Scurvy Companions

The NoSweatShakespeare Podcast

Scurvy Companions is the brand new podcast from NoSweatShakespeare.

Hosted by our most NSS contributor Emily Jackoway, the podcast takes a fortnightly deep dive into all things Shakespeare.

We’ll be speaking with diverse experts in fields of Shakespearean performance, literary study, education, social media, and more — all while keeping the Bard’s works entertaining and accessible.

Scurvy Companions is available wherever you usually listen to your podcasts – subscribe today!

Scurvy Companions on Google Podcasts

Scurvy Companions on Anchor

Scurvy Companions on Spotify

Scurvy Companions on Apple Podcasts

Scurvy Companions on Castbox

Listen to Scurvy Companions now:

Episode 1: “Brevity is the soul of wit”: Shakespeare for the TikTok teens

When you think of teenagers on TikTok, you probably think of complicated dance trends, new makeup looks, and “Okay, Boomer,” but… what about Shakespeare? In episode 1 Emily is joined by Shakespearean TikTok creator Annalyse Lapajenko, known as Al on TikTok.

Episode 2: “Note this before my (e)Notes”

Emily is joined by literary professional Wesley Matlock, Project Manager for educational giant eNotes.com. They discuss the mechanics of an online literature Q&A site (one slightly different from our own!), how Shakespeare is taught in schools, and how the Bard can be used as a point of critique for modern literary genres like science fiction.

Episode 3: “Let old wrinkles come”: Celebrating Shakespeare’s Birthday

Emily dives into Shakespeare’s early and later years with NoSweatShakespeare founder, Ralph Goldswain. Together they discuss such questions as: What kind of family was Shakespeare born into? What shocking event happened to make his father retire from public life? And what does Shakespeare’s will say about his marriage?

Episode 4: “The play’s the thing”: Actor and Director Jacqueline Thompson

Emily is joined by Jacqueline Thompson, actor, director, producer, and professor based in St. Louis, Missouri. They talk about how to effectively engage with communities through theater, how the pandemic has shaped recent performances, and how to make classical theater accessible to everyone.

Episode 5: “All the world’s a stage”: Zoom Shakespeare with The Show Must Go Online

Emily speaks to Rob Myles – actor, author, director, stage fighter, and creator of the Shakespeare Deck, which aims to make Shakespeare simple on the go. They discuss how The Show Must Go Online developed, performing the entire Shakespeare canon, premiering a new production every week throughout the pandemic.

Episode 6: “Speak the speech as I pronounced it to you”: Director of New York University’s Classical Studio, Daniel Spector

In episode 6 Daniel Spector, director of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts Classical Studio, talks with Emily about how Shakespeare’s verse can be used to train actors, what kind of classes are taught in a small Shakespeare conservatory ensemble, how Shakespeare acting education transferred online during the pandemic, and more.

Episode 7: “These violent delights”: Stage Fight Choreographer David Brimmer

Emily spends time with fight choreographer and master David Brimmer, who has been working in fight choreography for 40 years, and has staged fights for both Shakespearean and contemporary work for Broadway, film sets, and regional theaters across the United States.

Episode 8: “What’s past is prologue”: Shakespeare’s Lost Years with Ralph Goldswain

William Shakespeare totally disappears from public record from the years of 1578-1582 and 1585-1592. Emily catches up with NoSweatShakespeare’s founder and resident scholar, Ralph Goldswain, to talk through some theories about what Shakespeare was up to during that time. Was he on the run from the law? Secretly visiting the Vatican? Or perhaps traveling with a band of actors?

Episode 9: “Something wicked”: Macbeth, King James, and Demonology with Korey Leigh Smith and Elyse Sharp

Emily is joined by actors and Shakespeare podcasters Korey Leigh Smith and Elyse Sharp to discuss one of the major aspects of Macbeth – the history behind King James’s obsession with witchcraft and how it feeds into the play.

Have you listened to Scurvy Companions? Have an opinion? Get involved and let us know what you think in the comments section below!

0 replies

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!