Imagine the class you enjoyed most in high school or college. Think of the things that made that class so pleasurable and satisfying: the teacher, the content, the class dynamic, or your own transformation from beginning to end. Ultimately, the class inspired within you a deep love for something by revealing its true nature. Such an experience is difficult to find, especially within the realm of great literature. But the podcast series I recommend today could be described as such.

The Play’s the Thing is a podcast produced by the Circe Institute’s podcast network Close Reads. The rotating hosts dive into a Shakespeare play for a number of episodes. I recommend the five episodes they spend on Much Ado About Nothing. These episodes (Act I, II, III, IV, V) include all of the best characteristics of a favorite college course or lecture series, while also managing to entertain. And they are completely free.

I am not a Shakespeare expert – far, far from it. I enjoy reading his plays, but I also struggle to understand the Elizabethan language and his elaborately constructed form. The provender that he lays out for his audience is rich in both flavor and substance, but the effort to soak up all of that goodness often leaves me too stuffed to properly digest the content. 

While they avoid spoon-feeding their listeners, the hosts from these five episodes break the play into more manageable bites. Andrew Kern and Angelina Stanford deftly navigate the text to make the play accessible and alive without weakening or dumbing down Shakespeare’s magnificent storytelling. So often a literary guide vitiates the great literature he is trying to teach by asserting his own expertise. It is an easy thing to do. But Kern and Stanford demonstrate their own skill and mastery by remembering that they are always students first. They are humble when admitting to their own (relatively minor) lack of knowledge. They raise conjectures confidently with strong evidence but always leave room for discussion and frequently push back against one another.

They cover an incredible range of topics throughout the five episodes, each one running about an hour or so long. While remarking upon Shakespeare’s particular use of language, they delve into the philosophy of composition and the central role of language and vocabulary within a society. Wide cultural insights and educational philosophy proceed from their close examination of a particular phrase or word in the text.

Meanwhile, these two hosts know how to have fun. If they become a little too chatty for you, you can always skip ahead thirty seconds, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Just like getting to know your professor enhances your enjoyment of the class, so listening to these folks banter back and forth gives you a slight glimpse into their lives and familiarizes you with their personalities. Angelina likes to laugh, and Andrew likes to make dumb dad jokes. What’s not to love? 

If you haven’t read the play, well, you should. It is one of Shakespeare’s best. If you’re feeling particularly intimidated or less than interested, try listening to part of the first episode before you begin reading. Then read an act at a time and listen to the subsequent podcast episode that matches. I guarantee you’ll begin to enjoy the play. There are a couple great film adaptations which might help, too. Kenneth Branagh’s version is currently available on Amazon Prime and well worth the watching. It is definitely mentioned during the podcast, including an indirect criticism of the crucial villainous scene which would have taken place completely offstage (obscene) in Shakespeare’s time. If you read the play first, you’ll know which part to quickly skip over.

Stanford and Kern don’t have all the answers and you might not agree with everything they think, but their discussions are a gentle way to introduce yourself to wonderful literature that might otherwise seem dull and difficult. All of that said, obviously I recommend listening when you can focus your attention and truly enjoy learning. If you’re looking for a fun evening activity with your spouse that engages your mind and provides a great discussion topic for tomorrow night’s dinner table, try reading an act together and then listening to an episode. Pause to discuss interesting points. Personally, I listened while doing laundry, one of my least favorite tasks. Never have I enjoyed folding clothes more. 

 This is a podcast to come back to again and again, just like the play. Andrew Kern says in one episode that if you think you have read a great book after the first time, think again. A great book requires multiple reads before you can begin to hear all it has to say. Angelina compares it to food. Once you’ve eaten a delicious dish, do you say, “I’ve already eaten that. I don’t need to eat it again”? Of course not. So find some time in the early morning with your coffee or during your evening reading hour to read a little Shakespeare and listen to two excellent and entertaining friends. Then do it again.