Lisa Ann Goldsmith And Owen Thompson Podcasts

As if our trip to the UK wasn't incredible enough, we met this AMAZING man in Stratford Upon Avon who is a docent for The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, who oversees the Shakespeare Birthplace, Holy Trinity Church, Shakespeare's Schoolhouse, The New Place... EVERYTHING that has ANYTHING to do with Shakespeare in Stratford Upon Avon!!!!!! Join us as …

We complete our UK Shakespeare binge with The Tempest at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford Upon Avon and Othello by the sizzling Frantic Assembly at the Lyric Hammersmith back in London What a whirlwind tour!!! To send us an email - please do, we truly want to hear from you!!! - write us at: thebardcastyoudick@gmail.com To support us (by g…

To be or not to be..... 90 minutes?!? What do you get when you cut all of the adults out of Hamlet?? Listen to the episode and find out as we Shakespeare our way through London!!! To send us an email - please do, we truly want to hear from you!!! - write us at: thebardcastyoudick@gmail.com To support us (by giving us money - we're starving artists,…

Continuing on our UK quest for all things Shakespeare, we returned to the indoor theatre at The Globe for Titus Andronicus. Now we understand why some mothers eat their young. Hide all your candles!! To send us an email - please do, we truly want to hear from you!!! - write us at: thebardcastyoudick@gmail.com To support us (by giving us money - we'…

Hello you dicks and dickesses!!! We continue to take you with us on our journey through Merrie Olde England with our review of Henry V at the Sam Wanamaker, the indoor theatre at the Globe in London. We wish we were back in London (sob!), but listen with us and maybe we can all meet there in our dreams!!! Cuppa, anyone?? Or a pint?? We're so in!!! …

As if our UK trip wasn't AMAZING enough... in this episode not only do we review the stunning production of As You Like It that we saw at SohoPlace, but we were thrilled to be able to do an interview with TOM MISON, who played a simply outstanding Touchstone in that production!! We bet that you know him from other things besides Shakespeare... chec…

WE ARE IN THE CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE!!!! For us anyway!!! Did you know that Shakespeare grew up with gallons and gallons of urine and manure in his back yard?? Or that his dad ran a brisk business out of the front window while little Will was sleeping upstairs (before he went bankrupt, that is)?? Or that he and his knocked up wife had to live with …

OHMYGODWERESOEXCITED!!!!! The next time you hear us, we will be recording from THE UK!!! IN THE SAME ROOM!!! Yes, listeners, The Bardcast is heading to London and Stratford-upon-Avon for ALL THINGS SHAKESPEARE (what, what?!??)!!! In this episode, we give you a preview of our itinerary - what Shakespeare plays we’re seeing, where we’re going, what w…

Happy 2023, dicks and dickesses!! We decided to start off the new year by playing a game that we were both given for Christmas, Great Shakespearean Deaths, a card game by Chris Riddell & Spymonkey. Let the games begin!!! Also, make sure you join us on January 20, when we will be doing a "The Bardcast Goes to London and Stratford" preview episode!!!…

Okay people, relax... Shakespeare wasn't crucified, of course!! He even survived many rounds of the Bubonic Plague!! But... it is close to Christmas, and this is our last episode of 2022, so we decided to see how many times Christ, Jesus, or Jesus Christ is mentioned in the canon. We include some other variations, but you'd be amazed at how relativ…

Remember our Yaaaaassss Queen episode??? We figured that fair is fair, so here's our counterpart episode!!! There are SOOOOOOO MANY KINGS in Shakespeare's plays!!! And we talk about ALL of them, but if we miss one... let us know!!!! Announcements!!! We are now a federal non-profit 501C3, so any money you donate towards the podcast is a 100% tax ded…

So... you know that game people play where you give someone three names of either famous people, or people you both know, or historical characters, etc., and you have to pick the one who you'd marry, the one who you'd fuck, and the one who you'd kill out of the three? Yeah, that game. Except we play it with Shakespeare characters!!! It's a blast. C…

So... one of our beloved listeners, David Overton PhD, contacted us and told us about this FABULOUS game that he sells all over, including this link for Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/734729316/bard-cards-the-authentic-shakespearean We decided to play a round against each other (yes, substances are involved!) to see how the game is - and it ROC…

Hi there poison ghouls!! (Get it??) It's spooky season!! All Hallow's Eve is around the corner!! And since we're heading into Halloween weekend, we thought we'd talk about all the characters in Shakespeare that dress up and/or impersonate someone or something else. There's a lot!! If we miss one, let us know!!! To send us an email - please do, we t…

Pustules and chancres and ague and belching, Carbuncles, dropsy, kyphosis, and felching.... Okay, that last one wasn't Shakespeare per se, but it fucking rhymes!!! On today's episode, we go through all the lovely medical terms in Elizabethan times and Shakespeare plays. Got your tissues and puke bags handy?? You're gonna need 'em. Enjoy!! To send u…

What do Antony and Cleopatra, Lord and Lady Macbeth, and Tamora and Aaron have in common with Brad and Angelina, and Chris and Rihanna??? They are all INCREDIBLY TOXIC RELATIONSHIPS!!! Therapists could have made a FORTUNE in Elizabethan times!!! Join us as we work our way through most of the couples in Shakespeare, discussing the dirt on each one o…

Darling Dearest Dicks and Dickesses!!! We promised you more sonnets and boy, oh boy, do we deliver!!! And to top it all off, this is our 60th episode - dropping on Owen's 60th natal anniversary!!!!!! Coincidence??? We think not. In this episode, we have our dear friends and incredible artists Elisabeth Rodgers, Alvin Keith, Natalia Cuevas, and McCr…

So, this week's episode is about... Well, seriously.. need we say more than the title??? We thinkst not. To send us an email - please do, we want to hear from you!!! - write us at: thebardcastyoudick@gmail.com To support us (by giving us money - per episode if you like!)... On Patreon, go here: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=35662364&fan_landing=tr…

En Garde!! Now... we know there are TONS of battles in Shakespeare plays... but what about the quintessential duel?? How many times does a duel happen in the canon? And for that matter, how many examples of single combat are there in the plays?? On today's episode we attempt to answer this questions!! To send us an email - please do, we want to hea…

We all know that women didn't have a ton of power in the home in the Elizabethan Age - except for Elizabeth, of course! Shakespeare did good things for female characters, even though it was men who played them! In this episode, we discuss not only the actual Queens in Shakespeare's plays, but those women who are head of a household. Dayum, bitch - …

Be A Clown, Be A Clown, All The World Loves A Clown. Act A Fool, Play The Calf, And You'll Always Have The Last Laugh!! And it's true!!! Gene Kelly and Judy Garland knew what they were talking about... we privately wonder if they were bardolaters behind closed doors!! The clowns and fools in Shakespeare not only make us laugh uproariously, but Shak…

Darling listeners!!! Today's episode is one we've been looking forward to - the SECOND game of Bards Dispense Profanity, Even Drunker Edition!!!! It's been a crazy month, as Owen is currently directing The House of Bernarda Alba and Lisa Ann is Dialect Coach for Kinky Boots - so we have been BUSY BUSY BUSY!!! (Links are below - go see some theatre!…

Listeners!!! We have had such a wonderful response to our first Sonnet Shakespeare episode that we rushed to put together another one!!! In this episode, we have our dear friends and incredible artists Colin Wulff, Simon Nigam, Michael Daly, and Harper York sharing their choice of sonnets - and the feeling, insight, and talent they bring to them is…

HAPPY THIRD YEAR OF THE POD, LISTENERS!!!!! We couldn't have done it without you and we are eternally grateful. That being said, we thought we'd take a left at Albuquerque and riff a little on this idea we've been throwing around for a while: what does it mean to be "punk rock" (other than the music of course!)?? What is the energy and the attitude…

The last episode of our second full season?!?!?!?!?!?!? SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?!?!?! WE MADE IT, THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!!!!!!!! In this episode we talk to three of our beloved listeners and fans of the pod - they're THE FUCKING GREATEST!!!!!!! Truly. Check it out. And thanks, guys, we're incredibly grateful for ALL of you!!!!!!!! To send us an email - pleas…

We would bet that almost any human probably knows arguably the most famous line from all of Shakespeare's sonnets - "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" But there are SO MANY MORE!!!!!! 153 more, to be precise. So we decided to ask about 20 or so of our most beloved artist friends to pick a sonnet to speak and speak about on the podcast. We're…

Well... we had SO MUCH FUN playing Trivial Pursuit Shakespeare that we decided to invite some of our favorite nerdy Shakespeare peeps and play another Shakespeare themed game - Bards Dispense Profanity!!! It's basically the Shakespeare version of Cards Against Humanity - get it?? Get the play on words??? Much profanity was dispensed. (The attitude …

Where the bee sucks, there suck we! In today's episode, we discuss all the songs and dances mentioned in Shakespeare plays. There's a LOT!!! Those Elizabethans like to PAR-TAY!!!!! Also, Shakespeare used vocal music to evoke mood, or to establish the character or the mental state of the singer. So sigh no more, ladies (and gents, and others), sigh …

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more; Or close the wall up with our English dead. King Henry, Henry V, Act 3, Scene 1 Shakespeare did write a ton about love, but he also wrote a TON about war - people going to war, people coming back from war, people in the middle of a war... whew! In today's episode, we examine the oh so masculine ar…

Hello dear listeners!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?? WHY ARE YOU JUST SITTING AROUND????? Summer is upon us and Shakespeare companies are FINALLY going to be able to perform - get online and buy yourself some tickets, for heaven's sake!!!! In this episode, we lay out a whole bunch of Shakespeare performance companies in the US, the UK, Canada, and the rest…

Okay, so maybe we're biased when it comes to Shakespeare... and maybe we're biased when it comes to New York... but!!! We are definitely biased when it comes to our guest - we are so, so excited to have Rodney Hakim on this episode!!! Rodney is ALL things Shakespeare, particularly New York!!! In this episode we talk about all thing Rodney, Shakespe…

So..... wait..... are you telling me that Shakespeare wrote King Lear, Macbeth, AND Antony and Cleopatra in the SAME YEAR???? After writing As You Like It and Julius Caesar immediately followed by Hamlet?!???!?!?! WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK????? Shakespeare is a friggin' genius, we all know that - but in this episode, we look at WHEN he wrote WHAT - and …

Dick: The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers. - Henry VI, Part 2 - Act 4 Scene 2 NOTE: Is it just us, or it is hilarious that it's "Dick" that says the above quote???? That's right, you dicks!!! Today's episode is all about law and order!!! What was the justice system like in Shakespeare's time? WAS there a justice system?? And was our f…

We all know that William Shakespeare may, in fact, be the greatest playwright that ever lived... but he wasn't the only one writing!! On today's episode we discuss the other writers that were around during Shakespeare's time - the good, the bad, and the ugly!!! (Okay, that doesn't really track, but it sounded good!!) So, who WAS Christopher Marlowe…

Happy New Year!! Happy New Covid Variant!! Sigh. To start off 2022, we are deep diving into diseases during the Elizabethan era, as well as the ones Shakespeare talks about and mentions in his plays. You think Omicron is bad???? Try having lice shitting on you, or fleas puking in you. Yeah. That's right. Here we go!!! To send us an email - please d…

Merry Merry!!!! In this episode we talk about the holidays mentioned in Shakespeare plays - which aren't many - they were a somber lot! - as well as holidays that would have been a thing for the Elizabethans. AND!!!!! We've decided that our "A Visit From Saint Falstaff" is so yummy, we are going to make it a yearly tradition. Here's the link to it …

So.... if you listened to the FIRST part of this drunken series... you'd know that another episode was coming. We were gonna save it, but our lovely listener Stacey asked for it so... here ya go, kid!!!! To reiterate, in case you're NEW... we invited some dear friends to play Trivial Pursuit Shakespeare Edition via Zoom. The caveat was that we shou…

Lights!! Costumes!! Set!! Props!! Sound!! Camera!! Action!! Although when Shakespeare was around, his productions would have had none of the above - except cobbled costumes and props from each actor's trunk. However, we believe that if Will came back today, he'd be like "Fuck, yeah!! Use whatever you got!!" That being said, this episode looks at Sh…

It's Autumn... leaves are falling, the wind is getting colder, and the daylight is receding for the near future... WHAT THE FUCK, Eastern Standard Time?!???? Since we're both EST haters, in this episode we discuss the ways Shakespeare uses the seasons in his work - as metaphors, indications of time, indications of aging, etc. We have to do SOMETHIN…

Double double toil and trouble... It's Spooky Season!!! Spirits and vampires and werewolves - oh my!!! In this episode we discuss all the ghosts that are present in Shakespeare plays. Some are benevolent, some are malevolent, and some are just plain boring - but we love them anyway!! (Angels and ministers of grace defend us.) Happy All Hallow's Eve…

To act Shakespeare or not to act Shakespeare... that is the question!! In this episode, we begin our exploration of The Ones Who Act Shakespeare with the household names of actors that you may have actually seen in a Shakespeare play in your time on this rock!! And we peruse a list of modern day well known celebrities who have dipped a toe or ten i…

And now, for something completely different...... We invited some dear friends to play Trivial Pursuit Shakespeare Edition via Zoom. The caveat was that we should all be imbibing some delicious drinkables, smokables, and/or edibles. The result is this episode. ENJOY!!!!! (Shakespeare knows we did!!!!!) To send us an email - please do, we want to he…

In the beginning.... Will created plays, and they were played outdoors. In today's world, we have indoor theaters, and microphones, and all kinds of things to make the Bard more accessible to modern day audiences. But does it, really? On this episode we talk to two guests both well acquainted with Shakespeare outdoors, one primarily an actor, and o…

Guess how many times the actual word "animal" shows up in all of Shakespeare's plays?? HUH???? C'MON!!!!! GUESS!!!!!!! There are all KINDS of animals in the canon - mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, and reptiles - they're all in there!!! In this episode, we begin to scratch (ha!!) the surface... of the winter lion, the Hyrcanian tiger, and baited b…

Hey, you crusty toad-spotted turds! Thou puny tallow-faced giggles!! Thou droning ill-nurtured pignuts!!! Thou sanctimonious rude-growing canker-blossom!!!! WHAT THE HELL DO THOSE MEAN?!?!?!?!?!?!?! In today's episode, we deep dive into the insults in Shakespeare plays and those of Elizabethan times in general. Think about it - you can learn how to…

Listen.... we know that William Shakespeare was English. We know that the English have performed Shakespeare plays WAAAAAAY more than Americans, simply because they've been around longer!!! And there are many, many British actors and directors and productions of Shakespeare that we just LOOOOOOVE. That being said... we have heard that "Americans ca…

Look.... we LOVE Shakespeare. Like we love theatre in general. That being said.... ....some of it just - simply - sucks. We are NOT bardolators. Nothing is sacred, dammit!!!! Crappy characters, plays that don't work, story lines that are quintessentially uninteresting, oodles of misogyny.... So, in this episode we discuss the stuff in Shakespeare's…

To doob or not to doob?? That IS the question!! There are many substances that are consumed in Shakespeare plays and, indeed, the Bard himself may have snorted a fingerful or smoked the proverbial bowl before he sat down to write the canon. Not to mention the usual pint or five!! In this episode, we discuss the ways and means that the Elizabethans …

It's June - Happy Pride everyone!!! Love is Love is Love!!! That being said (even though it should have ALWAYS been love is love), in the Elizabethan times things were very different as far as the way people lived, loved, and talked about same sex relationships. In fact, they didn't really outwardly deal with anything other than the traditional man…

HOLY SHAKESPEARE!!!!!!! Or not so holy!!! We don't actually know for sure whether Will was a practitioner of ANY organized religion, especially because he lived when one's religious beliefs were literally a matter of life or death. And who says we can decipher his personal beliefs by what he writes in his plays??? Did Theodore Geisel - better known…