meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Folger Shakespeare Library: Shakespeare Unlimited

Adapting Shakespeare

Folger Shakespeare Library: Shakespeare Unlimited

Folger Shakespeare Library

Arts

4.8878 Ratings

🗓️ 3 May 2017

⏱️ 35 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What exactly counts as a Shakespeare adaptation? And why bother in the first place? In this podcast episode, we talk with three writers who have wrestled with these questions. Craig Wright is a TV writer and showrunner whose play, Melissa Arctic, a retelling of "The Winter’s Tale" set in rural Minnesota, premiered at Folger Theatre in 2004 and went on to play across the country. Chris Stezin’s play "Mac, Beth," which just ended a run at DC’s Keegan Theater, involves a businessman and his PR executive wife plotting to kill the CEO of Duncan Enterprises. Washington Post humor columnist Alexandra Petri’s new play "Tell My Story" – Hamlet in the world of online fan fiction – opens this summer as the next work by the DC playwrights collaborative The Welders. They are interviewed by Barbara Bogaev. From the Shakespeare Unlimited podcast series. Published May 3, 2017. © Folger Shakespeare Library. All rights reserved. This episode, “It Is A Copy Out Of Mine” was produced by Richard Paul. Garland Scott is the associate producer. It was edited by Gail Kern Paster and Esther Ferington. Esther French is the web producer. We had help from Casey Vandeventer and from Cecily Meza-Martinez at NPR in Washington and Leo Delagula at NPR-West in Culver City, California.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Let me ask you a question.

0:02.0

Is this Shakespeare?

0:03.5

You okay?

0:04.5

Yeah, just a minor encounter with the shrew.

0:08.2

It's your girlfriend's sister.

0:10.1

Wait, that's Bianca's sister?

0:11.3

The mulling, Rampalian wretch herself.

0:15.0

Okay, same question.

0:16.8

Is this Shakespeare?

0:18.5

Yom!

0:19.4

Yom!

0:21.6

Uh, Yom! Yom! Yom! Her! Yom!

0:22.6

Yom!

0:23.6

Hurnia!

0:24.6

Separating kidneys, reeks,

0:28.6

cat boils, frankly, kangrenous, armpit dripping maggots.

0:31.6

Oh, sod the pudding club!

0:34.6

And one more question.

0:36.6

Why adapting Shakespeare? Why bother? From the Folger Shakespeare Library,

0:48.4

this is Shakespeare Unlimited. I'm Michael Whitmore, the Folgers director. This podcast is called It Is a Copy Out of Mine.

0:57.4

The clips you heard at the top were from a Hollywood movie and a long-running play.

1:02.5

The first was from Ten Things I Hate About You, which hit movie theaters in 1992.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Folger Shakespeare Library, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Folger Shakespeare Library and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.