We made our second straight appearance at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, reading from Reduced Shakespeare: The Complete Guide for the Attention-Impaired (abridged), All The Great Books (abridged), Completely Hollywood (abridged), and The Complete World of Sports (abridged). Featuring crazy live laughter, ambient traffic noise, a special appearance from Ian Gomez (from Cougar [...]

The Sassy Gay Friend is an internet sensation, and creator/star/writer Brian Gallivan discusses his fabulous character’s surprising impact. Featuring literary and pop culture inspirations, how the SGF will come to your community, a special appearance by Man vs Food host Adam Richman, and how a simple little sketch idea can go viral. (MP3. Length 18:00)

Reed Martin & Austin Tichenor announce the RSC’s eighth stage show (which premieres at Merrimack Repertory Theatre in November 2011) and discuss why the show was chosen and what will go into its creation. Featuring how much material from our Christmas CD will be re-gifted, how to walk that line between irreverent and heart-warming, and [...]

Multi-hyphenate RSC Office Manager Alli Bostedt catches us up on how she manages to juggle her many duties while she’s on the road. Also, Dominic Conti catches us up on all the awards our friends’ web series The Best Friend won at LA WebFest. And we catch up with our many listeners who let us [...]

Long-time RSC member Matthew Croke kept a journal during his wife Lisa’s battle with cancer while at the same time being pregnant with their third child. Now, Matt’s trying to publish his journal to share his experience with others. Matt returned to the RSC (briefly) to talk about how therapeutic the journal was, how helpful [...]

Olivier Award-wining actor Adrian Scarborough returns to the RSC Podcast (hear his first appearance here) to talk about playing Pritchard the Butler in the new Upstairs Downstairs, which premieres in the U.S. this week on Masterpiece Theatre. Featuring a backstage glimpse at this highly-anticipated sequel, the differences between up and down, an appreciation of fellow [...]

On our drive across America’s heartland, we pass the time debating the highs and lows of high and low comedy. Featuring definitions of the word sophomoric; celebrations of satire; a special appearance by legendary Pulitzer Prize-winning sports photographer Stan Grossfeld; a sexy, sensual, and smooth station ID for Lush 99.5 FM in Singapore; and important [...]

Actor James Morrison talks about the movie he’s directed, an homage to the working-class actor called “Showing Up: A Conversation About The Actor’s Audition”. Featuring revelations about what actors go through, why actors are like baseball players (no, not because of the steroids), how actors can wield what power they have, a surprisingly spiritual detour, [...]

Davey Naylor, Matt Rippy, Jeff Marlow, Tiger Reel, and Jan Duyn take time out of their busy touring schedule to reveal their day-to-day adventures on the road in Belgium and Holland. Featuring tales of Carnival, the ideal place for calling a show, an actual Dutch review read aloud in English through the magic of Google [...]

Marilyn Anne Michaels and Allie Smith are the creators and stars of The Best Friend, a very funny web series (featuring in a small role our own Dominic Conti, who also co-wrote a few episodes). Allie and Marilyn reveal how they create the series and manage to talk so many fantastic creative collaborators into doing [...]

European stage manager Davey Naylor shares his background, expertise, and adventures working with the RSC. Featuring lessons learned at Drama School, breakdowns of American and European sport, making a living on the Internet, massive and geeky dedication to fantasy sports websites, and fantastic insight into how to work for the RSC for a very long [...]

On this special extra episode, we predict this year’s tight Oscar race. Featuring a special appearance from National Public Radio movie critic Bob Mondello, and film analysis he’d be embarrassed to be associated with. (MP3. Length 9:33)

What happens when real Shakespeare actors have to perform the (abridged) and [revised] Complete Works? Tiger Reel and Jeff Marlow explain the difficulties as they prepare for our tour of Belgium and Holland, and reveal the connection between Shakespeare and science-fiction, how this tour is a special homecoming, and preview a record-breaking excerpt from the [...]

For Valentine’s Day we send out long distance dedications to our listeners – and from our listeners. Featuring global statistics, favorite body parts, a special appearance from Lavinia Tan from Lush 99.5 in Singapore, emails from listeners, the smooth groovy sounds of guitarist Eric Essix, and exclusive news of foreign productions and tours. You heard [...]

Even though the Steelers didn’t win Super Bowl XLV, Pittsburgh is still a city of champions. Specifically, Quidditch champions. We talk to a couple of their players, and answer questions about improv, play development, and why we have to do so much gosh-darn running. (MP3. Length 17:52)

What keeps Austin weird? (We’re talking about the city in Texas, of course, not the RSC actor.) Our first trip to the Texas state capitol allowed us to sample this great college town and discover it’s not only weird, its bats; make sweeping generalizations and obscure Ghostbuster references; perform spot-on accent work; hear a special [...]

A backstage look at one of our favorite artistic homes! Featuring interviews with Artistic Director Ted Pappas, Education Director/Playwright Rob Zellers, a tribute to the theater’s longevity, a diagnosis of what makes this great city tick, a focus on building a future, remembrances of two PPT premieres (Completely Hollywood (abridged) and Complete Millennium Musical (abridged)) [...]

It was a week right out of Planes, Trains, & Automobiles as we attempted to dodge winter storms. Reed Martin, Austin Tichenor, Matt Rippy, and stage manager Elaine Randolph regale us with tales of canceled flights and performances, lost luggage and personnel, impromptu trains, rescheduled hotels, and rerouted trunks. Featuring some impressive stats, great customer [...]

Join us for a quick preview of our upcoming 2011 tour dates. Featuring expert advice on how to get the RSC booked in a venue near you, some unacceptably teasing hints, a special appearance by Christopher Rawson, the chairman of the American Theatre Critics Association, and horrible and unforgivable butchering of Dutch and Belgian names. [...]

If you haven’t been lucky enough to see our seventh stage show, get your first glimpse at our favorite moments from The Complete World of Sports (abridged) in this promotional video we just put together. This video will be handed out to presenters attending the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) conference this weekend in [...]

The interview so long it took two years to complete! This week: the conclusion to last week’s conversation with Roy Conli, the producer of Tangled, Disney’s 50th animated feature. Featuring wisdom from the Nine Old Men, the value of seeing the windows to the soul, and the counter-intuitive notion that computer-generated animation can only go [...]

Oh, what a tangled weave…Take a rare peak behind the scenes at the Walt Disney Studios as producer Roy Conli describes the creation of Disney’s 50th animated feature Tangled. Featuring advice on the attributes of a great producer, the use of wine imagery to describe the return of John Lasseter, the value of a theatrical [...]

In honor of the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”: Rare archival footage of Reed Martin, Dee Ryan, and Austin Tichenor singing ‘Gay!’ from the RSC’s original 1998 production of The Complete Millennium Musical (abridged) at the Pittsburgh Public Theatre. (Special thanks to Twitter follower @khedwar for the idea!) (m4v. Length 3:26)

Just in time for the holidays comes this weird new classic. From Twisted Christmas Live in Santa Rosa, California, Reed Martin reads David Templeton’s dark holiday tale The Most Dangerous Christmas. Featuring an excerpt from The Reduced Shakespeare Company Christmas and rain on the rooftop! (MP3. Length 18:58)

Matt Walsh is one of the founding members of the Upright Citizens Brigade, and he explains how his little comedy group has become one of the largest and most respected improv schools in the US. Featuring deadpan comedy tips, how anarchic comedy translates to television, behind the scenes tips from the Bruno movie, a special [...]

Our 2010 Hong Kong & Singapore trip was captured in a slide show put together by Liz Fitzpatrick, Alli Bostedt, and Jeff Marlow — and set to a mocking and celebratory song by RSC troubador Mick Orfe. Special thanks to our friends at ABA Productions (all of whom can be seen here) for taking such [...]

Kip Gould, the founder and publisher of Broadway Play Publishing raves about the exciting and lucrative field of script publishing (Note: Engage sarcasm filter). Featuring the pros and cons of printed scripts vs. PDFs, the economics of script publishing, the ease of licensing, a special appearance by Robert Siegel from National Public Radio, and the [...]

Of all the great venues we’ve performed in around the world, this list definitely includes some of them. Featuring reminiscences about some of the great venues we’ve played, memories of the not-so-great venues we’ve played, one way of maintaining sanity while on the road, and the joys of celebrating disaster. (MP3. Length 20:44)

Professional actors, like professional athletes, don’t whine about the aches and pains they endure on the field of battle. Well, we’re not professional actors. Featuring a litany of injuries, a raft of remedies, a special appearance by a brand-new fan, a podcast correction, and the dangers of performing a show that isn’t strenuous enough. (MP3. [...]

Michael Faulkner returns to the RSC fold and regales us with tales of Measure For Measure at A Noise Within in Los Angeles, where he’s playing Elbow. Featuring the differences between acting and stage managing, between real Shakespeare and reduced Shakespeare, how to get Shakespeare up into fifth gear, and how auditions pay off even [...]

A good ensemble can make a theatre production great and a World Series champion. Reed Martin celebrates the victory of his beloved San Francisco Giants as we compare long-shots, underdogs, dynasties, and never-wases. Featuring logical superstitions, bandwagon fans, some third-grade humor, emotional investment, and lifelong dreams fulfilled. (MP3. Length 20:07)

AJ Mass is a distinguished sportswriter for the website of a well-known four-letter American Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, the name of which we’re not allowed to say. But he has also given literally minutes of thought and attention to such burning issues as who the Greatest Starship Captain was and the differences between nerds [...]

Matt Rippy is not only a fan and scholar of zombie movies, he starred in one! For this Halloween week special, we discuss our favorite zombie movies, what they represent, and why they’re different from rage-virus movies. Featuring appreciations of less-well-known zombie movies (Fido, Dead Snow), backstage glimpses from the sets of The X-Files and the [...]

Mick Orfe, Dominic Conti, and Jeff Marlow regale each other (and us) with tales of apprehension and excitement regarding their current tour of Hong Kong and Singapore. Featuring helpful advice, misplaced fears, audible eye-rolls, walking oxymorons, and our very first dueling celebrity blurb! (MP3. Length 18:09)

We’ve discussed our writing process before, but this week we talk about designing effective openings and killer endings. Featuring stumbles and fumbles, happy accidents, show construction, meticulous planning, adherence to form, template deviation, and impertinent comparisons to both Shakespeare and the Beatles. (MP3. Length 22:15)

The tables get turned in this week’s landmark episode! Reed Martin and Matt Rippy interview podcast host Austin Tichenor, who reveals the history, the mystery, the highlights, and the lowlights of our first 200 weeks of RSC podcasting. Featuring intimate connections, backstage geekery, a celebrity montage, and the reasons why we haven’t yet (and probably now won’t) [...]

After a recent performance, sportscaster and newsanchor Frank Mallicoat weighed in with reactions, tips, and professional opinion. Featuring revelations about what sportscasters are full of, the differences between sportscasting and news reporting, excerpts from The Complete World of Sports (abridged), hints about what Shaq will bring to the Boston Celtics, explosive details about what Larry [...]

“Small but excellent” is the rallying cry for Merrimack Repertory Theatre in Lowell, MA where we recently premiered The Complete World of Sports (abridged). Artistic Director Charles Towers and Executive Director Tom Parrish talk about the creative and business decisions that led MRT to retire significant debt, flourish creatively, and run in the black for [...]

The Complete World of Sports (abridged) had its official RSC premiere this weekend at Merrimack Repertory Theatre in Lowell, MA, so we kept the microphone on backstage, during our walk home, and at the cast party. Featuring tongue fumbles, theatrical tricks, mild nausea, and expert testimony as to how stage managing the RSC differs from [...]

It’s a beautiful day for a ballgame, so we finish rehearsal by heading off to watch the Lowell Spinners struggle against the Tri-City ValleyCats. Yes, it’s one minor league squad enjoying the other. Featuring fantastically bad play by play, an excerpt from The Complete World of Sports (abridged), a special appearance by local radio sports guy [...]

Second City and Late Night With Conan O’Brien alum Jon Glaser not only talks, he sings about his very funny show Delocated, part of Adult Swim on the Cartoon Network. Featuring lessons on the value of sticking to one’s guns, the brilliance of ski-masks to protect one’s privacy, and the dangers of beer-drinking while podcasting. (MP3. [...]

We take a break from rehearsing The Complete World of Sports (abridged) to recall our various moments of sporting glory…and some moments of humiliation as well. Featuring last-minute victories, unexpected emotion, a special appearance from Modern Family‘s Eric Stonestreet, and a brief quote from Bill Cosby. (If you spot it, leave a comment!) (MP3. Length [...]

The actors in the RSC’s newest show The Complete World of Sports (abridged) – Matt Rippy, Reed Martin, and Austin Tichenor - take a break from rehearsing (in this magnificent structure) to discuss how the new show is shaping up so far. Featuring cautious optimism, fear and trepidations, shout-outs to our predecessors, an outbreak of [...]

The meaningless Sport vs. Game debate continues! Sportswriter and fantasy sports expert AJ Mass interviews us for his new book The Thrill of Vicarious Victory and shares with us his four categories of athletic competition. Featuring insight into how fantasy sports can make you a better person, previews of the sketches you’ll see in The Complete [...]

We touched a Folio…and we liked it! Join us for this rare behind-the-scenes glimpse of the largest collection of Shakespearean treasures in the world. Gail Paster, the Director of the Folger Shakespeare Library and Head of Reference Georgianna Ziegler take us on a guided tour and bust myths while showing off hundreds of years’ worth of [...]

Waiter. Temp. Circus Clown. Assistant Factotum. We’ve all had to take survival jobs to feed our theatre habit, and this week we discuss the worst ones we’ve endured. Featuring tales of long hours, professional incompetence, disgruntled customers, personal humiliation, on-the-job embarrassment, and the tiny triumphs of finally leaving a job for which you’re totally unsuited. (MP3. [...]

Our good friend Bill Matson, theatre manager of the Terrace Theatre, our home at the Kennedy Center whenever we perform there, gives us a behind-the-scenes backstage tour at this prestigious arts institution and national presidential memorial. Featuring the controversial bust of President John F. Kennedy, a special appearance by Neal Conan from National Public Radio, [...]

We review the reviews from our run of Completely Hollywood (abridged) at the Kennedy Center. Featuring uninformed opinions (ours), raves, pans, how to survive the critical fraternity, and a special appearance by DC institution Arch Campbell. (MP3. Length 18:33)

Actor and Fight Captain Tom Schall reminisces about his Broadway debut in the ill-fated (is there any other kind?) 1988 production of the Scottish play starring Christopher Plummer and Glenda Jackson. Featuring the perils of switching directors in mid-stream, more examples of the so-called Scottish play “curse”, a special appearance by Michael Butler from Center Rep [...]

This week we dig that crazy Conti beat and go behind the scenes to deconstruct Dominic Conti‘s lengthy and show-stopping “dorkalogue” at the end of Completely Hollywood (abridged). Featuring the power and limitations of snorting as a character choice, the trust of an actor’s instinct, funky frank appearances by NPR‘s Korva Coleman, and proof that [...]

We visit the Theatre Communications Group annual conference in Chicago and chat with Paul Nicholson, Executive Director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and Cynthia Rider, Managing Director of the Kansas City Repertory Theatre. Featuring a reduced overview (an underview?) of the weekend, wonderful moments of inspiration, a special appearance by Carey Perloff, Artistic Director of [...]

Facts both silly and true highlight our reduced knowledge of the immortal bard in this podcast inspired by a recent London Times article. Featuring audio footnotes; excerpts from our “Complete Guide to London (abridged)”, the Reduced Shakespeare Radio Show, and Reduced Shakespeare: The Complete Guide for the Attention-Impaired (abridged); special appearances by both Eleanor the Tour [...]

Is poker a sport? We ask veteran broadcaster Paul Harris, host of The Final Table Poker Radio Show, to share his expertise and insight. Featuring benchmarks and measurements, the dangers of time zone confusions, what defines a broadcaster, a special appearance by Vicki Lewis (Newsradio, Curb your Enthusiasm), and why you shouldn’t trust everything you see [...]

Jennifer Lee Carell‘s new mystery Haunt Me Still (aka The Shakespeare Curse outside the US) deals with the legends surrounding the manuscript and supposed curse of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, or as it’s known euphemistically in the theatre world, “the Scottish Play”. Featuring the difference between knowledge and superstition, Shakespeare’s fascination with the dark side, possible [...]

Dick Costolo, the C.O.O. of Twitter, talks about his sordid past as an improv comedian in such shows as Modern Problems in Science, and answers all (one) of your tech support questions. Featuring scandalous fourth-grade revelations, dirty secrets about stand-up and computer science, the value of improv training in the business world, a special appearance by [...]

Join us on a backstage tour of the New Victory Theatre in New York City, and go behind, below, and above the scenes. Featuring a rundown of the theater’s glorious and checkered history, mysterious tales of the “phantom of the New Victory”, some bodacious putti, and a special appearance by the cast of The Complete World [...]

It’s another edition of “My Coffee With Reed and Austin,” who discuss the recent South Park controversy and the RSC’s stumbles into offensive territory. Featuring authentic cafe ambience, dressing room debates, excerpts from Western Civilization: The Complete Musical (abridged), feedback feedback, and the advantages of losing your hearing. (MP3. Length 21:21)

Kay Tichenor (Austin’s mom!) talks about her 1976 book Ballet (Troubador Press/Price Stern Sloan) and how a casual family interest became an activity and reference book that’s still in print after thirty-five years. Featuring a reduced history of this ‘history of the dance’, advice for aspiring writers, the power of movement, and a special appearance [...]

LIVE! From the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, we read excerpts from Reduced Shakespeare: The Complete Guide For The Attention-Impaired (abridged), The Complete History of America (abridged), The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged), and All The Great Books (abridged). Featuring RSC bits as you’ve never heard them, a raucous crowd, a special appearance [...]

In his book The DeVere Code, actor Jonathan Bond explains the startling discovery he made that reveals Shakespeare’s sonnets were written by the 17th Earl of Oxford, Edward de Vere. Featuring impertinent pop-culture comparisons, Eureka moments, a special appearance by a genuine Nutter, and a first-hand account of what it’s like to perform on the [...]

Austin Tichenor and Reed Martin are writing The Complete World of Sports (abridged), which the Reduced Shakespeare Company will premiere in September 2010. But they’re in rehearsals now, directing a non-RSC production in California. They talk about this unusual process, and about the wisdom of playwrights directing their own work. Featuring keen insights, mild inarticulation, [...]

Alash, poor Yorick! Alash, the Tuvan throat-singing ensemble, opened for us in Salina, Kansas, and it prompted memories of other greats we’ve brushed up against in the past. Featuring several varieties of greatness, ranging from Chachi to Python, a special nudge from Lou Reed, some fabulous RSC feedback, and the special warmth of Andie McDowell. [...]

A series of mini-reunions this week! New York Times bestselling novelist Jasper Fforde (the Thursday Next series, the Nursery Crime series) has written Shades of Grey and was good enough to chat about it. Then we reconnected with several RSC UK members, several of whom have gone on to much cooler gigs. Featuring horrible accents, [...]

Who exactly was St. Patrick? Sister Mary Martha explains it all for us. The author of the “Ask Sister Mary Martha” blog submits to a mild podcast inquisition, and explains not only the origins of St. Patrick but also how her blog is a sort of E-Harmony for patron saints. Featuring RSC Feedback and the [...]

We walk to our performances at the New Victory Theatre in New York City along one of most famous thoroughfares in the world – Broadway. Featuring honking horns, massive crowds, steady drizzle, mistaken identities, reduced reviews, unexpected encounters, and huge delight at being at the center of the theatrical universe. Featuring RSC Feedback and a [...]

We attended the 2010 Shorty Awards last week in New York City — and we won in the Cultural Institution category! We kept the microphone going backstage and at the after-party, and got to talk with Shorty Award co-creator Greg Galant; Janis Krums, the winner of the Real-Time Photo of the Year; Charlie Todd, founder [...]

The star of Godzilla stops by today. No, not Matthew Broderick – Kurt Carley, the “suit performer” who makes his living playing atomically-radiated lizards, werewolves, and even man-eating plants. Featuring tips on how to succeed in show business (ie, don’t be a jerk; don’t be claustrophobic), a brush with Shakespearean greatness, a special appearance by [...]

“Let’s face it, we’d all love to topple a government or stage a full-scale rebellion, but who’s got the time or energy these days? Never fear, Tiny Acts of Rebellion can help.” Thus begins the funny new book by Rich Fulcher of The Mighty Boosh, who reveals how – and most importantly why – his [...]

The old codgers from Hollywood mark the return of a beloved – but cut – character from our America show. Featuring other recycled characters from previous shows, further improvements to the first act of Hollywood, a frustrating tease about the Sports show, and information about the publication of the Hollywood script. (MP3. Length 18:43)

Eric Stonestreet is the Emmy-winning star of the hit ABC and Sky-1 sitcom Modern Family, and he chats about the miracle of his casting as well as the miracle of just how good this show has been right out of the gate. Featuring lessons on how to embrace the perks of celebrity, how your life informs [...]

A post-performance run-down of how the filming of Lost Reduced went and how it came to be. Featuring spoilers about special effects, the various entendres of “brands in hands“, special appearances from both Adrian Scarborough from Gavin and Stacey and Sophie Jones from Sky-TV, and how a hot and bright reduced writing and rehearsal process can [...]

Flying from California to Dallas shouldn’t be this fraught with excitement and adventure. But oy, was it fraught. Fraughter than we thought. An extra day’s rehearsal goes down the drain as we struggle and fail to avoid a weather system in Phoenix, the likes of which nobody’s ever seen before. Because it’s in Phoenix. Featuring [...]

Starting 2010 off right by keeping our New Year’s Resolution of more regularly-timed video podcasts! So this week: some old footage we found from the original production of The Complete Millennium Musical (abridged) (now known as Western Civilization! The Complete Musical (abridged)). This performance at the Pittsburgh Public Theatre features Reed Martin singing about mankind’s [...]

OMG! Are you like, so into Wizards of Waverly Place on the Disney Channel? Neither are we, but our kids are. Peter Murrieta is the Executive Producer of the Emmy-winning children’s show, and talks about how he uses his improv and sketch-comedy training to create TV sitcoms, how he bucks the Disney mold by portraying [...]

We’ve been using the micro-blogging service Twitter for almost a year, and we’ve seen its use rise among other theatre companies. We compare notes with Mary Kathryn Durr, E-Commerce and Social Media Manager for the Blumenthal Center of the Performing Arts, and learn about viral marketing, creating connections, and the democratization of media. Featuring a [...]

Attention code monkeys: A new year means a new look at our new website! Webmaster Matt Rippy talks about the history of the RSC online presence, the spiffy new upgrades to the website, the differences between content management programs WordPress and Joomla, and some of our favorite bells and whistles. Now, about that Reduced Shakespeare Company [...]

A live Q&A at the Overture Center in Madison, Wisconsin, during which we reveal our favorite Shakespeare plays, touring information for 2010, when the script for Completely Hollywood (abridged) will be published, a very special blurb from some RSC pilgrims, answers to questions from our Twitter followers, and the shocking revelation that our favorite individual [...]

From Madison, WI to Sonoma, CA, a special holiday podcast. Featuring expert opinions on proper terrain for house lighting, ancient pizza recipes, words of Wisconsin wisdom, Christmas tsotchkes from the holy land, a bold new experiment called present-giving, and some very helpful notes from an old friend. (MP3. Length 23:24)

Old and new friends this week. Chris Judson talks about his blog 40PlaysIn40Days and his quest to see all of Shakespeare’s plays in a single summer. Plus RSC wardrobe mistress (and Madison resident) Jenni Schwaner explains why she left the RSC to tour with Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. Featuring the power of theatre, insights [...]

Snow day! We had to cancel two shows today so it seemed like a good opportunity to do a third Video Podcast. Austin Tichenor takes you on a tour of the snowy streets of Madison, Wisconsin. (M4V. Length 2:11)

Well, most of Wisconsin. We remember the many cities we’ve played in the Cheesehead state, and also talk to high school drama teacher Kate Schultz, whose principal forbade her from staging a production of All The Great Books (abridged). Featuring insight into what rural conservatives find shocking these days, tales of the Hodag, the sick [...]

We’ve been touring to more small towns than big cities recently so we decided to look at the differences. Featuring backstage chats about the glories of small town municipal workers, airport personnel, and motel amenities; plus our highly sophisticated and technologically advanced method for keeping track of where we’ve played. (Spoiler alert: It involves stickpins.) [...]

Tom Gabbard is not only the President of the North Carolina Blumenthal Center for the Performing Arts but he’s also involved with the Independent Presenters Network, a consortium of for-profit and not-for-profit presenters around the US that invests in the front-end of commercial projects that often play their respective venues. Featuring information on what a [...]

Ron Severdia is the creator of the Shakespeare App, the free iPhone application that puts the complete works of William Shakespeare at your fingertips in a fun format complete with searchable database. Ron chats about the app’s origins and its future, what goes on under the hood, and what one does to turn a Shakespeare [...]

Romeo. Polonius. Feral Orwell. Spade Diamond. Abraham. Easter Bunny. Coach. The RSC characters created by Daniel Singer and Reed Martin are known as the Red Role (after the color of his tights for so many years), and cast member Mick Orfe talks about how he interprets this archetype across five RSC shows. Featuring hints on [...]

We’re going blu! The Blumenthal Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, that is! But it prompts a discussion about the phrase “Family Friendly” and how (or whether) it applies to us. Featuring a wildly inaccurate review, an update on the script for The Complete World of Sports (abridged), an excerpt from the Reduced Shakespeare Radio Show [...]

The comedy music duo of Paul And Storm brings their brand of GeekRock(tm) to the RSC Podcast.  Featuring excerpts from their enormous canon, the ticket-selling power of Twitter, talk about their roots in DaVinci’s Notebook, hints about the future of w00tstock, a special appearance by Wil Wheaton, and an actual (though reduced) nerdgasm. (MP3. Length [...]

A behind-the-mic look at our behind-the-scenes arts podcast. Featuring almost-three years of weekly reduction, highlights from the past and suggestions for the future, and an excellent new marketing slogan for Nazareth College in Rochester, New York. (MP3. Length 21:35)

Reed Martin returns to his comedy roots with The Clown Show, which he’s written and directed for Napa Valley College. Featuring potential new bits for our upcoming Sports show, the glory of great student actors, and the important differences between talk-talk and do-do. (MP3. Length 18:47)

WARNING: Not suitable for any listener of any age. This episode contains graphic tales of acting jobs that required simulated sex, and features childish euphemisms and adolescent giddiness. Shocking — and mildly nauseating. (MP3. Length 22:14)

That other dead-husband’s-ghost-story that doesn’t star Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze. President Roslin live onstage. Anything by Robert Duvall. And why hasn’t this man ever won an Academy Award? Hear about the performances we love and why we love them. Featuring a special appearance by David Koechner, co-star of Kelsey Grammer’s new series Hank. (MP3. [...]

We kept the microphone running while playing tourist in Hong Kong and riding the Tung Chung Line. Featuring RSC Travel Tips, a shout-out to the finest public transit system in the world, and backstage and onstage banter during an actual Hong Kong performance. (Mp3. Length 19:01)

Dressing room chatter this week about our first week of Hong Kong adventures. Featuring Mick Orfe’s dream woman, Matt Rippy’s nightmare injuries, Austin Tichenor’s mysterious allure to the ladies of Wan Chai, a shout-out to Willy’s Wily Wenches, and an interview (plus outtakes!) with Ellie Davis of RTHK Radio 3. See you out on the [...]

Emmy Award-winning writer Andrew Price talks about creating the Reduced Shakespeare Company category and writing questions for the game show Jeopardy! Featuring insight into how the global phenomenon game show is written, tips on how to beat the buzzer, and how you can get a part in Andrew’s new movie. (Spoiler alert: Bring your wallet.) [...]

RSC actor Mick Orfe reveals how, even in this troubled global economy, he’s managed to pay his bills and retire some debt. Relax – no bizarre economic theories or pitches for Amway products. Just tales of part-time jobs, hard work, and other ways actors supplement the exchequer. Featuring a special appearance by James Beaman from [...]

Deep in the depths of writing new shows leaves us deep in the depths of researching, too. Featuring details on how The Complete World of Sports (abridged) is progressing, appearances by the most famous celebrity blurbers EVER, and highlights of sports-themed podcast episode #47, Play By Play. (SPOILER ALERT: Mostly we love researching because it [...]

It’s summer vacation, yet podcast we must! What’s it like to work while everybody else is on holiday? Tales of on-the-road Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year’s, St. Patricks’ and Independence Day celebrations. Featuring a special appearance by Carol Smith from Class 95 in Singapore and an exclusive excerpt from the new musical Mercy Madonna of Malawi. [...]

Second City and TV/film veteran Pat Finn talks about his friendship with late comedian Chris Farley, whose talent, heart, and (unfortunately) demons were all equally huge. Featuring comedian origin stories from the recent book The Chris Farley Show, Chris’s secret charity work, what he did on his very first episode of Saturday Night Live, and [...]

This week we discuss what it’s like to perform the revisions to The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged). Featuring cast changes, Singapore changes, and a special appearance by RSC founding member Jess Winfield, author of My Name Is Will: A Novel of Sex, Drugs, and Shakespeare. (MP3. Length 20:03)

The Lamplighters is San Francisco’s oldest musical theatre company, and arguably America’s finest purveyors of Gilbert & Sullivan. Lamplighters’ board president Jim MacIlvaine talks about the role of a theater’s board of directors, the value of G&S, and why old poops are a valuable commodity. Featuring excerpts from several Lamplighters productions, including their G&S-Shakespeare mash-up [...]