Richard II on the Radio

<p>The COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating to theater in the United States. Broadway and regional theaters are dark, and Shakespeare festivals across the country have cancelled their seasons. So it wasn’t a surprise when The Public Theater decided, for the first time in 66 years, that they couldn’t offer free Shakespeare in Central Park.</p> <p>But what they did instead made one of their scheduled productions—<em>Richard II,</em> directed by Saheem Ali—accessible to more people than ever before. The Public joined forces with New York’s public radio station, WNYC. Together, they created something that hasn’t been done before: a four-night serialized program that combined a presentation of <em>Richard II</em> with expert analysis and stories from cast members to contextualize the play in these unusual times. Director Ali worked hand-in-hand with WNYC producers Emily Botein, Matt Collette, and Isaac Jones to overcome massive challenges, like having twenty-six actors appear from twenty-six different locations and getting it all done in a compressed, 12-week period.</p> <p>We talk to Ali and Botein about just how they addressed those hurdles to create their radio production of <em>Richard II—</em>which you can <a href= "https://publictheater.org/productions/season/1920/richard-ii/">listen to now as a podcast</a>. Ali and Botein are interviewed by Barbara Bogaev.</p> <p>Saheem Ali is the director of The Public and WNYC’s radio production of <em>Richard II.</em> Ali has directed nearly 25 plays, mostly in New York, over the past 10 years. He has his fingers crossed for two productions—in New York and in Berkeley—in 2021.</p> <p>Emily Botein is Vice President for On-Demand Content at WNYC public radio in New York, where she oversees national programs including “Death, Sex & Money.”</p> <p>From the <em>Shakespeare Unlimited</em> podcast series. Published September 15, 2020. © Folger Shakespeare Library. All rights reserved. This podcast episode, “Weeping Made You Break the Story Off” was produced by Richard Paul. Garla