Show overview
The Play's the Thing has been publishing since 2017, and across the 9 years since has built a catalogue of 202 episodes, alongside 1 trailer or bonus episode. That works out to roughly 210 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a fortnightly cadence.
Episodes typically run an hour to ninety minutes — most land between 53 min and 1h 13m — and the run-time is fairly consistent across the catalogue. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-language Arts show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 6 days ago, with 15 episodes already out so far this year. The busiest year was 2023, with 32 episodes published. Published by CiRCE Institute.
From the publisher
The Play's the Thing is the ultimate podcast resource for lovers of Shakespeare. Dedicating six episodes to each play (one per act, plus a Q&A episode), this podcast explores the themes, scenes, characters, and lines that make Shakespeare so memorable. In the end, we will cover every play The Bard wrote, thus permitting an ongoing contemplation and celebration of the most important writer of all time. Join us.The Play’s the Thing is presented by The CiRCE Podcast Network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Latest Episodes
View all 202 episodesCoriolanus: Act I (rerun)
The Merchant of Venice: Q&A (rerun)
The Merchant of Venice: Bonus with Sparky Roberts (rerun)
The Merchant of Venice: Act V (rerun)
The Merchant of Venice: Act IV (rerun)
Act IV is usually the key act in any Shakespeare play, and The Merchant of Venice isn't any different. Join Tim, Heidi, and Sarah-Jane as they explore why. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Merchant of Venice: Act III (rerun)
Join Tim, Heidi, and Sarah-Jane as they dive Into the always-important third act of The Merchant of Venice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Merchant of Venice: Act II (rerun)
Join Tim, Heidi, and Sarah-Jane as they discuss Shakespeare's exploration of the folly of people who are put to the test, Bossanio's role (and his name), Shylock's complex role in the play, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Merchant of Venice: Act I (rerun)
Join Tim, Heidi, and Sarah-Jane as they dive into Shakespeare's great play, The Merchant of Venice. In this episode, they discuss the character of Portia, Shylock's unnerving nature, a little of bit of context, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
James Shapiro and Shakespeare in a Divided America (rerun)
In this episode, noted author James Shapiro joins the show to discuss his new book, Shakespeare in a Divide America. Dr. Shapiro and Tim discuss Donald Trump, Abraham Lincoln, and John Wilkes Booth in a conversation about how Shakespeare's plays have showcased America's common grounds and battle grounds alike. Shapiro's book has been nominated for the National Book Award and was a NYT top ten book of 2020.The Play's the Thing is produced by Goldberry Studios for the CiRCE Podcast Network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Romeo + Juliet: Q&A (rerun)
In this episode Tim, Heidi, and Sarah Jane are answering your questions about Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Romeo + Juliet: Act V (rerun)
Join Tim, Heidi, and Sarah-Jane as they discuss love and death, the differences between Romeo and Juliet as they encounter death, personal and public interpretations of the play, and whether or not the families within the story actually learned anything. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Romeo + Juliet: Act IV (rerun)
Act IV of Romeo and Juliet examines the fallout from Tybalt and Mercutio's violent deaths. Join Tim, Heidi, and Sarah-Jane as they discuss Shakespeare's love of strong women, the connections between love and death, and whether or not Romeo is indeed "fortune's fool." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Romeo + Juliet: Act III (rerun)
Join Tim, Heidi, and Sarah-Jane as they discuss Mercutio and Tybalt's death and Romeo's fleeing in exile. Plus, they take up the question, what is "the form of a man?"The Play's the Thing is produced by Goldberry Studios for the CiRCE Podcast Network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Romeo + Juliet: Act II (rerun)
Join Tim, Heidi, and Sarah-Jane as they discuss Mercutio, Friar Lawrence, fate and fortune, the famous balcony scene, and what actually is in a name, anyway . . . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Romeo + Juliet: Act I (rerun)
Join Tim, Heidi, and Sarah-Jane as they dive into one of Shakespeare's greatest and most misunderstood plays. Listen as they rhapsodize over Shakespeare's linguistic genius, speculate about why this story continues to be so influential and enduring, and discuss whether the star-crossed lovers were truly in love.The Play's the Thing is produced by Goldberry Studios for the CiRCE Podcast Network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hamlet: Q&A (rerun)
Join Tim, Heidi, and Andrew as they answer your questions about Hamlet! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hamlet: Act V (rerun)
Join Tim, Heidi, and Andrew as they discuss the concluding act to Shakespeare's masterpiece, an act in which we get the famous graveyard scene and the stage littered with bodies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hamlet: Act IV (rerun)
Join Tim, Heidi, and Andrew as they dig into the crucial fourth act of Hamlet. They discuss Laertes coming the fore, Ophelia's tragic demise, Claudius devious behavior, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hamlet: Act III (rerun)
Join Tim, Heidi, and Andrew as they dive into the crucial, famous third act of Hamlet. In this episode they discuss the "to be or not to be" speech, Claudius' prayer, and Polonius death. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hamlet: Act II (rerun)
Join Tim, Heidi, and Andrew as they dive into the drama of Hamlet, Act II! They discuss the way everyone is watching everyone else in this act, Pelonius as parent, the appearance of Rosencrans and Guildenstern, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.