Theater director Simon Stone deconstructs some of the common visual and audio tricks of modern theater, utilizing a cast of first-time volunteer actors recruited in the days prior to TEDxSydney 2011 and rehearsed just once.

Though most might be unaware, the US state of California was named after a place that doesn't exist outside of literature, similar to Narnia. "California" comes from a novel written in the Spanish Golden Age.

Richard Williams, better known by his stage name Prince Ea, is an American spoken word artist, poet, rapper, and filmmaker. He formed the "Make 'SMART' Cool" movement in 2009, which is dedicated to promoting the ideals of education, intelligence, unity, and creativity through hip hop.

David and Ben Crystal explain why Shakespeare verses read with Original Pronunciation convey very different emotions and open up another level of understanding.

Over the course of human history, thousands of languages have developed from what was once a much smaller number. How did we end up with so many? And how do we keep track of them all? Alex Gendler explains how linguists group languages into language families, demonstrating how these linguistic trees give us crucial insights into the past.

David and Ben Crystal explain what goes into original pronunciation (OP) productions of Shakespeare and what they reveal about the history of the English language.

The First Lady welcomes the first act in an evening of poetry, music and spoken word at the White House. Pianist ELEW and bassist/singer Esperanza Spalding kick off the evening with an instrumental jazz fusion performance. Enjoy!

The President and First Lady kick off an evening of poetry, music, and the spoken word at the White House.

MTV has unearthed an amazing clip of David Bowie backstage at Live Aid with Thomas Dolby, talking about Labyrinth and his “Dancing in the Street” music video.

Jamila Lyiscott is a “tri-tongued orator;” in her powerful spoken-word essay “Broken English,” she celebrates — and challenges — the three distinct flavors of English she speaks with her friends, in the classroom and with her parents. As she explores the complicated history and present-day identity that each language represents, she unpacks what it means to be “articulate.”

John Tullo (Beej) from Drumroots and Tanante giving an interview about our most recent Drumroots Live event ran as a fund raiser to for all proceeds to be handed onto Médecins Sans Frontières MSF (Doctors Without Borders) for their essential and on-going work in East Africa.

Ever wondered why most Americans don't like tea? Have they ever even tasted a cup of tea properly prepared? Simon Jones is convinced that they haven't and gives a nice detailed description, taken from "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," of how to make a proper cup of tea. Enjoy!

Our British tour guide Lauren is taking us to Trafalgar Square today — come and join her to learn more about this tourist attraction in central London!

Curator Jenny Moore at the New Museum in New York City guides us through the "Pictures from the Moon" exhibition of holographic art works by well-known artists including Louise Bourgeois, Bruce Naumann, Eric Orr, Ed Ruscha, and James Turrell.

Come listen as Bindni Karia, a woman working in film production in the Indian film industry in London, shares a bit about herself and the job she loves. Learn a bit about her hometown of Leicester, England, along with her love for London and the UK as a whole.