Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Carmen hy but soft? What light through yonder window breaks?
I can't even believe I remember that? And yet I
know is that played out to you? Is? Are people
shouting that to you? You are our Juliet in Romeo
and Juliet in the Hartford Stage? What a great score?
Are you hearing that everywhere you go? Are you a
(00:21):
Shakespeare fan going into this?
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Oh my gosh, Yeah, I mean I actually am. I'm
kind of like a huge Shakespeare nerds since I was
a pretty young kid. And yeah, I mean people. I
kind of love when I hear people say those lines
and talk about how they love it or how it
was like their first introduction to Shakespeare. Stuff like that.
I think it's really cool.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Yeah. The one I quote the most is and I said,
it's kind of weird how often I say to people
and how casually. But I'll say, a plague on both
your houses.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
I don't think that's the great I'm just you can't
forget about I bite my thumb at you, sir. Oh
that's you. Never forget to bring that one.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Out, you know, I will tell you A huge fan
of Shakespeare, you know, I'm just a voracious reader. I
always was I did always find him challenging though, Like
there were a lot of times on especially when I
was younger and I fancied myself a writer, you know,
I wanted to be a writer. I got into radio.
I did have a few books come out, But Shakespeare
(01:20):
I would put down and I'd be like, you know,
I got to take another stab at that, I got
to read that passage again. So I wonder what your
memorization process is like for the It's got to be
different than you would something more contemporary.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
Oh yeah, I mean that's yeah that I actually think
that this might sound weird, but sometimes with Shakespeare it
can actually be a little bit easier to memorize than
other things.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Just because it's the rhythm is so specific, and with
Romeo and Juliet especially, a lot of it is in
rhyming couplets, and it kind of follows this very specific meter.
You know, I am a contaminar and stuff. Not to
get too much into the way, it kind of gets
a little bit easier to memorize for that reason. But yeah,
I mean it was just kind of like plugging away
(02:08):
a little bit at a time during the rehearsal process.
I have kind of a couple of different things that
help memorization. Memorization go faster, Like I usually do it
while like pacing around, and something about like walking while
trying to do it. You kind of have like a
brain body connection and it helps you memorize easier that way.
But it was kind of crazy, like learning so many
(02:29):
of these lines that are so like iconic and that
you've heard for so long, and you're like, oh my gosh,
that's yeah, that's from this play. That would be saying
it on stage.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
Yeah, it's interesting to hear you say walking around and
this and that, because you know, as far as stages go,
when we're talking about Romeo and Juliet Hartford stage it
already started April seventeenth, runs through May eighteenth. As far
as rooms go, because I'm a theater geek and I
always was one, there's a little elbow room there. You know,
a lot of our beatiful venues here in Connecticut and
(03:01):
across the country. You know, it's interesting to see how
limited the space could sit. And who am I to say,
but would you agree that the Hartford stage that's a
roomier one than a lot of other stages Probably where
Romeo and Juliette was done before.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Yeah, I mean it's a really nice, beautiful, gorgeous space.
And what I love so much about it is that
it's in a thrust, so it's like rather than just
a proscenium where it's like kind of stage, and then
the audience is directly facing it. We have audience on
all three sides of the stage, and so we're able
to kind of have this really intimate feeling where we
can like walk right up to them and talk directly
(03:40):
to the audience and feel really connected to them. Yeah,
and it's really really fun to do Shakespeare that way,
even when it's in kind of a big room like
Hartford Stage. I think we're able to make it feel
really intimate.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Yeah, well, I think you're your director likes to do
that because I was there for Jekyl and Hyde with
my son Oh yeah, great of jack on Hyde, and
she certainly used entrances and exits that way. You know.
What I really loved was all my sons there that set. Yeah,
that set was so spectacular. I took a picture of
(04:13):
it and it was like my screensaver on my phone
for a couple of months because I just thought it
was such a beautiful set. I've got to imagine really yeah,
oh I love yeah, the little cottage and if you
can call it that, it's just a beautiful set. And
I would imagine.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
We actually have one of the one of the actors
from All My Sons, Henry Kelly, who is absolutely incredible.
She's in this production too. She's playing the nurse.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Yeah. Who was the big name snapped up for All
My Sons? Was from the TV show Family? Was it
Sadie Tolkien something like that. She was an actress. And
I wound up at the there's a great little I
don't know how well you know the area. Where are
you from, Carmen, I'm from New York City, from NYC,
so like right around the corner afterwards, this is this
(04:55):
great Italian restaurant, pizza place, but they just served great
and she was just in there and she's like, this
is where the cast comes like every you know, after
after every show, and I'm like, you were you were
on my favorite TV show on ABC when I was
a kid, like in the early eighties. It was a
little starstruck. And I've been in radio for years. I've
talked to a lot of my favorites, so it was
(05:17):
one of those moments. Are you enjoying your time in Hartford?
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Oh my gosh, it's been so much fun. I mean,
I just have loved being here. I've never been to
I've never worked at Hartford stage before this production and
many as our director has just been like such a
dream to work with. Our cast is so much fun
and it's just been great to spend so much time
together and get to explore Hartford a little bit. It's
just been a blast.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Yeah. And if you don't mind my saying so, Carmen Berkeley,
You've you've got a Juliet quality, you do? You look?
You look you look like a Juliet And uh, you know,
we we just lost the og to Hablin this past year,
and you do you remind me a bit of her
from that that production that she was in in some
(06:01):
of the still shots. I'm saying, I mean that when
I say it, you give off a little bit of
the same vibe. You look a bit like her.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Oh wow, I think that I take that as a
huge compliment. I mean, it's absolutely incredible and I just
really really love that movie and her performance is so unforgettable.
So thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Yeah, I loved it too. And you know, I'm fifty
seven years old, and I don't know how I saw
it when I was a kid. You probably sought it
out yourself. I would imagine studying and this and that.
And you've got some great credits, so you see you've
done a lot of TV. Do you prefer TV to
theater the other way around? Neither?
Speaker 2 (06:38):
I actually, I mean my background is mostly in theater.
It's what it's what I studied in school, and it's
kind of the place where I feel a little bit
more at home. But I love both. I mean they're
doing working on camera and working in theater. It's so different,
and I think it's just fun to have a little
bit of a mix of both in your career. Sometimes
I feel like when I'm doing one, I'll kind of
(06:59):
miss the other one a little bit, and it's just
fun to have a balance. But Peter is always like
kind of what I was saying before, in such as
Shakespeare nerd, theater is like the thing I first fell
in love with, and I just always wanted to be
a part of my life.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
Yeah, as a Shakespeare nerd. I mean you've said that
a couple of times. Are you going to go and
are you gonna go and hate watch this Romeo and
Juliet movie that's coming up, because Romeo and Juliette's kind
kind of having a renaissance right now. There's a lot
of difference. It's on broad you know, it's on Broadway
as musical with big names. You're doing a great production
of it here, which seems more tied to the original intention,
(07:36):
you know, what it was meant to be. And then
there's this big screen adaptation coming up that I think
you're gonna hate watch.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
I know, it's interesting. I feel like we've talked a
little bit about this in the process. Sometimes Shakespeare plays
will go through a certain phase where everybody is doing
them at all different theaters, and then there's a new
movie and stuff, and for some reason it just feels
like it's feels really, you know, timely, which I think
this production is, and Romeo and Juliet feel so I
(08:04):
don't know, it's just hearing it again now feels so.
It just feels so pressient for everything that's going on
in the world right now. And I don't know about
the movie. It's funny, there's so many different versions, and
like with any Shakespeare there's so many different directions you
can take it. I'm kind of biased now. I'm partial
to our production and everything we've done. So yeah, I
(08:24):
don't know what it's going to be like to watch
another movie. I think it's you know, it's tough, but
I don't go into a fit open mind. You know,
there's so many there's there's no right or wrong. There's
so many different ways you can do.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
I love the artwork on your poster too. I love
the I love the skull with the kshape. I think
that's badass artwork. To be honest with you.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
It's yeah, I love it too.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Yeah. I can't wait to see the show. I haven't
been out yet, but I've gotten until May eighteenth to
get there. It's Romeo and Juliet, Carmen Berkeley on with
us right now and continued success I can hopefully I
can meet you when I make it out there.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Awesome. Can't wait to Thanks you, Thank you so much
Carmen hy but soft? What light through yonder window breaks?
I can't even believe I remember that? And yet I
know is that played out to you? Is? Are people
shouting that to you? You are our Juliet in Romeo
and Juliet in the Hartford Stage? What a great score?
Are you hearing that everywhere you go? Are you a
(00:21):
Shakespeare fan going into this?
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Oh my gosh, Yeah, I mean I actually am. I'm
kind of like a huge Shakespeare nerds since I was
a pretty young kid. And yeah, I mean people. I
kind of love when I hear people say those lines
and talk about how they love it or how it
was like their first introduction to Shakespeare. Stuff like that.
I think it's really cool.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Yeah. The one I quote the most is and I said,
it's kind of weird how often I say to people
and how casually. But I'll say, a plague on both
your houses.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
I don't think that's the great I'm just you can't
forget about I bite my thumb at you, sir. Oh
that's you. Never forget to bring that one.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Out, you know, I will tell you A huge fan
of Shakespeare, you know, I'm just a voracious reader. I
always was I did always find him challenging though, Like
there were a lot of times on especially when I
was younger and I fancied myself a writer, you know,
I wanted to be a writer. I got into radio.
I did have a few books come out, But Shakespeare
(01:20):
I would put down and I'd be like, you know,
I got to take another stab at that, I got
to read that passage again. So I wonder what your
memorization process is like for the It's got to be
different than you would something more contemporary.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
Oh yeah, I mean that's yeah that I actually think
that this might sound weird, but sometimes with Shakespeare it
can actually be a little bit easier to memorize than
other things.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Just because it's the rhythm is so specific, and with
Romeo and Juliet especially, a lot of it is in
rhyming couplets, and it kind of follows this very specific meter.
You know, I am a contaminar and stuff. Not to
get too much into the way, it kind of gets
a little bit easier to memorize for that reason. But yeah,
I mean it was just kind of like plugging away
(02:08):
a little bit at a time during the rehearsal process.
I have kind of a couple of different things that
help memorization. Memorization go faster, Like I usually do it
while like pacing around, and something about like walking while
trying to do it. You kind of have like a
brain body connection and it helps you memorize easier that way.
But it was kind of crazy, like learning so many
(02:29):
of these lines that are so like iconic and that
you've heard for so long, and you're like, oh my gosh,
that's yeah, that's from this play. That would be saying
it on stage.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
Yeah, it's interesting to hear you say walking around and
this and that, because you know, as far as stages go,
when we're talking about Romeo and Juliet Hartford stage it
already started April seventeenth, runs through May eighteenth. As far
as rooms go, because I'm a theater geek and I
always was one, there's a little elbow room there. You know,
a lot of our beatiful venues here in Connecticut and
(03:01):
across the country. You know, it's interesting to see how
limited the space could sit. And who am I to say,
but would you agree that the Hartford stage that's a
roomier one than a lot of other stages Probably where
Romeo and Juliette was done before.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Yeah, I mean it's a really nice, beautiful, gorgeous space.
And what I love so much about it is that
it's in a thrust, so it's like rather than just
a proscenium where it's like kind of stage, and then
the audience is directly facing it. We have audience on
all three sides of the stage, and so we're able
to kind of have this really intimate feeling where we
can like walk right up to them and talk directly
(03:40):
to the audience and feel really connected to them. Yeah,
and it's really really fun to do Shakespeare that way,
even when it's in kind of a big room like
Hartford Stage. I think we're able to make it feel
really intimate.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Yeah, well, I think you're your director likes to do
that because I was there for Jekyl and Hyde with
my son Oh yeah, great of jack on Hyde, and
she certainly used entrances and exits that way. You know.
What I really loved was all my sons there that set. Yeah,
that set was so spectacular. I took a picture of
(04:13):
it and it was like my screensaver on my phone
for a couple of months because I just thought it
was such a beautiful set. I've got to imagine really yeah,
oh I love yeah, the little cottage and if you
can call it that, it's just a beautiful set. And
I would imagine.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
We actually have one of the one of the actors
from All My Sons, Henry Kelly, who is absolutely incredible.
She's in this production too. She's playing the nurse.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Yeah. Who was the big name snapped up for All
My Sons? Was from the TV show Family? Was it
Sadie Tolkien something like that. She was an actress. And
I wound up at the there's a great little I
don't know how well you know the area. Where are
you from, Carmen, I'm from New York City, from NYC,
so like right around the corner afterwards, this is this
(04:55):
great Italian restaurant, pizza place, but they just served great
and she was just in there and she's like, this
is where the cast comes like every you know, after
after every show, and I'm like, you were you were
on my favorite TV show on ABC when I was
a kid, like in the early eighties. It was a
little starstruck. And I've been in radio for years. I've
talked to a lot of my favorites, so it was
(05:17):
one of those moments. Are you enjoying your time in Hartford?
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Oh my gosh, it's been so much fun. I mean,
I just have loved being here. I've never been to
I've never worked at Hartford stage before this production and
many as our director has just been like such a
dream to work with. Our cast is so much fun
and it's just been great to spend so much time
together and get to explore Hartford a little bit. It's
just been a blast.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Yeah. And if you don't mind my saying so, Carmen Berkeley,
You've you've got a Juliet quality, you do? You look?
You look you look like a Juliet And uh, you know,
we we just lost the og to Hablin this past year,
and you do you remind me a bit of her
from that that production that she was in in some
(06:01):
of the still shots. I'm saying, I mean that when
I say it, you give off a little bit of
the same vibe. You look a bit like her.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Oh wow, I think that I take that as a
huge compliment. I mean, it's absolutely incredible and I just
really really love that movie and her performance is so unforgettable.
So thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Yeah, I loved it too. And you know, I'm fifty
seven years old, and I don't know how I saw
it when I was a kid. You probably sought it
out yourself. I would imagine studying and this and that.
And you've got some great credits, so you see you've
done a lot of TV. Do you prefer TV to
theater the other way around? Neither?
Speaker 2 (06:38):
I actually, I mean my background is mostly in theater.
It's what it's what I studied in school, and it's
kind of the place where I feel a little bit
more at home. But I love both. I mean they're
doing working on camera and working in theater. It's so different,
and I think it's just fun to have a little
bit of a mix of both in your career. Sometimes
I feel like when I'm doing one, I'll kind of
(06:59):
miss the other one a little bit, and it's just
fun to have a balance. But Peter is always like
kind of what I was saying before, in such as
Shakespeare nerd, theater is like the thing I first fell
in love with, and I just always wanted to be
a part of my life.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
Yeah, as a Shakespeare nerd. I mean you've said that
a couple of times. Are you going to go and
are you gonna go and hate watch this Romeo and
Juliet movie that's coming up, because Romeo and Juliette's kind
kind of having a renaissance right now. There's a lot
of difference. It's on broad you know, it's on Broadway
as musical with big names. You're doing a great production
of it here, which seems more tied to the original intention,
(07:36):
you know, what it was meant to be. And then
there's this big screen adaptation coming up that I think
you're gonna hate watch.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
I know, it's interesting. I feel like we've talked a
little bit about this in the process. Sometimes Shakespeare plays
will go through a certain phase where everybody is doing
them at all different theaters, and then there's a new
movie and stuff, and for some reason it just feels
like it's feels really, you know, timely, which I think
this production is, and Romeo and Juliet feel so I
(08:04):
don't know, it's just hearing it again now feels so.
It just feels so pressient for everything that's going on
in the world right now. And I don't know about
the movie. It's funny, there's so many different versions, and
like with any Shakespeare there's so many different directions you
can take it. I'm kind of biased now. I'm partial
to our production and everything we've done. So yeah, I
(08:24):
don't know what it's going to be like to watch
another movie. I think it's you know, it's tough, but
I don't go into a fit open mind. You know,
there's so many there's there's no right or wrong. There's
so many different ways you can do.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
I love the artwork on your poster too. I love
the I love the skull with the kshape. I think
that's badass artwork. To be honest with you.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
It's yeah, I love it too.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Yeah. I can't wait to see the show. I haven't
been out yet, but I've gotten until May eighteenth to
get there. It's Romeo and Juliet, Carmen Berkeley on with
us right now and continued success I can hopefully I
can meet you when I make it out there.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Awesome. Can't wait to Thanks you, Thank you so much
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com