/artist in the Bay Area) to discuss helpful tips and tricks for actors when going back in to the audition room. 

SVS Artistic Director, Angie Higgins, sits down with company founder, Louis Stone-Collonge, and executive director, Rosalind Sanchez, to chat about the importance of inclusion-based theatre productions, artistic programming, and quality arts education.  

SVS is “flipping the script” and presenting gender-swapped performances of Shakespearean monologues. Featuring pieces from Twelfth Night, Macbeth, Othello and more, this episode will have you seeing these characters in a new light.

Just in time for Halloween, SVS Resident Dramaturg Doll Piccotto gives a spooky new Bard Talk all about ghosts in Shakespeare’s plays. From Richard III to Macbeth, Julius Caesar to Hamlet, ghosts play a significant roles in some of Shakespeare’s most iconic works. Learn about how ghosts were perceived during the Elizabethan Era, and how beliefs during that time molded the way Shakespeare included ghosts as characters in his plays.

Silicon Valley Shakespeare presents Richard III, our final summer Bard audio play. Directed by Doll Piccotto with sound design & editing by Ryan Lee Short, this riveting production follows one of Shakespeare’s (and history’s) most devious, manipulative villains in his pursuit of the crown. Hear the tale as you’ve never heard it before—as a 1940’s radio drama, complete with era-inspired commercials. CAST Richard III… LaMont Ridgell Buckingham… David Boyll Queen Margaret, others… Valerie Façhman Lady Anne, others… Sarah Benjamin Richmond, others… Kyle Dayrit Clarence, others… Muse Lee Queen Elizabeth, others… Sarah Lee Edward, others… Tom Shamrell Duchess of York, others… Cynthia Lagodzinski

Silicon Valley Shakespeare presents The Comedy of Errors, our second summer Bard audio play. Directed by Angie Higgins with sound design & editing by Phil Surtees, this hilarious farce of mistaken identity follows two sets of identical twins who were separated from each other years before but now find themselves in the same city. It will have you reeling with laughter! CAST Antipholus of Syracus & Ephesus… Tom Gough Dromio of Syracus & Ephesus… Evelyn Huynh Adriana… Regina Kohl Luciana, Second Merchant… Nicole Javier Egeon, Officer… Kyle Smith Emelia, First Merchant… Josie Burgin Lawson Courtesan, Balthazar… Ambera DeLash Duke Solinus, Angelo, Servant… James Eric Lucas

Silicon Valley Shakespeare presents Titus Andronicus, the first in our summer Bard audio plays series. Directed by Tonya Mara with sound design, music & editing by Charlie Hoyt, this chilling tale begins when Roman general Titus Andronicus returns from war with four prisoners. What follows is a series of murders, retaliation and revenge. CAST Titus… Evan Darwin Winet Tamora… Lucy Littlewood Saturnius… Arthur Scappaticci Marcus… Sarah Thermond Lucius/Martius… Melinda Marks Lavinia/Aemilius… Stephanie Whigham Bassianus/Publius… Andre Leben Chiron/Quintus… Arturo Dirzo Demetrius/Mutius… Alan Coyne

SVS Marketing Director Laura Domingo sits down with EnActe Arts Artistic Director Vinita Sud Belani and Director of Education Vijay M. Rajan. They discuss how the Silicon Valley theatre company and arts organization is on a mission to be a talent incubator and to tell South Asian stories with universal appeal.

Silicon Valley Shakespeare’s Resident Dramaturg Doll Piccotto talks about how the social and political structures of 16th century Venice—including the restrictions placed on Jewish residents—made the city one of the only places where the story of The Merchant of Venice could be set.

Local playwright, Ross Harkness, sits down with other Bay Area writers to discuss what it's been like as a playwright during quarantine in our latest episode of ShakesPod

SVS Artistic Director Angie Higgins sits down with our new Executive Director, Annalisa Tkacheff. Hear all about Annalisa's journey to Silicon Valley Shakespeare, her own personal history with the Bard, and her vision for the company's future.

SVS Resident Dramaturg Doll Picotto explores the complex history of race in Shakespeare performance, including the lens in which we view his works, and the life of Ira Aldridge, the first Black Shakespearean actor.

SVS sits down with the professors from the College of Adaptive Arts, a non-profit in San Jose that's paving a new path for adults with special needs, to chat about why art and accessibility is important for everyone. 

SVS dramaturge, Doll Piccotto, give us an in depth look at the Politics of Julius Caesar, just in time for the Ides of March!

Our "Love is Love" series continues as SVS Production Manager Tonya Duncan sits down with Bay Area artists and members of the LGBTQ+ community Larry Barrott, Kein Heath, and Marley Teter to discuss LGBTQ+ representation on the stage.

“I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest.” (Much Ado About Nothing, Act IV, Scene i) SVS Production Manager Tonya Duncan sits down with Erika Cisnernos, Outreach Coordinator for the LGBTQ Youth Space, to discuss their work within the LGBTQ+ community. A San José-based non-profit, the LGBTQ Youth Space provides mental health programs and community support for LGBTQ, questioning, and ally youth and young adults.