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By Silicon Valley Shakespeare

Silicon Valley Shakespeare is innovating, illuminating, and inspiring with a mix of exclusive performances, behind-the-scenes interviews, and an exploration into the weird and wonderful world of William Shakespeare.
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Episode 31: Bard Talk - All's Well That Ends Well

ShakesPodFeb 26, 2024

00:00
30:35
Episode 31: Bard Talk - All's Well That Ends Well

Episode 31: Bard Talk - All's Well That Ends Well

In this episode, SVS Resident Dramaturg, Doll Piccotto, does a deep dive into Shakespeare's All's Well That Ends Well.

Feb 26, 202430:35
Episode 30: Flipping the Script 3

Episode 30: Flipping the Script 3

In the third edition of "Flipping the Script," SVS presents another round of artists performing monologues in roles they wouldn't be traditionally cast in. Featuring pieces from Romeo & Juliet, Julius Caesar, The Importance of Being Earnest, and more; this episode will having you seeing these characters in a new light. 

Nov 25, 202314:19
Episode 29: Shakespeare & Film

Episode 29: Shakespeare & Film

Silicon Valley Shakespeare's Production Manager, Tonya Mara, has a lively discussion with guests Doll Piccotto and Christian Pizzirani about all the good (and bad) examples of Shakespeare inspired films as SVS gears up for Shakespeare in Love, opening at Sanborn this summer.


May 27, 202355:24
Episode 28: Bard Talk - King Lear

Episode 28: Bard Talk - King Lear

In this episode, SVS Resident Dramaturg, Doll Piccotto, does a deep dive into Shakespeare's King Lear.

Apr 10, 202320:53
Episode 27: Twelfth Night Directors Interview

Episode 27: Twelfth Night Directors Interview

Silicon Valley Shakespeare Production Manager, Tonya Mara, sits down with Twelfth Night's co-directors, Ivette Deltoro and Erin Southard, to discuss their vision of SVS's upcoming Willow Street production of Twelfth Night

Feb 25, 202338:34
Episode 26: Bard Talk - Twelfth Night

Episode 26: Bard Talk - Twelfth Night

Kicking off our 2023 season, SVS Resident Dramaturg, Doll Piccotto, gives a fun and interesting in depth look at Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.

Jan 31, 202319:50
Episode 25: Flipping the Script 2

Episode 25: Flipping the Script 2

In the second edition of "flipping the script" SVS presents another round of artists performing monologues in roles they wouldn't be traditionally cast in. Featuring pieces from Hamlet, King Lear, Dr. Faustus, and more; this episode will having you seeing these characters in a new light. 

Nov 25, 202219:13
Episode 24: Jane Austen

Episode 24: Jane Austen

Bard Talk “The World of Jane Austen”

What was it like to be a woman in Regency England? What does the right of primogeniture even mean?!? Dive into the world of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility with SVS Dramaturg Doll Piccotto to answer these questions and more.

Reference material:

1. An Analysis of Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, Schatzie Speaks, Owlcation Online, June 19, 2018

2. Sense and Sensibility Analysis--Elinor and Marianne, Close Reading with Dr. Octavia Cox, YouTube, May 15, 2020.

May 14, 202221:12
Episode 23: Measure for Measure Director Interview

Episode 23: Measure for Measure Director Interview

Production Manager, Tonya Mara, sits down and discusses SVS's upcoming Sanborn production of Measure for Measure with show's director, Doll Piccotto. 

This episode does contain mention of sexual assault so listener discretion is advised.

Mar 26, 202239:29
Episode 22: LGBTQ+ in Shakespeare

Episode 22: LGBTQ+ in Shakespeare

SVS' 2022 live season starts with a LGBTQ+ version of Romeo & Juliet. To help us kickstart our season, SVS Artistic Director, Angie Higgins, sits down with company Dramaturg, Doll Piccotto, to discuss the history of R&J and LGBTQ+ in Shakespeare. 

Feb 19, 202220:25
Episode 21: Audition Tips for Actors

Episode 21: Audition Tips for Actors

SVS Production Manager, Tonya Mara, sits down with Ivette Deltoro (Casting Assistant for City Lights Theater Company), Sara Dean (Executive Artistic Director for South Bay Musical Theatre), and Melinda Marks (Free lance director/artist in the Bay Area) to discuss helpful tips and tricks for actors when going back in to the audition room. 

Jan 22, 202247:15
Episode 20: Interview with Audacity Performing Arts Project

Episode 20: Interview with Audacity Performing Arts Project

SVS Artistic Director, Angie Higgins, sits down with company founder, Louis Stone-Collonge, and executive director, Rosalind Sanchez, to chat about the importance of inclusion-based theatre productions, artistic programming, and quality arts education.  

Dec 18, 202152:35
Episode 19: Flipping the Script

Episode 19: Flipping the Script

SVS is “flipping the script” and presenting gender-swapped performances of Shakespearean monologues. Featuring pieces from Twelfth Night, Macbeth, Othello and more, this episode will have you seeing these characters in a new light.

Nov 27, 202133:34
Episode 18: Bard Talk - Shakespeare's Ghosts

Episode 18: Bard Talk - Shakespeare's Ghosts

Just in time for Halloween, SVS Resident Dramaturg Doll Piccotto gives a spooky new Bard Talk all about ghosts in Shakespeare’s plays. From Richard III to Macbeth, Julius Caesar to Hamlet, ghosts play a significant roles in some of Shakespeare’s most iconic works. Learn about how ghosts were perceived during the Elizabethan Era, and how beliefs during that time molded the way Shakespeare included ghosts as characters in his plays.

Oct 30, 202126:49
Bard Audio Play 3: RICHARD III

Bard Audio Play 3: RICHARD III

Silicon Valley Shakespeare presents Richard III, our final summer Bard audio play.

Directed by Doll Piccotto with sound design & editing by Ryan Lee Short, this riveting production follows one of Shakespeare’s (and history’s) most devious, manipulative villains in his pursuit of the crown. Hear the tale as you’ve never heard it before—as a 1940’s radio drama, complete with era-inspired commercials.

CAST

Richard III… LaMont Ridgell

Buckingham… David Boyll

Queen Margaret, others… Valerie Façhman

Lady Anne, others… Sarah Benjamin

Richmond, others… Kyle Dayrit

Clarence, others… Muse Lee

Queen Elizabeth, others… Sarah Lee

Edward, others… Tom Shamrell

Duchess of York, others… Cynthia Lagodzinski

Aug 28, 202101:30:00
Bard Audio Play 2: THE COMEDY OF ERRORS

Bard Audio Play 2: THE COMEDY OF ERRORS

Silicon Valley Shakespeare presents The Comedy of Errors, our second summer Bard audio play.

Directed by Angie Higgins with sound design & editing by Phil Surtees, this hilarious farce of mistaken identity follows two sets of identical twins who were separated from each other years before but now find themselves in the same city. It will have you reeling with laughter!

CAST

Antipholus of Syracus & Ephesus… Tom Gough

Dromio of Syracus & Ephesus… Evelyn Huynh

Adriana… Regina Kohl

Luciana, Second Merchant… Nicole Javier

Egeon, Officer… Kyle Smith

Emelia, First Merchant… Josie Burgin Lawson

Courtesan, Balthazar… Ambera DeLash

Duke Solinus, Angelo, Servant… James Eric Lucas

Jul 31, 202101:18:49
Bard Audio Play 1: TITUS ANDRONICUS

Bard Audio Play 1: TITUS ANDRONICUS

Silicon Valley Shakespeare presents Titus Andronicus, the first in our summer Bard audio plays series.

Directed by Tonya Mara with sound design, music & editing by Charlie Hoyt, this chilling tale begins when Roman general Titus Andronicus returns from war with four prisoners. What follows is a series of murders, retaliation and revenge.

CAST

Titus… Evan Darwin Winet

Tamora… Lucy Littlewood

Saturnius… Arthur Scappaticci

Marcus… Sarah Thermond

Lucius/Martius… Melinda Marks

Lavinia/Aemilius… Stephanie Whigham

Bassianus/Publius… Andre Leben

Chiron/Quintus… Arturo Dirzo

Demetrius/Mutius… Alan Coyne

Jul 03, 202101:27:20
Episode 17: Interview with EnActe Arts

Episode 17: Interview with EnActe Arts

SVS Marketing Director Laura Domingo sits down with EnActe Arts Artistic Director Vinita Sud Belani and Director of Education Vijay M. Rajan. They discuss how the Silicon Valley theatre company and arts organization is on a mission to be a talent incubator and to tell South Asian stories with universal appeal.

Jun 12, 202148:12
Episode 16: Bard Talk: The Merchant of Venice

Episode 16: Bard Talk: The Merchant of Venice

Silicon Valley Shakespeare’s Resident Dramaturg Doll Piccotto talks about how the social and political structures of 16th century Venice—including the restrictions placed on Jewish residents—made the city one of the only places where the story of The Merchant of Venice could be set.

May 29, 202126:24
Episode 12 - Playwrights in Quarantine

Episode 12 - Playwrights in Quarantine

Local playwright, Ross Harkness, sits down with other Bay Area writers to discuss what it's been like as a playwright during quarantine in our latest episode of ShakesPod

May 25, 202155:04
Episode 15: Interview with Annalisa Tkacheff

Episode 15: Interview with Annalisa Tkacheff

SVS Artistic Director Angie Higgins sits down with our new Executive Director, Annalisa Tkacheff. Hear all about Annalisa's journey to Silicon Valley Shakespeare, her own personal history with the Bard, and her vision for the company's future.

May 16, 202132:25
Episode 14 - Ira Aldridge

Episode 14 - Ira Aldridge

SVS Resident Dramaturg Doll Picotto explores the complex history of race in Shakespeare performance, including the lens in which we view his works, and the life of Ira Aldridge, the first Black Shakespearean actor.

Apr 23, 202123:10
Episode 13 - Interview with College of Adaptive Arts

Episode 13 - Interview with College of Adaptive Arts

SVS sits down with the professors from the College of Adaptive Arts, a non-profit in San Jose that's paving a new path for adults with special needs, to chat about why art and accessibility is important for everyone. 

Apr 10, 202142:08
Episode 11: Bard Talk; The Politics of Julius Caesar

Episode 11: Bard Talk; The Politics of Julius Caesar

SVS dramaturge, Doll Piccotto, give us an in depth look at the Politics of Julius Caesar, just in time for the Ides of March!

Mar 06, 202123:15
Episode 10: Love is Love, Part II

Episode 10: Love is Love, Part II

Our "Love is Love" series continues as SVS Production Manager Tonya Duncan sits down with Bay Area artists and members of the LGBTQ+ community Larry Barrott, Kein Heath, and Marley Teter to discuss LGBTQ+ representation on the stage.

Feb 20, 202156:06
Episode 9: Love is Love

Episode 9: Love is Love

“I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest.” (Much Ado About Nothing, Act IV, Scene i)

SVS Production Manager Tonya Duncan sits down with Erika Cisnernos, Outreach Coordinator for the LGBTQ Youth Space, to discuss their work within the LGBTQ+ community. A San José-based non-profit, the LGBTQ Youth Space provides mental health programs and community support for LGBTQ, questioning, and ally youth and young adults. 

Feb 06, 202139:57
Episode 8: Music to My Ears, Part 2

Episode 8: Music to My Ears, Part 2

We continue our journey through the sounds of Shakespeare next Saturday with part two of ShakesPod’s "Music to My Ears." SVS Actor and Photographer Christian Pizzirani sits down with some of the Bay Area’s favorite sound designers — Charlie Hoyt, Phil Surtees, and George Psarras — to talk about the behind-the-scenes world of sound design and composition.

Jan 23, 202145:51
Episode 7: Music to My Ears

Episode 7: Music to My Ears

SVS Production Manager Tonya Duncan sits down with some of the Bay Area’s top musical theatre aficionados to chat about musicals inspired by Shakespeare. Featuring SVS Executive Director (and musical theatre director) Doug Brook, director and vocal director Diane Milo, and director and SVS stage veteran Walter Mayes, our guests gab about your favorite Shakespeare-inspired musical, and some hidden Broadway gems you might not know about.

Jan 09, 202150:12
Episode 6: SVS Gives Back
Dec 12, 202046:04
Episode 5: “Nasty Women” get it done!, Part II

Episode 5: “Nasty Women” get it done!, Part II

It’s the second half of ShakesPod’s Nasty Women series, featuring the behind-the-scenes stories from the ultimate lady bosses of theatre, our panel of female stage managers. This week, ShakesPod shines a spotlight on the ladies who defy convention. Hosted by SVS Production Manager Tonya Duncan, and featuring Bay Area stage managers Chrissie Schwanhausser, Michelle Singh, and Alexandra Maisonneuve Teixeira, this episode is an inside look at the empowered women of our daily lives.

Nov 21, 202055:50
Episode 4: “Nasty Women” get it done!

Episode 4: “Nasty Women” get it done!

ShakesPod shines a spotlight on the ladies who defy convention. We’re diving into the history of women in theatre with SVS dramaturg Doll Piccoto and featuring some of the most talented female-identifying and non-binary actors as they tackle traditionally male Shakespearean monologues. Featuring pieces from Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, Othello, and other iconic Shakespearean monologues, this episode is a battle cry for Nasty Women.

Nov 07, 202037:15
Episode 3: Magic and Mischief

Episode 3: Magic and Mischief

In this episode, SVS is getting into the Halloween spirit! This frighteningly funny Halloween special is hosted by the creepiest couple on the block, Ms. Tamora and Titus (Doll Piccotto and James Lucas). Join our devilishly delightful hosts as they interview the infamous witches of Macbeth.

Oct 31, 202022:16
Bonus Episode: An Interview with Aldo Billingslea
Oct 24, 202042:56
Bard Talk: History of Macbeth

Bard Talk: History of Macbeth

Our premiere episode, “Bard Talk: History of Macbeth,” dives into the horrific hidden history of Macbeth and features special performances by 2019’s Macbeth Theatre Bay Area Award Finalist Witches (Drew B. Jones, Sarah Thermond, and Sara Razavi) and Porter (Keenan Flagg).

Oct 20, 202022:32