PA Shakespeare Festival continues its second season of As You Mic It with a conversation about language, time, and how stories from the past find meaning in the present.

In this episode, hosts Jason King Jones and Connie Behringer begin with a roundtable on how the 2026 season lives in two moments at once. From Shakespeare to Million Dollar Quartet to The Piano Lesson, they examine how inherited words carry history and how performance determines what those words mean now. What do we preserve? What do we clarify? And how do we help audiences hear both?

Later in the episode, Jason sits with Ben Crystal to discuss original pronunciation, rhythm, and why hearing Shakespeare as it once sounded can sharpen clarity rather than obscure it.

In A Peek Behind the Curtain, we turn to our Shakespeare Competition, where young performers are doing this work firsthand — finding voice, intention, and meaning as they prepare to step onstage.

Hosted by: Jason King Jones, Kim Carson, Connie Behringer

Featuring: Ben Crystal

As You Mic It is produced by Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival.

• PSF's Annual Shakespeare Competition - For more information, contact education@pashakespeare.org
• Ben Crystal - Actor, author, original pronunciation pioneer
• Shakespeare Theatre Association

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PA Shakespeare Festival continues its second season of As You Mic It with a compelling conversation about what love demands when it challenges tradition, authority, and expectation.

In this episode, hosts Jason King Jones and Connie Behringer open with a roundtable exploring love as both obligation and choice across the 2026 season. Drawing connections between Romeo and Juliet, Coriolanus, and Million Dollar Quartet, they examine how love can bind, liberate, or defy the systems that shape our lives, and why those tensions still resonate today.

Later in the episode, Jason sits down with Suzanne O’Donnell, who returns to Romeo and Juliet this summer as the Nurse after originating Juliet in PSF’s inaugural season. Their conversation reflects on artistic growth, shifting perspective, and what it means to revisit a story of love and defiance from a new vantage point.

In A Peek Behind the Curtain, PSF’s new Director of Production, Kevin White, offers a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to bring this ambitious season to life, from repertory logistics to the unseen work that supports every performance.

Hosted by: Jason King Jones, Connie Behringer

Featuring: Suzanne O’Donnell, Kevin White

As You Mic It is produced by Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival.

Mentioned in this episode:

Become an Underwriter Today!

Contact podcast@pashakespeare.org for more information.

Join us at the Bard and Beyond Book Club

For more details, visit pashakespeare.org/bookclub

Collaboration makes great theatre!

Become a supporter, today! https://pashakespeare.org/support/

Subscriptions for the 2026 Summer Theatre Series

pashakespeare.org/tickets/

As You Mic It heads north for a special two-act episode recorded at the annual conference of the Shakespeare Theatre Association in St. John's.

Act One opens with a roundtable conversation as hosts Jason King Jones, Kim Carson, and Connie Behringer reflect on why PSF participates in the STA conference, what conversations are shaping the field, and what ideas they’re bringing back to the Festival. It’s a candid look at how artists and leaders learn from one another and why national exchange matters.

In Act Two, the hosts sit down with Scott Jackson, Mary Irene Ryan Family Executive Artistic Director of Shakespeare at Notre Dame and President of the Shakespeare Theatre Association. Jackson discusses leadership, applied Shakespeare, and his work co-founding the Shakespeare in Prisons Network, exploring how theatre can expand access, restore agency, and create connection far beyond the stage.

Hosted by: Jason King Jones, Kim Carson, Connie Behringer

Featuring: Scott Jackson

As You Mic It is produced by Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival.

Mentioned in this episode:

Subscriptions for the 2026 Summer Theatre Series

pashakespeare.org/tickets/

Become an Underwriter Today!

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PA Shakespeare Festival continues its second season of As You Mic It with a conversation spotlighting the women of the season and the artists shaping PSF’s work on stage and behind the scenes.

Hosts Jason King Jones, Kim Carson, and Connie Behringer open with a roundtable conversation on the women of the season, considering how these characters drive story and perspective across the Festival’s lineup.

The conversation then turns to Jessica Bedford, who shares her perspective as both director and one of the writers of this summer’s The Complete Works of Jane Austen, Abridged. Drawing on her long-standing relationship with PA Shakespeare Festival, Bedford reflects on Jane Austen’s sharp wit and lasting influence, and on how the friendships among the self-described “Jane-ites” who created the piece helped shape its humor and point of view.

In A Peek Behind the Curtain, the hosts turn their attention to the design process for the season, offering insight into how directors and designers collaborate to create cohesive worlds across productions and support the Festival’s storytelling goals.

Hosted by: Jason King Jones, Kim Carson, Connie Behringer

Featuring: Jessica Bedford

• Mary Wollstonecraft (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
• Helena Kelly - Author of Jane Austen, the Secret Radical (2016)

Mentioned in this episode:

Collaboration makes great theatre!

Become a supporter, today! https://pashakespeare.org/support/

Subscriptions for the 2026 Summer Theatre Series

pashakespeare.org/tickets/

Join us at the Bard and Beyond Book Club

For more details, visit pashakespeare.org/bookclub

Become an Underwriter Today!

Contact podcast@pashakespeare.org for more information.

PA Shakespeare Festival continues the conversation on As You Mic It through the stories we tell and the service that upholds them.

In this episode, hosts Jason King Jones, Kim Carson, and Connie Behringer open with a fast-moving roundtable that introduces the 2026 season. They share quick synopses, first impressions, and what they are most eager for audiences to experience this summer.

Later, JKJ speaks with Managing Director Casey Gallagher about his lasting work with PSF. He reflects on the path that brought him to the Festival, the work that shaped nearly three decades of leadership, and the partnership that drives PSF today.

In A Peek Behind the Curtain, we welcome H. Lloyd Carbaugh, President of the PSF Volunteer Guild. Lloyd highlights the award winning Guild’s essential role and the many ways volunteer service strengthens PSF’s community and legacy.

Hosted by: Jason King Jones, Kim Carson, and Connie Behringer

• PSF's Volunteer Guild

Mentioned in this episode:

Become an Underwriter Today!

Contact podcast@pashakespeare.org for more information.

Be a Maker of Theatre

Support PSF: https://pashakespeare.org/support/

Join us at the Bard and Beyond Book Club

For more details, visit pashakespeare.org/bookclub

Collaboration makes great theatre!

Become a supporter, today! https://pashakespeare.org/support/

PA Shakespeare Festival continues its second season of As You Mic It with a conversation centered on this year’s theme, Legends and Legacy.

In this episode, hosts Jason King Jones, Kim Carson, and Connie Behringer open with a roundtable on what defines a “legend” and how legacy takes shape within an artistic community.

Later in the episode, we turn to the next generation of theatre-makers through PSF’s new Muse of Fire Project. They share what draws them to Shakespeare, why live performance matters to them, and how the program is shaping their early steps as artists.

In A Peek Behind the Curtain, Kim offers insight into casting the inaugural Muse of Fire ensemble and how the project supports PSF’s commitment to mentorship, access, and legacy-building across the Festival.

Hosted by: Jason King Jones, Connie Behringer, and Kim Carson

Mentioned in this episode:

Be a Maker of Theatre

Support PSF: https://pashakespeare.org/support/

Become an Underwriter Today!

Contact podcast@pashakespeare.org for more information.

Collaboration makes great theatre!

Become a supporter, today! https://pashakespeare.org/support/

Join us at the Bard and Beyond Book Club

For more details, visit pashakespeare.org/bookclub

PA Shakespeare Festival continues its second season of As You Mic It with a conversation that explores Shakespeare as "America's Playwright."

In this episode, hosts Jason King Jones, Kim Carson, and Connie Behringer reflect on the role of theatre in the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary and how Shakespeare’s work continues to shape our understanding of democracy, identity, and community.

Later in the episode, JKJ sits with author and scholar James Shapiro, whose books Shakespeare in a Divided America and The Playbook examine how the Bard’s voice has echoed through centuries of American history. Together, they consider why Shakespeare still matters to audiences today and what his legacy means in defining the American experience.

In A Peek Behind the Curtain, the team shares a behind-the-scenes look at PSF’s casting process that brings the Festival’s Legends and Legacy theme to life.

Hosted by: Jason King Jones, Connie Behringer, and Kim Carson

Featuring: James Shapiro

(Producer's Note: This episode was recorded prior to the passing of former Vice President Dick Cheney. In conversation with James Shapiro, Mr. Cheney is referenced in connection to his readership and engagement with Shakespearean scholarship. We’ve chosen to maintain the reference in this episode and extend our respect to Mr. Cheney’s family.)

• Twelfth Night | Great Performances | PBS
• @pashakespeare - Follow us on Instagram!
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• James Shapiro

Mentioned in this episode:

Become an Underwriter Today!

Contact podcast@pashakespeare.org for more information.

Collaboration makes great theatre!

Become a supporter, today! https://pashakespeare.org/support/

Join us at the Bard and Beyond Book Club

For more details, visit pashakespeare.org/bookclub

Be a Maker of Theatre

Support PSF: https://pashakespeare.org/support/

Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival launches its 35th season and the second season of As You Mic It!

Join Artistic Director Jason King Jones WillPower actors David Andrew Laws, Darin "Frankie" Earl II, and Arrianna Daniels for a conversation about performing Shakespeare for thousands of students each fall. Reflecting on the 25th anniversary of PSF’s WillPower Tour, they share stories from the road, and explore what it means to bring professional theatre to audiences experiencing Shakespeare for the very first time.

Hosted by Jason King Jones, Connie Behringer, and Kim Carson, this episode celebrates the artistry, education, and enduring legacy that define PSF’s 35th season, Legends and Legacy.

Stay Connected:

Follow As You Mic It and the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival on social media for more behind-the-scenes insights and exciting festival updates.

• Follow Arrianna Daniels
• Follow Darin Frankie Earl
• Follow David Andrew Laws

Mentioned in this episode:

Become an Underwriter Today!

Contact podcast@pashakespeare.org for more information.

Collaboration makes great theatre!

Become a supporter, today! https://pashakespeare.org/support/

Collaboration makes great theatre!

Become a supporter, today! https://pashakespeare.org/support/

Join the Bard and Beyond Book Club!

For more details, visit pashakepeare.org/bookclub