This podcast is so fun to listen to when I’m studying a Shakespeare play-and when I’m reading one for fun! If you like the podcast Close Reads, then you will love this podcast too! It’s the Shakespeare version. :) :)

As a teenager who’s always struggled with not reading, but actually understanding and fully appreciating Shakespeare this podcast has been so helpful. I love how I leave every episode with questions and ideas.

…Hamlet is the longest play not Richard III. As “misspoken” by Tim when he was interviewed in that interview podcast. Gotta give out correct facts if you’re teaching others.

Very good show. Smart people. But……. the……. long…… pauses…… are….. umm … are…… really……. …. really distracting. Just as reading a novel formatted like my text would get exhausting, so can it be for a listener of a podcast. I know this isn’t a Hollywood entertainment show, but I do think tightening up the delivery up will get you to the very top, and you’re right there because your content and stellar guests.

It’s not easy for Christians (or just normal people with a traditional moral worldview) to find podcasts about the great works of the West that aren’t unbearable. If you want to think honestly about good books instead of listening to ideologues use the hermeneutic of skepticism to shoehorn anachronisms into great literature, then this is the place for you.

As a former English teacher, I wish I’d known about this podcast before!! Still, I LOVE listening to this podcast - just for fun! The camaraderie, banter, insight, and deep questions of all members of the team are delightful. They each bring a different angle of expertise, from performance to teaching the play to soul-searching and reading well. If you enjoy Shakespeare, this podcast is a no-brainer. :) But even if the Bard isn’t your thing, if you like history, literature, and/or theatre, I think you’ll still enjoy listening in.

The discussion about Shakespeare’s plays is so insightful. I really appreciate that you are willing to discuss the spiritual/ Christian dimension of Shakespeare, but also his modern relevance to everyday situations. Shakespeare is brilliant and this podcast greatly illuminates that brilliance. Thank you for doing this and I can’t wait to listen to more!

I’ve been listening to this podcast off and on for a few years. It has really increased my appreciation of Shakespeare. The episode where Tim talks about Shakespeare tops everything. The excerpts of the plays are well done. I can actually hear the lines very clearly and understand them more thanks to Tim’s explanation. I can’t wait for the second episode to come out!

As a teacher of Shakespeare classes, this is an invaluable podcast. I just marvel over the genius of Shakespeare and the complexity of our created souls with every episode. Highly recommended. I appreciate the insight shared in these discussions immensely.

For a podcast that specializes in Shakespeare you sure don’t know your stuff. A simple fact check reveals that much of your information is not even historically accurate!

Guys! We have all been here before. I love how Shakespeare’s stories have relevance today. This podcast gives me peace, love and understanding through the honest voices of these scholars from how to teach it, view it and live in it today. It’s like a bridge through the past exploring the fatal flaws of us all. And yes, I quoted Elvis Costello the Bard of my generation. Bravo!! I recommend starting with Macbeth.

Friends, Shakespeare dare not make a villain of Henry so he is compelled to humanize him. However, poor Richard was starved to death a cruel, not compassionate.

Informative deep dives into Shakespeare’s plays. I would highly recommend for students, teachers, and actors.

I love this podcast! I just wish there was a more consistent episode release schedule. I also would like the performances they reference listed In show notes. I especially enjoy Tim’s contribution as someone experienced in theatre. The clips of performances are helpful as well.

Great podcast with engaging speakers. I appreciate the background information and their insights as I prepare to teach the plays to my students.

I started with their coverage of Macbeth and greatly enjoyed the episodes with just Tim and Heidi. Their banter was really easy and fun to listen to, and I learned a ton from them. I have had a harder time getting through the episodes hosted by David. He has a tendency to ramble, interrupt, and mansplain to an extent that is quite aggravating. He also often poses questions in a way that is confusing and/or poorly framed. I can’t help but conclude the pod is better without him. I’ve noticed that the newer episodes seem to be just Tim plus Heidi or Sarah-Jane so I’m really looking forward to those!

This podcast is wonderful! I teach high school English at a classical school, and used this podcast to help me prepare for teaching Othello. The podcast is essentially a leisurely yet well-informed conversation about Shakespeare’s plays. It made the complexity and themes of the play very accessible, with some tips for introducing it to students thrown in there as well. It was immensely helpful and interesting to listen to. Thank you for this podcast!

I would not want to teach Shakespeare without this podcast. It has brought me so much insight, and enhanced our classroom discussions tremendously. Thank you!

As a lover of Shakespeare, I am pleased to recommend this podcast. They have such close, personal, thoughtful perspectives on these great plays. I first listened to and loved their episodes on Macbeth, one of my favorite Shakespeare plays. And they analyzed that play so well. The same with King Lear, another masterpiece, which was given several great episodes. Every Shakespeare lover should listen to this podcast. I’m looking forward to them do Hamlet, Antony and Cleopatra, and the other great plays soon.

This podcast is part of repairing and furthering my own education, and has deepened my love and knowledge not only of the Bard, but of people and the Lord.

We are almost finished with Othello, and I realize that I’ve crossed a line in my relationship with the works of Shakespeare. This is the first of his plays that I come to with no previous experience. I read the typical four in high school: Julius Caesar, Romeo & Juliet, Hamlet, and Macbeth. Through the years, I’ve stumbled upon Midsummer Nights Dream, Much Ado, and The Merchant of Venice. I thought I liked Shakespeare. But then I started listening to this podcast and reading more of his plays and watching live and filmed versions, and now I LOVE Shakespeare! Thank you for the insight into all the historical context and literary structure! These plays are so beautifully crafted, and I appreciate the backstage tour. It enriches the experience so much. I find myself waiting, impatiently, for the next episode. 😊

The concept is brilliant! One act of Shakespeare a week. Let's say there are 38 plays (the # is debatable). By reading and listening to the five acts of each play you could get through all the plays in four or five years. David, Tim, Andrew, Angelina, Heidi, Matt, and Brian are excellent guides. A most excellent resource and a powerful motivation to read Shakespeare.

This podcast is such a joy to me. I don’t homeschool (my baby is 31), but I’ve always wanted to know more about Shakespeare and this is simply a perfect opportunity. I appreciate so much the insights and the questions raised by the podcasters (I love ‘em all equally, but I might love Heidi more equally than others...).

Helpful to home schoolers

Shuffling Angelina aside for someone who makes borderline vulgar comments is not a good idea. Angelina made any combination of the various guy hosts work just fine. I recommended Circe shows constantly, primarily because of Angelina.

This is so fun! I’m learning so much-more then I did in my college literature classes! Love love love it!

I originally listened to the podcast on Julius Caesar to help me prepare to teach my 13, 12, and 10 year olds. My youngest was listening to it with me in the car, and didn’t want to turn it off! So, we transitioned to listening to the podcast as a group, and then had our own discussions afterward. This is an amazing resource for a person of any age! The banter between the hosts keeps it all down to earth while exploring deep thoughts and ideas. Shakespeare is now one of our favorites, thanks to you guys!

Having this podcast hold my hand act by act as I strive to develop an appreciation for Shakespeare for myself and in hopes of passing one on to my children has been just the thing I needed! Thank you for providing such a practical and helpful tool that is enjoyable as well. I look forward to finishing each act so I can listen to the next episode and have read more Shakespeare in the past month than in my entire education.

Much to do about nothing! Excessive time spent on banter and minutiae

Just started to listen to this broadcast. I’m at King Lear, Act 3. I really hope in the podcasts going forward that the banter is significantly less than it is in these podcasts related to Lear. Further, it is really hard to believe how many times what are supposed to be educated men say the word “like”. Surely you can express yourself better than that.

I struggled with Shakespeare in high school and college, even though I was in honors classes. This podcast is such a great resource--I now understand why Shakespeare is so beloved and am (hopefully) passing that love on to my children.

Although I don’t have to write papers for each play as I listen, I feel like I’m learning more about the plays than I did back when I took Shakespeare in college. The insight is incredible. Also as you listen you get a better idea of what it means that a classical education is about seeking the true the good and the beautiful.

I don’t always have time to do the reading, but I just love listening anyway.

The Play's the Thing is a great mix of appreciation and careful reading.

I really anticipate these each week. I’m learning how to dive so much deeper into Shakespeare’s works and get fuller enjoyment out of them!

Thoroughly enjoying this new podcast now in my own continuing education, and looking forward to having these episodes as a resource as I teach my children how to love Shakespeare.

I have so enjoyed the first few episodes of The Play's the Thing! I have been able to understand the genius of Shakespeare better, and it is fun to think of the different ways the characters could be represented in the theatre. Great work guys! I am looking forward to reading through each play with you all.

I’ve so enjoyed the first few episodes! This podcast has given me the push I needed to actually read Shakespeare and I’m loving it. I appreciate the thoughtful discussion and it’s definitely enriching my beginner-level reading of Shakespeare.