A comedy podcast to help better understand humanity and also to make fart jokes.
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Featuring interviews with both actors and academics, Shakespeare’s Shadows delves into a single Shakespeare character in each episode. Perspectives from the worlds of academia, theater, and film together shape explorations of the Bard’s shadows, his imitations of life — pretty good imitations, ones that reveal enough of ourselves that we’re still talking about them four centuries later.
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Every creative work you’ve ever loved has a hero’s journey behind it. On Spark & Fire, you'll hear creators tell the story of bringing one beloved work to life. Iconic creatives — like Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz, Pixar director Domee Shi, comedian Patton Oswald, musician Wynton Marsalis, and novelist Isabel Allende — share the endless iterations, the inevitable setbacks, and the breakthrough ideas along the epic process of creation. But this isn’t an interview show. It’s a story — told ...
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BONUS: Lauren Gunderson & Kaja Dunn on ‘A Room in the Castle’
48:23
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48:23featuring an interview with director Kaja Dunn and playwright Lauren Gunderson 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 th…
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featuring interviews with actors Darius de Haas and Jennifer Lines and Murdoch University professor Alys Daroy 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 Fo…
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We’re excited to launch WaitWhat's newest weekly series, Pioneers of AI — your guide to the latest technological frontier. Hosted by AI thought leader, scientist, and investor Rana el Kaliouby, tune in for insights from industry trailblazers, explore the ethical considerations of AI, and get ahead of what’s to come as the technology continues to de…
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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 Hamle…
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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, whe…
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featuring an interview with actor Roberto Williams 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.…
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featuring an interview with Emursive Chief Storyteller Ilana Gilovich 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…
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In “Henry V,” King Henry gets a new foil: the French Dauphin, the heir apparent in France, England’s rival. In the conflict that culminates in the Battle of Agincourt, Shakespeare depicts the English with layers and complexity and ultimately with a great deal of nobility. Meanwhile, the French (in the text and sometimes even more so in performance)…
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From the team behind Spark & Fire, we're happy to share the first episode of Offsite Adventures, our newest show uncovering the gems, magical moments, and unique learnings in iconic business travel destinations. Three minutes before midnight in Times Square, one of the most trafficked commercial centers in the world momentarily transforms into a vi…
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featuring interviews with actor Michael Blake, Pilobolus choreographers Matt Kent and Renée Jaworski, and SUNY New Paltz professor Matthieu Chapman A Shakespeare play that can be at turns heartwarming and troubling, “The Tempest” features two major characters who don’t look like the humans around them: Caliban and Ariel. Caliban, repeatedly describ…
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featuring interviews with actor Bally Gill and University of the Pacific professor Courtney Lehmann One half of Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers is in the spotlight in this episode, which explores how this character goes from bad poet to good poet, what it takes to deliver an authentic and naturalistic Romeo, and how the introduction of the rapier…
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featuring interviews with actors Patrice Jean-Baptiste and Simon Paisley Day and Gonzaga University professor Heather Easterling One of Shakespeare’s most controversial plays, “The Taming of the Shrew,” gets put under the microscope in this episode as we examine the character Petruchio, the man who supposedly tames the play’s titular shrew. Discuss…
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featuring interviews with actor Ray Porter and University of California Merced professor Katherine Steele Brokaw A spirit of mischief, transformation, and imagination, Puck aka Robin Goodfellow darts around A Midsummer Night’s Dream provoking chaos and confusion when a couple groups of humans wander into a forest populated by magical beings. Discus…
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featuring interviews with actors Patrick Page and Conor Andrew Hall and Queens College CUNY professor Miles Grier One of Shakespeare’s most notorious and chilling villains, Othello antagonist Iago, is in the spotlight in the second episode of season 2. This character has inspired debate for centuries, and this episode’s guests — who, at times, have…
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featuring interviews with actors Alejandra Escalante and Naire Poole and University of Oxford professor Sophie Duncan The podcast relaunches with an episode all about Shakespeare’s first tragic heroine. In the season 2 premiere, we explore what makes Juliet extraordinary: she’s brave, confident, and resourceful — all at age 13. Also discussed: Rome…
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Ron Bennington joins me on today's episode to talk about interview style and his series Unmasked. Ron is someone whose style of interviewing I've always admired, it seemed fitting to have him on this episode. All upcoming shows & tickets: https://www.arishaffir.com/tour Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arishaffir/ • Oct 21: Bensalem, PA • Nov 0…
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#518 Jew Special Commentary Part Two The Cheapening
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3:34:01Continuing the Jew Special Commentary now in Romania! We dive into the last few bits of my special Jew on my Youtube now. If you're listening stick around till the end and you can hear all the songs on my Edinburough playlist while I was running this hour of material there! All upcoming shows & tickets: https://www.arishaffir.com/tour Instagram: ht…
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#517 Jew Special Commentary with Ari Shaffir
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3:52:13I've done a lot of these commentaries over the years and I've found them to be incredibly interesting as a fan of comedy and useful as a comedian. Today I'm gonna break down the first half of my latest masterpiece Jew. This one might be one you wanna watch cause I actually have the rights to play the special on youtube! All upcoming shows & tickets…
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#516 2023 State of the Union with Dave Smith
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5:04:18Dave Smith came over for the State of the Union! Dave breaks down what the hell is going on in America and around the world in our annual Skeptic Tank State of The Union, which is usually done in the beginning of the year. It's always a great conversation with Dave and this time is no different. It's a long one, almost five hours. I hope you enjoy!…
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#515 War Is Heaven with Geoffrey Asmus
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1:58:04Geoffrey Asmus or The Only Funny White Guy (Keep an eye out for his new special on Youtube) joins me to talk about war and the military. He's never been in the military and he's never been to war but he is truly fascinated by it and knows a lot of shit. For More Ari: All upcoming shows & tickets: https://www.arishaffir.com/tour Instagram: https://w…
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Andy Haynes came in to talk to me about his job as a mover. He became a mover the day he moved to New York and was doing it throughout the pandemic. It turns out lots of comics do it because of the flexibility and cash under the table. Plus you get a pretty good workout. For more Ari: The Wrong Side of History Tour pre-sale starts this Wednesday Ap…
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Create from joy: Writer Phoebe Robinson on "You Can’t Touch My Hair"
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32:32There’s a commonly held belief that great creative work comes from pain. But comedian and writer Phoebe Robinson says that this is a myth. Instead, Phoebe believes great creative work comes from a place of joy. As Phoebe shares her personal story of writing her debut essay collection, You Can’t Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explai…
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#513 The Curious Case of Peter Schickele with Danny Polishchuk
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1:58:21Five-time Grammy winner Pete Schickele is unknown to many but if you were a comic in the 90s you may know him as the guy who beat you out for a Grammy. Danny Polishchk brought this story to my attention and it is just wild. We go on a deep dive into who the fuck this Peter Schickele guy even is. For more Ari: All upcoming shows & tickets: https://w…
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#512 Ryan Sickler, MD with Ryan Sickler
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2:00:50Fellow Maryland-er Ryan Sickler and I were able to fill up a whole podcast episode just about Maryland. It's the state where we both grew up and have two very different versions of it. Ryan also has a brand new special out called "Lefty's Son" now on youtube! Go check it out and support unfiltered standup comedy. For more Ari: All upcoming shows & …
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#511 Big Jay From LGA with Big Jay Oakerson
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1:53:36Big Jay Oakerson made me pick him up at the airport as my last responsibility as producer (Jewish term) of his new standup special, Dog Belly. I’m so proud of him. The special is amazing. I still find his fashion and musical tastes to be problematic but his standup is among the best in the world. For more Ari: All upcoming shows & tickets: https://…
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Creative conflict can destroy a work-in-progress — or it can push your work beyond good to great. What matters is how you respond. We’re going to hear from 5 creators in 5 very different fields who share actionable strategies (and great stories) about how to recognize, resolve, and harness conflict to create work that is visionary. Featuring “Froze…
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#510 Professor Pain with Mike Vecchione
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1:32:44Mike Vecchione has a new special out now called "The Attractives" but before he did standup, Mike was a teacher for some rough and tough kids in Philly. He molded and shaped America's wild youth and he's here to tell me all about it. For more Ari: All upcoming shows & tickets: https://www.arishaffir.com/tour Cool merch & more: https://www.arishaffi…
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Get to the fun part: Game creators Matthew Inman and Elan Lee on Exploding Kittens
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35:17To make something irresistible, get to the fun part — fast. That’s how Exploding Kittens became one of the world’s most popular games. When cartoonist Matthew Inman (The Oatmeal) and game developer Elan Lee (former Xbox) designed the card game Exploding Kittens, they took fun very seriously. This mindset unlocked their creativity in unexpected ways…
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#509 Filthy Strip Club Stories with Joe List & Henry Phillips
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1:26:17
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1:26:17Joe and Henry came over to kill some time with me before we all headed to the Whit Reaper concert. A natural way to kill time is by talking about all the weird times you've had in strip clubs across the country. Enjoy. For more Ari: Appearing Live: New York City – March 24 @ The Beacon! https://bit.ly/ari-beacon All upcoming shows & tickets: https:…
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Trust creates gold: Comedian David Cross on “Arrested Development”
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30:38Behind every masterpiece — comedic, artistic, or otherwise — is a deep well of trust. Case in point: the legendary sit-com, Arrested Development. As Comedian David Cross shares the story of bringing to life the brilliantly absurd character Tobias Fünke, you’ll hear how every moment of comedic gold on the show was made possible by trust — trusting h…
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Phil Hanley is an expert on the Grateful Dead. Deadheads they call themselves, and he came over to clue me in on why this band is so awesome. They've got drugs, good music, and cool fans. What else could you want? For more Ari: Appearing Live: New York City – March 24 @ The Beacon! https://bit.ly/ari-beacon All upcoming shows & tickets: https://www…
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Let emotion be your North Star: Composer Kris Bowers
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28:49This episode follows the composer Kris Bowers’ personal story about composing the score for the culture-shifting and emotionally devastating work When They See Us. This award-winning series follows the true story of five boys, wrongfully accused in 1989 of the brutal rape of a jogger in New York’s Central Park. The narrative spans a quarter-century…
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#507 Hotboxing In A Rental with Dan Soder
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1:17:08Dan Soder drove with me to Vancouver after our show in Seattle and we had a great time doing some not-so-legal things! Can I get more dangerous than podcasting and driving? Listen to find out! For more Ari: Appearing Live: New York City – March 24 @ The Beacon! https://bit.ly/ari-beacon All upcoming shows & tickets: https://www.arishaffir.com/tour …
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Failure is a normal part — even an essential part — of any creative journey. But that probably isn’t what you want to hear after experiencing failure yourself. It’s easy to just want to crawl into a hole for a while. Today on Spark & Fire, we’re going to crawl out of that hole long enough to hear from 5 iconic creatives who have learned how to over…
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Fight for your dream: Comedian Cristela Alonzo
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33:19When the ABC show Cristela premiered in 2014, Cristela Alonzo made U.S. history, the first Latina to write, produce, and star in her own prime-time comedy. But this dream didn’t come easy: Cristela had to fight for her vision at every stage of the process. As she takes us on the journey to making the sitcom, you’ll hear how she found her first oppo…
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#506 Liftie with Ryan O'Neill and Brent
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1:09:19
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1:09:19Ryan O'Neill and I spent some time in Salt Lake City with Brent the Liftie! Brent is a lift operator in Salt Lak City and he gave us the scoop on what it's like and showed us a good time on the mountain. For more Ari: Get tickets to see Ari on the road: https://www.arishaffir.com/tour Cool merch & more: https://www.arishaffir.com/ Ari Shaffir - JEW…
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