Episode Eleven: Rhapsody Collective

Rhapsody Collective: A Rhapsodic Collection of Collective Collectivity if ever there were one!

You're welcome for that fantastic new tagline, Rhapsody Collective. And YOU'RE welcome, listener, for this fantastic new podcast. We sit down this week with Michael Bradley Block and Gillian Durkee of Rhapsody Collective and chat about everything under the sun. From Shakespeare to David Lee Roth, from the Seven Deadly Sins to a five-and-a-half hour show about the Bible. We've got it all!

Cycle Two of Rhapsody Collective's monstrosity of a work is seven short plays, each one centered around or themed by one of the seven deadly sins: Lust, Pride, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and...dumb...ness.... No, sorry, Greed. That's the one.

We hope you'll be able to make it. To reserve yourself a spot, you can email the collective at rhapsodycollective@gmail.com

So listen well, and don't forget to click on all those luscious links!

Like Rhapsody on Facebook! HERE
Explore Rhapsody's Dramaturgy Page! HERE
And Read All About It at TheaterInTheNow! HERE <--- No, seriously, read that one. It's us!

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As always, thank you for reading about, listening to, Liking, Following, and generally supporting Hamlet Isn't Dead! And if you only fall into one or a few of those categories, it's not too late to take it up a notch!

Like us on Facebook HERE!

Follow us on Twitter HERE!

And if you or anyone you know feels the need to join us on an episode of Tales Told by a HIDiot (the world's 82nd greatest Shakespeare-related podcast), e-mail us at hamletisntdead@gmail.com and we'll save you a seat!

All the best,

David Andrew Laws

     Artistic Director, HID

Episode Ten - Writopia Lab

Tales Told by a HIDiot: Episode Ten - Writopia Lab!

Welcome to the most tenth episode of Hamlet Isn't Dead's award-wanting podcast ever, Tales Told by a HIDiot! This week we sat down with Kara Ayn Napolitano and Evan Greene who talk to us about Writopia Lab! This is a fantastic event and opportunity for writers (not only playwrights) eighteen and younger! All of our podcasts are equally important, but this one has to do with the future of theatre (!!!) so listen well!

We even sneak in a little Shakespeare discussion at the end, but for the most part, it's Writopia, Writopia, Writopia. This year's batch includes five musicals! Heck, we probably couldn't write a musical now, let alone at fifteen! So listen up, enjoy, and do everything you can to support this wonderful group. We thank you, the children thank you, and the theatre community at large thanks you.

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As always, thank you for reading about, listening to, Liking, Following, and generally supporting Hamlet Isn't Dead! And if you only fall into one or a few of those categories, it's not too late to take it up a notch!

Like us on Facebook HERE!
Follow us on Twitter HERE!

And if you or anyone you know feels the need to join us on an episode of Tales Told by a HIDiot (the world's 82nd greatest Shakespeare-related podcast), e-mail us at hamletisntdead@gmail.com and we'll save you a seat!

All the best,
David Andrew Laws
     Artistic Director, HID

Tales Told by a HIDiot: Episode Nine -                                             Pull Together Productions

WARNING: The following podcast contains segments of extremely nerdy discussions about William Shakespeare. You're either gonna love it or you're gonna absolutely LOVE it. This week we have a grand old sit-down with the founder of Pull Together Productions, Brian Gillespie, and one of his (and our) favorite actors, Luke Wise. Click on their sexy names for more information!

You can't see it, but there's some great theatre hogtied over there.

But before all that, we talk about PTP's upcoming pulled together production "Virus Attacks Heart", which will be a part of this year's Planet Connections Theatre Festival. It's a lovely two-hander presented in non-chronological order (something we at HID know nothing about). It's beautiful, challenging, and written by Shannon Murdoch of Melbourne, Australia.

So, listen well, click on all the clickables below, and remember, it's Hamlet Isn't Dead: Eco-Friendly, whether we know it or not.

A Link about the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity: PCTF

A Link on what it means to be Environmentally Friendly: ECO-YAY!

As promised, a link to the color of the shirt Luke was wearing during the podcast: SALMON

And, for those curious few, here's the current tally of everyone's favorite Shakespeare play over the course of the podcast: DAVID WAS VERY WRONG

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As always, thank you for reading about, listening to, Liking, Following, and generally supporting Hamlet Isn't Dead! And if you only fall into one or a few of those categories, it's not too late to take it up a notch!

Like us on Facebook HERE!

Follow us on Twitter HERE!

And if you or anyone you know feels the need to join us on an episode of Tales Told by a HIDiot (the world's 76th greatest Shakespeare-related podcast), e-mail us at hamletisntdead@gmail.com and we'll save you a seat!

All the best,

David Andrew Laws

     Artistic Director, HID

Tales Told by a HIDiot: Episode Eight - Brandon Monokian

Imagine you have a lot of pies. A lot of pies. Now imagine that someone has a finger in each of those pies. Geez, that's a lot of fingers in a lot of pies! That man...is Brandon Monokian. Brandon has only been living in New York City for two months, but this week we interviewed him about THREE pieces of his own devising being performed from May to July.

"Grimm Women", "Peter Pan is Dead", and "echo, narcissus, narcissus, echo", all Brandon Monokian creations, are coming to you in various festivals all over New York City this summer. If modern adaptations of fairy tales and Greek myths are your thing, you are in for quite a treat! Listen well as we share anecdotes and advice for actors, writers, and directors alike.

As promised, here are links galore! Get your tickets now and go see some brilliantly moving theatre. We command it!  

Grimm Women @ The West End Cabaret Theatre: Click Here

Peter Pan is Dead @ Cabrini Repertory Theatre : Click Here

echo, narcissus, narcissus, echo @ The Fresh Fruit Festival: Click Here

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As always, thank you for reading about, listening to, Liking, Following, and generally supporting Hamlet Isn't Dead! And if you only fall into one or a few of those categories, it's not too late to take it up a notch!

Like us on Facebook HERE!

Follow us on Twitter HERE!

And if you or anyone you know feels the need to join us on an episode of Tales Told by a HIDiot (the world's 42nd greatest Shakespeare-related podcast), e-mail us at hamletisntdead@gmail.com and we'll save you a seat!

All the best,

David Andrew Laws

     Artistic Director, HID

Tales Told by a HIDiot: Episode Seven - Emily & Kate                      (The Bedlam Special)

Tales Told by a HIDiot is ecstatic to present Emily Lyon and Kate Hamill! Both of these amazing artists are multi-talented and are currently lending their talents to Bedlam Theatre Company. And, luckily for us, they lend their voices to our humble podcast this week. We talk about their time with Bedlam, their own upcoming works, and the nature of serendipity. What's not to like?
Nothing. That's what.

We also discuss which of Shakespeare's plays is the least sexy! And we really want to hear from you, cause our opinions are split. Comment herein or email us at hamletisntdead@gmail.com. Tell us why and maybe we'll quote you for all to see!!

Auditions for Emily's production of The Arsonists are TOMORROW! So sign up now! And then go see it (either from onstage or off) from May 16th to 19th. You can e-mail Emily at emasuntalyon@gmail.com. You can try to glean that from the podcast, but it's hilariously difficult. Give it a listen!

And, as promised in the podcast, here are the various links to the various fun and amazing things going on in each of our various lives. Play your cards right and they can be a part of yours as well!

To learn more about The Arsonists and show your support, click here!

To sign up for a Marathon reading of Shakespeare, clicketh here!

And to come see HID's Artistic Director perform in an 1,100-seat theatre, click here!

And as always, stay undead, fellow HIDiots!

All the best,

David Andrew Laws

     Artistic Director, Hamlet Isn't Dead

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As always, thank you for reading about, listening to, Liking, Following, and generally supporting Hamlet Isn't Dead! And if you only fall into a few of those categories, it's not too late to take it up a notch!

Like us on Facebook HERE!
Follow us on Twitter HERE!

And if you or anyone you know feels the need to join us on an episode of Tales Told by a HIDiot (the world's 85th best Shakespeare-related podcast), e-mail us at hamletisntdead@gmail.com and we'll be sure to save you a seat.

All the best,

     David Andrew Laws

Artistic Director, HID

Tales Told by a(n) HIDiot: Episode Six - Turn to Flesh Productions

Turn to Flesh Productions:                                                                 Old Theatre Made New & New Theatre Made Great

It's another ridiculously attractive edition of Tales Told by a HIDiot! This week we sit down with Emily C. A. Snyder and James Parenti of...well, of quite a few things, frankly! Both of these artists are elbows-deep in a sub-section of New York theatre we have dubbed The New Verse Community.

Give us credit for one thing, Hamlet Isn't Dead is good at coming up with catchy titles.

Join us as we get in-depth on the writing process, both new and old, from Shakespeare to Shetler Studios. We chat about workshops available to actors, writers, directors, and more such as DARE Lab (and Hamlet Isn't Dead's LMNOPs!!). And you'll learn when and where you can see Parenti's new play May Violets Spring, a new story for a new Ophelia. Gah, we're amazing at tag lines as well!

(Okay, so James' girlfriend came up with that one. Still. We are.)

So get ready to talk pentameter,

Learn of new theatre and speak of old.

With Turn to Flesh Productions and DARE Lab,

You're guaranteed a podcast of pure gold!

All the best,

-David Andrew Laws

     Artistic Director, Hamlet Isn't Dead

To learn more about Turn to Flesh, click here.

For the Whens and Wheres of DARE Lab, click here.

And to get your tickets for the most Ophelia-tastic show around, click here.

So listen well and enjoy Tales Told by a HIDiot, Episode Six!

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As always, thank you for reading about, listening to, Liking, Following, and generally supporting Hamlet Isn't Dead! And if you only fall into a few of those categories, it's not too late to take it up a notch!

Like us on Facebook HERE!
Follow us on Twitter HERE!

And if you or anyone you know feels the need to join us on an episode of Tales Told by a HIDiot (PodOmatic's 24th best free performing arts podcast), e-mail us at hamletisntdead@gmail.com and we'll be sure to save you a seat.

Be sure to join us next week when we talk to James Parenti and Emily C.A. Snyder of Turn to Flesh Productions.

All the best,

     David Andrew Laws

Artistic Director, HID

Tales Told by a HIDiot: Episode Five - WOW Café Theatre

WOW Café Theatre: Women and Transgender and Theatre, Oh yes!

Let it be known that Robin Rightmyer and I (founders of Hamlet Isn't Dead) are neither women nor transgender. We don't fall into WOW Café Theatre's demographic of artists within the LGBT community or, try as we might, lesbian separatists. But that doesn't mean we don't understand the absolute importance of and complete need for a place like WOW Café Theatre to exist. And to continue to do so, they need your help.

In the early 1980s, a group of women joined together to create a collective of like-minded (and like-gendered) artists, in order to give women the opportunities to perform, create, and generally participate in the arts in ways that the "mainstream" was not allowing them.  Over the years, that mission statement expanded to other repressed groups such as trans people and the LGBT community at large.

Now WOW needs your assistance, both financially and physically, to stay alive. Massive renovations must be done to their East Village location in order to remain open and functioning. If you can spare anything at all, please go to wowcafe.org and donate. If you can't, spread the word to someone who can. Or someone who will spread the word as well.

This is a true collective, run on sweat equity and unanimous artistic decisions. Organizations like this are incredibly rare, and this one must not fall prey to its own generosity. We must fight to keep WOW serving the New York City arts scene for another thirty years.

If you need further convincing, listen as Hamlet Isn't Dead sits down with Sharon Jane Smith and Jessica Cermak of the WOW Theatre Collective to talk about its history and its role in the arts community on this week's edition of Tales Told by a HIDiot:

http://hamletisntdead.podomatic.com/entry/2014-03-18T21_00_00-07_00

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As always, thank you for reading about, listening to, Liking, Following, and generally supporting Hamlet Isn't Dead! And if you only fall into a few of those categories, it's not too late to take it up a notch!

Like us on Facebook HERE!
Follow us on Twitter HERE!

And if you or anyone you know feels the need to join us on an episode of Tales Told by a HIDiot (PodOmatic's 24th best free performing arts podcast), e-mail us at hamletisntdead@gmail.com and we'll be sure to save you a seat.

Be sure to join us next week when we talk to James Parenti and Emily C.A. Snyder of Turn to Flesh Productions.

All the best,

     David Andrew Laws

Artistic Director, HID