Play On Podcasts Announces Play On Shakespeare Summer 2024 Season

Play On Podcasts, is simply genius. It reimagines Shakespeare's timeless tales, featuring original musical compositions and the voices of extraordinarily gifted artists. It's remarkable that the podcast is superb in so many ways. The original music is delightful and enchanting. The acting bristles with emotive energy. The plays they re-enact are much more Laurence Olivier in Hamlet than Mel Gibson in Hamlet. The scripted plays facilitate Shakespearean humor, wit, and sarcasm to flow through them.

Most important of all, the plays are scripted in modern English verse for modern audiences. Therefore, the age-old excuse that you don't like Shakespeare because you can't understand the words has vanished. 

My first play on Play On was Othello, which began in September 2023. The play was broken up into seven episodes of about 35 minutes per episode. Then, Play On releases bonus content, typically with the playwright who reimagined the Shakespearean classic in modern verse or one of the actors.Then, Play On released the full play of Othello in one episode, which lasted over three hours.

Their current series, The Taming Of The Shrew was just released during in late May. 

 

 The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken tinker named Christopher Sly into believing he is actually a nobleman himself.

As always, in episode one of every play, Play On recommends that listeners use headphones or earbuds for the best listening experience. It's a recommendation I urge you to follow. The plays are rich in sounds that can captivate your ears. There is the dialogue -- crisp and understandable. The background sounds -- horses, wagons, merchants, nature -- can layer you into the play like being an avatar in a video game. The show has a voice and text consultant, an equipment and recording engineer, a sound effects assistant, and a production assistant. That's a lot of resources and a lot of money. As a listener, you hear that excellence.

 The music strikes at your emotions, ratcheting up intensity, fervor, and excitement. In Macbeth, the show even has a bagpipes' musician.

Play On podcasts began in April 2021 with Shakespeare's masterpiece Macbeth. It's a great play to begin with, and Play On's treatment of the classic is masterful. In my one and only foray into acting, I played Macduff in a high school play. I thought I was a solid Macduff. In Play on, an actor named Chinaza Uche played Macduff. Mr. Uche was a superlative Macduff, and I doff my hat to him.

Here are their own words about Play On: "Welcome to the Play On Podcasts from Next Chapter Podcasts. This is where theater meets podcasts, combining the modern-day audio phenomenon with the power of live performance. Play On Podcasts is an epic audio adventure reimagining timeless tales, featuring original music compositions and the voices of extraordinarily gifted artists. Past seasons included Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Love Labor's Lost. 

Next Chapter is an independent podcast production house dedicated to original, authentic storytelling.

Next Chapter proudly informs us: "We are a progressive organization looking to make the world a better place, and lift up marginalized communities through the spoken word. We are a team of producers and sound designers, engineers and artists with unique experience to excel in podcast production from concept to creation."

You can subscribe to Play On Premium to get exclusive access to ad-free episodes, full plays, merch, and hear full interviews with the artists, producers, and engineers who brought it all to life.

Check out Play On Podcasts. 

Play On Shakespeare, the not-for-profit organization dedicated to exploring the world of Shakespeare in performance through translation and adaptation, has announced its Summer 2024 Season.

  A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Inferno Theatre
July 20 - August 11
Translation: Jeff Whitty
Direction: Giulio Cesare Perrone
Location: John Hinkel Park Amphitheatre [Berkeley, CA]

More information here.

Coriolanus
Presented by Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Portland Center Stage
Produced in association with upstart crow collective and Play On Shakespeare
July 23 - October 13
Translation: Sean San José
Adaption and Direction: Rosa Joshi
Location: Thomas Theatre [Ashland, OR]

More information here.


A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Idaho Shakespeare Festival in partnership with Great Lakes Theater
August 9 - 31
Translation: Jeff Whitty
Direction: Sara Bruner
Location: The Idaho Shakespeare Festival Amphitheater & Reserve [Boise, ID]

More information here.

A second leg of A Midsummer Night’s Dream will take place this fall in Cleveland, OH at Great Lakes Theater.

Richard II
Co-production with Play On Shakespeare and the Magic Theatre
August 21 - September 8
Translation: Naomi Iizuka
Direction: Dr. Karina Gutierrez
Location: Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture [San Francisco, CA]

More information here.

ACMRS Press [Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies] has released all of the Play On Shakespeare’s translations in print (39 titles).