Actor MCKINLEY BELCHER III joins host Nathan Winkelstein for a conversation about William Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus and the enduring power of one of Shakespeare’s most brutal tragedies. Focusing on Aaron’s speech in Act 5, Scene 1 —“Ay, that I had not done a thousand more.” — they explore the character’s unapologetic embrace of villainy, his place in a world consumed by revenge, and the complexities of bringing such a notorious figure to life. They consider what makes Titus Andronicus so viscerally compelling, how its cycles of violence and retribution resonate with our own moment, and what happens when we look beyond the play’s bloodshed to confront the humanity of its characters.

Director of Programming and Performance at the Folger Shakespeare Library, and Artistic Director of Folger Theatre, KAREN ANN DANIELS joins host Nathan Winkelstein for a deeply personal conversation about William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. They delve into the play’s iconic “Kill Claudio” speech in Act 4, Scene 1, Daniels’ own “gateway drug” to Shakespeare, and her enduring connection to his work. Daniels and Winkelstein explore Shakespeare’s leading women, the ways they navigate — and push against — their societal roles, and the complicated realities of being a woman in the world. They discuss the friendship between Beatrice and Hero, the pressures of social status and relationships, and Daniels’ playful approach to Shakespeare. Along the way, they consider how theater can expand our sense of what is possible—and why Daniels saw so much possibility in Beatrice.

Celebrated Shakespearean actor and Red Bull stalwart MATTHEW RAUCH joined host NATHAN WINKELSTEIN for a conversation about Shakespeare’s first great villain, Richard III. Rauch performs Richard’s iconic Act 5 Scene 3 speech—“Give me another horse! Bind up my wounds!”—and explores the unseen side of this notorious king. (7/6/2020)