Shakespeare's Shadows

Shakespeare’s ‘Julius Caesar’ has only two female characters, but in a new musical adaptation of the iconic play, a cast of women take on the roles of the men who were there at the fall of the Roman Republic and the dawn of the Roman Empire.In the works since 2024 with a growing online following, ‘Caesar: The Musical’ is now getting an EP release featuring studio recordings of six songs from the show’s first act. Writer of the music, lyrics, and book of ‘Caesar: The Musical’ Grace Yurchuk — who also plays Brutus on the EP — joins podcast host Emily Rome in this bonus episode.The EP comes out Friday, June 19. Among the talented cast Grace assembled for this studio recording are Broadway actors Samantha Pauly (‘Six’), Savy Jackson (‘Maybe Happy Ending’), and Elizabeth Teeter (‘Beetlejuice’).Taking some inspiration from Stephen Sondheim and Lin-Manuel Miranda and ’70s rock, digging further into Brutus’s astonishing backstory than even Shakespeare goes, what it means to tell an inherently political story today, and the challenge of deciding where to end the story are all discussed in this deep dive into the making of ‘Caesar: The Musical.’Edited by Billie-Rose HamiltonScript and interviewing by Emily Rome

Anne Hathaway was married to William Shakespeare for nearly 34 years, until his death in 1616. What was she like? What kind of relationship did she have with her famous husband? That’s been largely left a mystery to historians — but a delicious mystery for creators of fiction to play with.This bonus episode delves into two fresh and thrilling depictions of Anne Hathaway: the hit Broadway musical “& Juliet” and new, intimate two-person play “Muse of Fire.”Previous works imagining Shakespeare’s life have not been kind to Anne Hathaway, leaving her behind in Stratford-upon-Avon, illiterate, and often cheated on by her husband. “& Juliet” and “Muse of Fire,” meanwhile, both depict Anne and Will Shakespeare working through some marital challenges but ultimately as a couple head over heels for each other and Anne as a vivacious, strong-willed woman.Anne Hathaway is having her moment on the big screen too — this episode also features some discussion of the portrayal of Anne aka Agnes in the film and book “Hamnet.”Also discussed: what’s up with Shakespeare leaving his wife the “second-best bed” in his will, plus the new research that revealed that the real Anne Hathaway — contrary to assumptions she remained in Stratford — may have joined her playwright husband living in London.Guests on this episode:• Teal Wicks (she/her) is currently playing Anne Hathaway in “& Juliet” on Broadway, after playing the role in the first North American tour of the hit musical. Among her previous Broadway credits are the 2013 revival of the “Jekyll & Hyde” musical, “Finding Neverland,” “The Cher Show,” and “Wicked,” starring as Elphaba in 2011.• Lauren Gunderson (she/her) has repeatedly been among the most-produced playwrights in the U.S., topping the list (which excludes Shakespeare!) four times over the past decade. Her writing credits include the plays “I and You,” “Silent Sky,” the Pemberley trilogy, “A Room in the Castle,” and “The Book of Will.” Her new play “Muse of Fire” has had workshop readings at the Colorado New Play Festival and the Prague Shakespeare Company and will have its first fully staged production at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco in Fall 2026.For related articles and other links, visit shakespearesshadows.com/hathaway-learn-more

William Shakespeare and Emily Dickinson — both are frequently declared to be among the very best writers in the English language. And now, for Dickinson’s 195th birthday, the time has come to delve into both iconic poets on Shakespeare’s Shadows.This bonus episode spotlights the Peabody Award-winning Apple TV series “Dickinson,” particularly looking back at the series’ fifth episode, when Emily and her siblings host Shakespeare Club. Emily (played by Hailee Steinfeld) chooses “Othello” for the club’s latest gathering. The play ends up being a contentious choice for these young people growing up in the years approaching the American Civil War, a launchpad for “Dickinson” to explore questions of privilege and identity.Featuring interviews with “Dickinson” alums from both behind and in front of the camera, we discuss how the series’ writers packed so much into that one episode of the show, their memories from making that special episode including one fabulous montage dripping with Shakespearean Easter eggs, and why fans of Shakespeare should spend more time with Emily Dickinson’s poetry.Guests on this episode are:• Alena Smith (she/her), creator and showrunner of “Dickinson,” which was released on Apple TV from 2019 to 2021. She holds an MFA in playwriting from the Yale School of Drama. Among her published plays are “The New Splendid,” “The Bad Guys,” and “Plucker.” Currently she is an executive producer and writer on FX’s upcoming limited series “Cry Wolf.”• Adrian Blake Enscoe (he/they), who plays Emily Dickinson’s brother, Austin, in “Dickinson.” Adrian was in the Broadway original cast of the musical “Swept Away.” They are a member of the folk-pop-americana trio Bandits on the Run, which released their latest EP, “The Shakespeare Tapes,” in May 2025.Also appearing in this bonus episode is poet, actor, and teaching artist Melissa Lauricella Bergstrom reading the Dickinson poem “I am afraid to own a Body,” the poem that inspired the title of the Shakespeare Club “Dickinson” episode.This episode contains explicit language and discussion of racism and slavery.

Shakespeare’s words from "As You Like It" and "Twelfth Night" get a catchy, folkish musical treatment on "The Shakespeare Tapes," a new EP by folk-pop-americana trio Bandits on the Run. The Brooklyn-based group’s three band members — Adrian Blake Enscoe (he/they), Sydney Shepherd (she/her), and Regina Stayhorn (she/her) — join Shakespeare’s Shadows for this bonus episode to talk about the forthcoming EP, which has one single, “Tiny Boy,” out now. Bandits on the Run originally composed the EP’s six songs for a 2022 production of "As You Like It" directed by Peter Andersen at Carnegie Mellon University. The band chatted with Shakespeare’s Shadows host Emily Rome about leaning into As You Like It’s themes of gender and self-discovery with this music, about performing the songs on tour, and why recording this in Nashville felt “actively defiant.” Currently Bandits on the Run are working on the stage musical adaptation of "What’s Eating Gilbert Grape," and they will be on tour across the U.S. this summer. Among the band members’ past work: Sydney has played such roles as Lizzie Borden in the musical Lizzie and Viola in the "Twelfth Night" musical adaptation "Illyria," Regina has performed Off-Broadway at the Secret Theatre and Lincoln Center, and Adrian starred in Broadway musical "Swept Away" and Apple TV+ series "Dickinson."

What does it take for a woman to survive in Elsinore? What would Ophelia and Gertrude tell us — if only they got anywhere close to the number of lines Shakespeare gives Hamlet? This and more is explored in new play "A Room in the Castle," which gives the women of Hamlet their time to shine. A co-production of the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and the Folger Shakespeare Library, "A Room in the Castle" is in the midst of its world premiere, onstage at the Folger through April 6. "A Room in the Castle" director Kaja Dunn and playwright Lauren Gunderson join Shakespeare’s Shadows for a bonus episode delving into the origins of this satisfying new play, the significance of who gets to have soliloquies, and what happens when women are labeled “mad” — plus, we also take some time to discuss Lauren Gunderson’s new adaptation of "Little Women." Guests on this episode are: • Kaja Dunn (she/her), whose directing credits include previous productions at the Folger Shakespeare Library, the Old Globe, and Cape Fear Regional Theatre. Her work as an intimacy professional includes productions at the Folger and "A Strange Loop" on Broadway. She is an associate professor at Carnegie Melon University. • Lauren Gunderson (she/her) has repeatedly been among the most-produced playwrights in the U.S., topping the list (which excludes Shakespeare) thrice over the past decade. Her writing credits include the plays "I and You," "Silent Sky," the Pemberley trilogy, and "The Book of Will."

"As You Like It" is often remembered for being a rom-com, but it’s also a family drama. Duke Senior (Rosalind’s father) is usurped by his brother Duke Frederick. One brother rules at court while the exiled brother builds a new life in the Forest of Arden. In this episode — about not just one but two characters — we discuss why it is that Frederick banished his brother and then his niece, what makes As You Like It ripe for musical adaption, how to make sense of Duke Senior so eagerly returning to court after he was raving about life in the forest, and more. Guests on this episode are: • Jennifer Lines (she/her), who performed in multiple stagings (including at Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C.) of an "As You Like It" featuring Beatles music. This version of the play originated at Bard on the Beach in Vancouver, and Jennifer plays characters known in that version as Dame Senior and Dame Frances. • Darius de Haas (he/him), who played Duke Senior in the 2017 Public Works world premiere of Shaina Taub’s "As You Like It" musical adaptation at the Delacorte Theater in New York’s Central Park • Dr. Alys Daroy (she/her), a professor of English and Theatre at Murdoch University. Alys is also an actor and is co-artistic director of Shakespeare South, recognized as Australia’s first eco-Shakespeare company. She is co-author of the forthcoming book "Shakespeare, Ecology and Adaptation: A Practical Guide." To view video footage from Jennifer's and Darius's productions, visit shakespearesshadows.com/duke-senior-frederick-video

Hamlet’s best friend, Horatio, gets 7 percent of the lines in "Hamlet" next to the title character “who never shuts up” (as one guest on this episode puts it) with 37 percent. This episode gives Horatio his moment to be center stage, revealing how he doesn’t have to be a one-note or one-dimensional character, even as his role is in service of Hamlet’s story. We discuss Horatio’s journey being one of learned bravery, whether Hamlet and Horatio may be more than friends, and the significance of Horatio and other characters studying in Wittenberg.Guests on this episode are:Dr. Jonathan Gil Harris, a professor of English at Ashoka University in Sonipat, India. His publications include guest editing a 2011 special edition of Shakespeare Quarterly that was all about Horatio, titled “Surviving Hamlet”David Gow, who played Horatio in September 2023 staged reading at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, Massachusetts opposite Finn Wittrock as HamletThis episode contains discussion of grief, murder, and suicide.

In "The Merchant of Venice," Portia is remarkable for her cleverness and the power she holds, and she’s ostensibly a hero of this story. But her journey is entwined with that of Shylock, the Jewish moneylender whose mistreatment makes "Merchant of Venice" a deeply troubling play. In this episode, we discuss just how extremely wealthy Portia is, whether or not Portia is likable (and how her likability is often approached differently in scholarship versus in performance), and how an actress may grapple with Portia’s role in Shylock’s ultimate fate.Guests on this episode are:Lynn Collins, who played Portia in the 2004 Merchant of Venice film directed by Michael Radford, starring alongside Joseph Fiennes, Jeremy Irons, and Al PacinoDr. Peter Holland, a professor of Shakespeare Studies at the University of Notre Dame teaching in both the English department and the Department of Film, Television, and TheatreThis episode contains explicit language and discussion of racism and religious intolerance.

Roberto Williams is one of five actors together playing the title character in Long Beach Playhouse’s current production of "Hamlet". One actor plays what’s called the core Hamlet, and the others play four parts of Hamlet’s psyche: wisdom, innocence, justice, and vengeance — Roberto plays the latter. In this bonus episode, Roberto discusses this unique staging of what’s often referred to as Shakespeare’s best play. He also shares some details about another adaptation of "Hamlet" inspired by Deaf culture that he’s developing, and he chats about his popular Instagram and TikTok reels that connect Shakespeare’s characters to modern pop culture.

"Sleep No More," the immersive, one-of-a-kind adaptation of "Macbeth," is in the spotlight in the first-ever bonus episode of Shakespeare’s Shadows. Co-produced by Punchdrunk and Emursive Productions, "Sleep No More" is a promenade-style performance that invites the audience members to freely explore the eerie spaces of its 5-story set. Its iconic run in New York is currently set to close in mid-June. Though this episode doesn’t delve into a single Shakespeare character like a regular-format episode of Shakespeare’s Shadows does, you’ll still find the captivating character-focused discussion that you get in any episode of the podcast. Emursive Chief Storyteller Ilana Gilovich chats with podcast host Emily Rome about the impact and legacy of "Sleep No More," including how it weaves in elements of Alfred Hitchcock’s films, what the production’s props and imagery reveal about the characters, and her advice on how to get the most out of the show as an audience member.