S2E9 - Words in the Moment

About this episode

The episode explores the relationship between language, time, and the relevance of historical stories in contemporary performance.

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…

People in this episode

Hosts: Jason King Jones, Connie Behringer

Guest: Ben Crystal

Topics covered

• language
• time
• storytelling
• original pronunciation
• performance
• Shakespeare

Keywords

• language
• Shakespeare
• original pronunciation
• performance
• storytelling
• theater

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival

Books & works: Shakespeare, Million Dollar Quartet, The Piano Lesson

More episodes of As You Mic It

• S2E16 - In the Spotlight with Million Dollar Quartet · June 5, 2026 · 1h 9m
• S2E15 - In the Spotlight with The Piano Lesson · May 29, 2026 · 43 min
• S2P7 - The Prologues: Coriolanus · May 20, 2026 · 10 min
• S2P6 - The Prologues: Ken Ludwig's Moriarty · May 19, 2026 · 7 min
• S2P5 - The Prologues: Romeo & Juliet · May 18, 2026 · 12 min
• S2P4 - The Prologues: The Complete Works of Jane Austen, Abridged · May 17, 2026 · 8 min