The Bardcast: "It's Shakespeare, You Dick!"
A cheeky, irreverent yet informative deep-dive into all things Shakespeare, hosted by two longtime Shakespeare performers, directors, and teachers. Want to support us? Thanks!! Go to: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8KTK7CATJSRYJ
Episodes
Yeah, yeah, we know, we constantly harp on our shared belief that if you put a concept on a play, and particularly a Shakespeare play, it must ADD to the text and make the play better by its addition. Otherwise, it sucks.
So... in this episode, in what we think is chronological order, we go through every play in the canon and decide what we think would be a HORRIBLE idea for a concept for that ...
Hi dicks and dickesses!!!
In this episode, we discuss all the things related to Shakespeare that we want to see or hear or direct or play and haven't gotten to yet!!!
FYI, there's A LOT. What about you???
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 a 501C3 Non-Profit - helllloooooo...
We do not mean the bovine kind, here folks... we are talking about grudges. Which characters in the canon have a beef with another character? Which characters do we have beefs with generally? And when do we have a beef with Shakespeare for writing what we think is stupid or impossible??
In this episode we dive deep down into the tallow (get it??). Join us!!
To send us an email - please do, we truly wa...
We have talked about many aspects of characters in the canon over the last six (!!!!) years, but during an off mic conversation, we realized that we have never specifically talked about those characters who are heads and tails above the others as far as intelligence goes!
In this episode, we do a deep dive into the mental power of the canon. Who do you think we missed??
To send us an email - please do...
Really... who and what can you trust these days??? It's bad enough to not be able to trust the media in the world today, but what about people? LA had been thinking about the Canadians she encountered during her trip to Newfoundland (AMAZING people!!!) and Owen suggested this topic.
Who are the people in the Shakespeare canon that one can ACTUALLY trust? With secrets, with errands of importance, with your ...
There are a LOT of selfish, self-centered, and self absorbed characters in Shakespeare. In this current climate (and we don't mean weather!), we've been thinking a LOT about this topic, so we decided to put these thoughts to good use.
So... who are the real narcissists and egomaniacs in the canon? We found a whole bunch - can you think of any we missed?? Write and tell us!!
To send us an email - please do, ...
We've talked about many things over the years (YEARS!!!), but we realized that we never delved into the fatherly aspects of the Shakespeare canon!!
So, in this episode we talk about all the fathers - the good ones, the bad ones, the absent ones, the murderous ones, etc.
Can you think of any we missed??
To send us an email - please do, we truly want to hear from you!!! - write us at: thebardcastyoudick@gmail....
We cannot believe it but this episode is the start of our SEVENTH SEASON of the pod!!!!!!!
We are INCREDIBLY grateful to all our listeners and guests over the years... and we wanted to reflect that in some way, hoping that all of you have learned as much as we have.
And so, this episode is us talking about seven (at least!) things we've learned about Shakespeare in our time doing The Bardcast.
What have YOU ...
IT'S BAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!!
Your thought we were done with the sonnet episodes, didn't you??
NO, DEAR LISTENERS!!!! (After all, there are 154 of them!!!)
And this time, we have our dear friend (and one of the top fans of the pod!!) Brian Linden with us!! Brian has chosen Sonnet 19 to perform and discuss, and we are tickled pink!!!
Strap in and get ready!!!
To send us an email - please do, we truly want to he...
There are several wars happening in the world now. We don't think all of them are justified. In this episode, we discuss the wars in the canon and whether or not we think those were fair - or just plain idiotic.
As Shakespeare said:
Now, for our consciences, the arms are fair &n...
Sooooo... we have always (well, not we as in Owen and Lisa Ann, but we as in Shakespeare scholars across the centuries) suspected that William Shakespeare owned property in London somewhere in the Blackfriars area. And in fact, there is a plaque that says just that on the side on an office building there!
But!!!!! Thanks to Lucy Munro, Professor of Shakespeare and Early Modern Literature at King's College ...
Dear listeners, dicks and dickesses!!!
You have heard us discussing The Winter's Tale for YEARS now, and recently, we've mentioned that Lisa Ann is currently directing a production of it for Slippery Rock University's Theater Department and is INCREDIBLY proud of all the work these wonderful young artists have done in the past few months. Well guess what - it opens tonight, April 17, 2026, the ...
Yes, we know we spelled it the British way... on purpose of course, because that is what this episode is about!! The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust began last year (as a result of academic pressure) to "de-colonise" its collection.
What does this mean? Well, Shakespeare’s Birthplace Trust has warned visitors that some items in its collections may contain ‘language or depictions that are rac...
We LOVE when listeners write to us and suggest an episode topic!! This one comes out of an email by a listener - and actually, we mined several topics of that email!!
In this episode, we talk about those characters who have committed literal or figurative crimes and whether or not they get away with it. Is there anyone you can think of that we missed??
To send us an email - please do, we truly want to...
We've been surrounded lately by the abuse of power running rampant in our country. It's disheartening. So how do we combat this?
We connect it to the Bard!!!
What characters are guilty of misusing their office and/or position for nefarious uses? Why? And how does it serve the play?
In this episode, we discuss just that.
To send us an email - please do, we truly want to hear from you!!! - write us at: t...
The weather outside is STILL frightful, but getting better. Nonetheless, dealing with it has made us grouchy. And cranky. And fussy. So we thought...
Who are the grouchiest characters in the Shakespeare canon? And what are the degrees of grouchiness? In this episode, we (crankily) discuss this topic.
Who can you think of that we missed? Write us and we'll send you COOOOOOOL swag!!!!!
To send us an email - pl...
We've been thinking a lot about the cold... a huge snow storm where we live, bitter temperatures, the protests against the employees of the Dept. of Homeland Security... sigh. Shit IS ice cold!!! Also, LA is currently directing a production of The Winter's Tale and there is some COLD freakin' behaviour in that play!!!!!!
So we thought... who are the coldest characters in the Shakespeare canon? What are som...
Asses, butts, behinds, and fistulas.... what do they all have in common?
Actually, we were just amused at the thought of an episode about asses, so there you are.
What did we miss?
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 a 501C3 Non-Profit - helllloooooo, tax deductible donation!!!) -...
Now... both of us have taught in institutions of higher learning. And both of us have engaged in scholarly discussion of the Shakespeare canon from time to time, but first and foremost, we are actors and creatives and THAT is how we look at the text.
What's the difference between how an actor views a Shakespeare play and how an academic views a play? And FYI, loving to teach and loving academia are n...
Merry Christmas!!! Happy Boxing Day!!! ( And also, Happy Belated Hanukkah!!! And Happy Kwanzah!!!)
In this episode, we talk about all the gifts that are given from one character to another in the Shakespeare canon. We also talk about traditional Elizabethan gifts... 'cuz, you know, it's presents time of year!!!
Did we miss any?? Write and tell us!!
To send us an email - please do, we truly want to hear...
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