S2E8 - Love and Defiance

S2E8 - Love and Defiance

Author: Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival February 3, 2026 Duration: 1:17:54

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:

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Subscriptions for the 2026 Summer Theatre Series

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Dive into the rich world of the stage with As You Mic It, a production of the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival. This isn't just a series of lectures; it's an invitation backstage, where the magic of performance and the depth of literary tradition meet. Each conversation feels like pulling up a chair in the green room, listening as artists and scholars unpack the themes, characters, and historical contexts that give these timeless works their enduring power. You'll hear from the authors, directors, and actors who bring the words to life, gaining insight into the creative decisions that shape each festival production. The discussions are both insightful and genuinely playful, celebrating the art of storytelling in all its complexity. No matter your background-whether you can quote soliloquies by heart or are simply drawn to a good story-this podcast offers a fresh and engaging perspective. The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival has crafted a space where analysis feels like discovery, making the anthology of their work accessible and endlessly fascinating. Tune in to find your connection to these classic tales, explored with a contemporary ear and a deep love for the performing arts.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 44

As You Mic It
Podcast Episodes
S2E16 - In the Spotlight with Million Dollar Quartet [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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S2E15 - In the Spotlight with The Piano Lesson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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S2P7 - The Prologues: Coriolanus [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Get ready for Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival’s 2026 Legends and Legacy Season with As You Mic It: The Prologues. In this mini-episode, we step into Shakespeare’s Coriolanus, a gripping portrait of power, pride, and po…
S2P6 - The Prologues: Ken Ludwig's Moriarty [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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S2P5 - The Prologues:  Romeo & Juliet [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Get ready for Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival’s 2026 Legends and Legacy Season with As You Mic It: The Prologues. In this mini-episode, we enter the world of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the timeless story of young…
S2P4 - The Prologues: The Complete Works of Jane Austen, Abridged [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Get ready for Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival’s 2026 Legends and Legacy Season with As You Mic It: The Prologues. In this mini-episode, we introduce The Complete Works of Jane Austen, Abridged, a fast-paced comedy that…
S2P3 - The Prologues: Million Dollar Quartet [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Get ready for Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival’s 2026 Legends and Legacy Season with As You Mic It: The Prologues. In this mini-episode, we step into the electrifying world of Million Dollar Quartet, the hit musical ins…
S2P2 - The Prologues: As You Like It [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Get ready for Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival’s 2026 Legends and Legacy Season with As You Mic It: The Prologues. In this mini-episode, we journey into Shakespeare’s As You Like It, a joyful comedy of reinvention, roma…
S2P1 - The Prologues: August Wilson's The Piano Lesson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Get ready for Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival’s 2026 Legends and Legacy Season with As You Mic It: The Prologues. In this mini-episode, we introduce August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson, directed by James Ijames. It's a po…
S2E14 - In the Spotlight with Austin Tichenor [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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PA Shakespeare Festival continues its second season of As You Mic It with a conversation about comedy, craft, and a life spent reimagining Shakespeare for contemporary audiences.In this one-act episode, Jason King Jones…