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All 86 posts by

Austin Tichenor

is the co-artistic director of the Reduced Shakespeare Company; a writing and acting coach at The Shakespeareance; the co-author of ten stage comedies, including William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play (abridged) and The Comedy of Hamlet! (a prequel); the co-creator of the illustrated children’s books Pop-Up Shakespeare and Daisy, the Littlest Zombie; a contributor to The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Global Shakespeare and Shakespearean Biofiction on the Contemporary Stage and Screen (from Arden Shakespeare); and the host of the world’s oldest and longest-running theater podcast, the Reduced Shakespeare Company Podcast.
“All I Want For Crispin’s:” Mya Gosling’s Shakespearean Holiday Songbook
Shakespeare and Beyond

“All I Want For Crispin’s:” Mya Gosling’s Shakespearean Holiday Songbook

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Austin Tichenor
Combating Shakespearean shrinkage
Shakespeare and Beyond

Combating Shakespearean shrinkage

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Austin Tichenor
“I Want It That Way”: Rosaline & Juliet
Cast in & Juliet
Shakespeare and Beyond

“I Want It That Way”: Rosaline & Juliet

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Austin Tichenor

“In both ‘Rosaline,’ a charming teen romcom streaming on Hulu, and ‘& Juliet,’ a splashy new musical making its Broadway debut this week, Shakespeare’s tragedy becomes a surprising springboard for music, comedy, and investigations into narrative ownership,” writes Austin Tichenor.

“Worthy service": The Tempest-uousness of The White Lotus
Natasha Rothwell and Murray Bartlett in The White Lotus
Shakespeare and Beyond

“Worthy service": The Tempest-uousness of The White Lotus

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Austin Tichenor

HBO’s Emmy-winning “The White Lotus” transforms Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” into a darkly funny satire of the hospitality industry, writes Austin Tichenor.

“I do fear thy nature”: Kim Wexler and echoes of 'Macbeth' in 'Better Call Saul'
A man and woman sitting on a bed apart from each other in Better Call Saul
Shakespeare and Beyond

“I do fear thy nature”: Kim Wexler and echoes of 'Macbeth' in 'Better Call Saul'

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Austin Tichenor

Austin Tichenor draws comparisons between Kim Wexler and Lady Macbeth, unpacking Shakespearean themes in the “Better Call Saul” series.

'We few, we happy few': Small-cast Shakespeare
A small-cast Shakespeare performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream
Shakespeare and Beyond

'We few, we happy few': Small-cast Shakespeare

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Austin Tichenor

Austin Tichenor explores small-cast Shakespeare and the artistic possibilities of a few performers playing multiple roles.

A summer Shakespeare adventure: 'Her Majesty’s Will' by David Blixt
Her Majesty's Will book cover
Shakespeare and Beyond

A summer Shakespeare adventure: 'Her Majesty’s Will' by David Blixt

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Austin Tichenor

Austin Tichenor recommends an adventure novel starring a young Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare, who uncover a plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth.

Bothered by madness: 'Hamlet' and 'The Northman'
Alexander Skarsgård in The Northman
Shakespeare and Beyond

Bothered by madness: 'Hamlet' and 'The Northman'

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Austin Tichenor

Robert Eggers’s “The Northman” is not an adaptation of “Hamlet,” but a film in conversation with Shakespeare’s play, Austin Tichenor writes.

Something is rotten in the state of Gotham: Shakespeare and The Batman
Batman
Shakespeare and Beyond

Something is rotten in the state of Gotham: Shakespeare and The Batman

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Austin Tichenor

Austin Tichenor draws connections between Hamlet and Batman, noting the range of interpretations.

Actors taking on tyrants: Ernst Lubitsch’s 'To Be or Not to Be'
To Be or Not To Be film still
Shakespeare and Beyond

Actors taking on tyrants: Ernst Lubitsch’s 'To Be or Not to Be'

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Austin Tichenor

A Polish acting troupe outwits the Nazis using Shakespeare codes and theatrical smarts in Ernst Lubitsch’s 1942 film “To Be or Not to Be,” an audacious comedy filmed as Hitler was devastating Europe. Almost the definition of a joke told…

Is Shakespeare for everyone?
Shakespeare and Beyond

Is Shakespeare for everyone?

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Austin Tichenor

Austin Tichenor makes the case for why we should say “Shakespeare is for anyone who wants him” instead of “Shakespeare is for everyone.”

The power of restriction: Joel Coen's 'The Tragedy of Macbeth'
Denzel Washington in “The Tragedy of Macbeth
Shakespeare and Beyond

The power of restriction: Joel Coen's 'The Tragedy of Macbeth'

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Author
Austin Tichenor

Denzel Washington in The Tragedy of Macbeth, now streaming on Apple TV+ A movie that honors a play’s theatricality: That’s what director Joel Coen said he wanted for The Tragedy of Macbeth, his new adaptation of the Scottish play. The…

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