Actresses on Shakespeare

Folger Shakespeare Library: Shakespeare Unlimited

Folger Shakespeare Library

Arts

4.8 • 878 Ratings

🗓️ 20 March 2015

⏱️ 20 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

"All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players." (As You Like It, 2.7.146-147) In Shakespeare's time, only men appeared on stage, with teenage boys playing the women's parts. Today, women play women and sometimes men—and vice-versa. In this podcast we have gathered some of the best-known actresses in the Folger's home town, Washington, DC—Naomi Jacobsen, Cam Magee, Francelle Stewart Dorn, Victoria Reinsel, Charlene V Smith, and Holly Twyford—to talk about their experiences on stage with Shakespeare. The all-female staging of RICHARD III was produced for Brave Spirit Theater, with Jenna Berk as George, Duke of Clarence. First Murderer was Rachel Hynes; Second Murderer was Tina Renay Fulp. ---------------- From the Shakespeare Unlimited podcast series. © Folger Shakespeare Library. All rights reserved. Produced for the Folger Shakespeare Library by Richard Paul; Garland Scott, associate producer. Edited by Gail Kern Paster and Esther Ferington. The music in the piece was composed and arranged by Lenny Williams. We had help gathering material for Shakespeare Unlimited from Amy Arden.

Transcript

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0:00.0	From the Folger Shakespeare Library, this is Shakespeare Unlimited.
0:06.0	I'm Michael Whitmore, the Folgers director.
0:09.0	This podcast is called Women Merely Players.
0:16.0	In Shakespeare's time, of course, only men appeared on stage,
0:19.0	with teenage boys playing the women's parts.
0:22.6	Today, women play women and sometimes men, and vice versa. In this podcast, we've gathered
0:28.6	some of the best-known actresses in the Fulcher's hometown, Washington, D.C., to talk about their
0:34.5	experiences on stage with Shakespeare.
0:41.2	Hi, my name is Naomi Jacobson.
0:42.3	My name is Cam McGee.
0:43.7	I'm Franchell Stuart Dorn.
0:45.2	I'm Victoria Reinsel.
0:46.8	My name is Charlene V. Smith.
0:52.8	My name is Holly Twyford and the Shakespeare women who I have played.
0:55.9	Oh, Lord, the roles that I've played. It's really funny. I have actually an entire list on my refrigerator at home.
0:59.7	Of all the Shakespeare roles, I need to play before I die.
1:02.7	And one by one, I cross them off as I get through them.
1:05.8	I've played Julia in two gents.
1:08.7	Queen Elizabeth and Richard the third.
1:11.6	Marissa in the Merchant of Venice.
1:14.6	Jessica in the Merchant of Venice.
1:16.6	Juliet in Romeo and Juliet.
	...

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