“I have no spur
To prick the sides of my intent, but onlyVaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itselfAnd falls on the other.” – Macbeth Macbeth. I.vii
*Disclaimer:
I do not own the rights to Tabling: The
Podcast or any of the intellectual property therein. Please cite them
accordingly when using their material and be aware this review may contain
spoilers. All endorsements are freely given.*
Tabling: The Podcast is the audio study
guide every student has never known they wanted for studying the classics of
the stage. This new show was started by The London Academy of Music and
Dramatic Arts (LAMDA) graduates Nicholas Koy Santillo, with co-producers Ariana
Karp, Brittany Chandler, and Emily Ota. Tabling
seeks to fill in the gaps where traditional study guides or footnotes fall
short and “give a glimpse into the work of the Performing Arts”. The show is
structured like a traditional round table discussion with a twist. From their official
facebook page, they explain in their short description:
“Tabling is a podcast where we do "Table work," which is the work done in a theatrical production before the actors get up on their feet for rehearsals.”
Short and sweet and to the point. For those uninitiated, traditional
table work comprises of reading the play and discussing a wide variety of
subjects connected to the show. This ranges from character arcs, textual
analysis, greater social themes, to authorial intent, repeating motifs, and production
choices etc. It’s where actors, directors, and designers begin to bring their
individual visions together to create the world of the play. It’s exciting; it’s
passionate; it’s very wonderfully nerdy in the most positive use of that word.
Tabling:
The Podcast takes this theatrical table work structure
and applies it to their weekly Monday shows. For each play discussed a core
group of four theatrical artists are elected to read and discuss the material. One
of which acts as a “director” for the play, so they lead the discussion for all
episodes of discussion including the introduction. Their readings of the plays
are in separate podcasts from the discussion episodes, for easy reference, but
both are found on their website.
For “Macbeth”, Ariana Karp leads the discussion as the
director. Ariana is a woman of many accomplishments including multiple
Off-Broadway shows and, as I am convinced, more classical theatre than Sir Ian
Mckellan, Sir John Barton, and Sir Patrick Stewart combined. You can currently watch
her work in Stairwell Theatre’s production of As You Like It this May.
Joining over the course of “Macbeth” are a multi-talented
team including executive producer Nicholas Koy Santillo (the originator of the
idea behind Tabling), fellow co-producers
Emily Ota and Brittany Chandler, and guest star Samantha Blinn. All are LAMDA
2014 graduates and working theatre artists in the industry, particularly based in
New York and London. Check out Emily Ota who just joined the Conservatory
Company at the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival in upstate New York this
summer. In addition Brittany and Samantha will be seen in FringeNYC - The New
York International Fringe Festival in a remount of their heart
pounding London production of Lope de Vega’s classic Fuente Ovejuna originally directed by critically acclaimed international
director Will Oldroyd.
Basically, you can’t swing a cat in this recording studio
without hitting an incredibly brilliant and well credentialed classical theatre
artist. Also known as, my favorite kind of people.
So far each discussion episode averages to be a little
over an hour each and consist of debating the structure of the play and then narrows
the focus to each of the individual acts and scenes. The creative team works
chronologically to address each event in the play and bring fresh insight to
the 400 year old play. With a diverse set of perspectives the play is given new
life from a textual basis and illuminated by personal experience.
My favorite discussions so far in their broadcast revolve
around the controversial character of Lady Macbeth and her relationship to the
universe of the play, in particular to her husband. Without spoiling some of
the discussion, a key point is made in the introduction episode about how much in
love the titular characters are supposed to be and how that colors the rest of
the play. Age of actors who portray the couple are also discussed, a point of
contention within the theatre community as a traditional age has been attached
to these roles. A point on which I have several loud opinions and will
elaborate in a different post, for if I were to start now we’d never end the
review.
Other highlights include a lively dialogue about the
witches and their function within the play, personal anecdotes about moments from
favorite productions seen or worked on by the team, and connections drawn
between the play and its historical context both at the time of writing and in
modern productions.
Tabling:
The Podcast is in it’s infancy as a podcast, but has the
appeal to speak to a wide audience of theatre professionals, scholars, and
those who enjoy intellectual discussion. I for one am excited to listen to the
rest of their “Macbeth” episodes (Act IV was just released today and Act V will
be released soon) and whatever plays they choose to tackle next.
Check out the links below:
