Episodes

  • The Merchant of Venice: Bonus with Sparky Roberts (rerun)

    The Merchant of Venice: Bonus with Sparky Roberts (rerun)
    Apr 24 2026
    Was Shakespeare anti-semitic? In this bonus episode, Tim chats about this question with special guest Judith "Sparky" Roberts. Sparky comes from a Jewish background and was a theatre teacher at the University of Oregon and Lane Community College. Her graduate study, at Brandeis University, was under the great American Shakespearean actor, Morris Carnovksy.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    52 mins
  • The Merchant of Venice: Act V (rerun)

    The Merchant of Venice: Act V (rerun)
    Apr 17 2026
    Join Tim, and Heidi, and Sarah-Jane as they wrap up their conversation of Shakespeare's classic play.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 hr
  • The Merchant of Venice: Act IV (rerun)

    The Merchant of Venice: Act IV (rerun)
    Apr 10 2026
    Act IV is usually the key act in any Shakespeare play, and The Merchant of Venice isn't any different. Join Tim, Heidi, and Sarah-Jane as they explore why.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    49 mins
  • The Merchant of Venice: Act III (rerun)

    The Merchant of Venice: Act III (rerun)
    Apr 3 2026
    Join Tim, Heidi, and Sarah-Jane as they dive Into the always-important third act of The Merchant of Venice.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • The Merchant of Venice: Act II (rerun)

    The Merchant of Venice: Act II (rerun)
    Mar 27 2026
    Join Tim, Heidi, and Sarah-Jane as they discuss Shakespeare's exploration of the folly of people who are put to the test, Bossanio's role (and his name), Shylock's complex role in the play, and much more.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    52 mins
  • The Merchant of Venice: Act I (rerun)

    The Merchant of Venice: Act I (rerun)
    Mar 20 2026
    Join Tim, Heidi, and Sarah-Jane as they dive into Shakespeare's great play, The Merchant of Venice. In this episode, they discuss the character of Portia, Shylock's unnerving nature, a little of bit of context, and much more.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 hr and 12 mins
  • James Shapiro and Shakespeare in a Divided America (rerun)

    James Shapiro and Shakespeare in a Divided America (rerun)
    Mar 13 2026

    In this episode, noted author James Shapiro joins the show to discuss his new book, Shakespeare in a Divide America. Dr. Shapiro and Tim discuss Donald Trump, Abraham Lincoln, and John Wilkes Booth in a conversation about how Shakespeare's plays have showcased America's common grounds and battle grounds alike. Shapiro's book has been nominated for the National Book Award and was a NYT top ten book of 2020.


    The Play's the Thing is produced by Goldberry Studios for the CiRCE Podcast Network.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    39 mins
  • Romeo + Juliet: Q&A (rerun)

    Romeo + Juliet: Q&A (rerun)
    Mar 6 2026
    In this episode Tim, Heidi, and Sarah Jane are answering your questions about Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet!

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 hr and 33 mins