History Alive: The Podcast
History Alive Inc. is a Salem-based theatre company dedicated to the production of new work based on stories from the past. We also have a podcast. Join History Alive cast members as we take you behind the scenes and back in time, discussing history, theatre, and everything in between.
The cast of Two Points Off the Weather Bow at the Custom House Maritime Museum in Newburyport, MA.
Episode 1: A Whale of a Podcast
Host: Carl Schultz
Guest: Juice Wacker
History! Theater! Large aquatic mammals! All this and more as we sit down to discuss recent History Alive production 'Two Points off the Weather Bow', an interactive performance of a 19th century whaling expedition. Just how a big an industry was whaling for Salem? Just how delicious are sea turtles? What's a bomb lance? Find out as we explore a shanty-filled journey into Salem's maritime past.
"In Effigiam Nicholai Culpeper Equitis," portrait of Nicholas Culpeper, etching, by printmaker Richard Gaywood. 126 mm x 90 mm. Courtesy of the British Museum, London.
Episode 2: The Stars Are All Right
Host: Carl Schultz
Guest: Mikayla Bishop
Since time immemorial humans have looked to the stars. A specific subset of humans have taken that a step further and used them for medicinal purposes. Join us as we explore the life of famed astrologer and herbalist, Nicholas Culpeper, whose work ranged from the prescient (accessible healthcare) to the bizarre (boiled millipedes as medicine). Can you catch tuberculosis from a bullet? Probably not, but find out anyway in this adventure into the wild world of 17th century medicine.
Episode 3: The Race Amity Day Special
Host: Carl Schultz
Guests: Godwin Nnanna, Sarah Rial, Emilia Phillips
Alright, there's no opening joke in this introduction, because this topic is too important. This episode is dedicated to exploring Race Amity Day, being held remotely over Zoom on June 14, 2020. Listen to various leaders in the North Shore community discuss questions of race relations, difficult conversations, and why Race Amity Day is important now more than ever.
Credit: Witchcraft: witches and devils dancing in a circle. Woodcut, 1720. Credit: Wellcome Collection. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Episode 4: Crucible of Error
Host: Carl Schultz
Guest: Alyssa Bené
A crucible is a heat-resistant container in which metals can be melted. The Crucible is a 1953 play by Arthur Miller about the dangers of McCarthyism and teenagers. Beloved by high school English teachers and high school Theater teachers alike, this play has made a significant impact on our society. But how much of The Crucible is true? Join us as Carl and Alyssa (who based on the background chirping is recording inside a Disney movie) lovingly eviscerate Arthur Miller's most self-congratulatory work. Is The Crucible historically accurate? Short answer: no. Long answer: you'll have to listen to the podcast.
