Listen to New Voices on Studs Terkel our partnership with 826CHI-here! Read the Story
Showing 1 - 15 of 49 results
Woody Allen discusses his life and art, the influence of both success and failure on his work, and how he finds comedy in life’s difficulties and trials. He discusses his first screenplay, “What’s Up Pussycat?” and other comedians who have influenced the development of his own comedic work, including Mort Sahl, Charlie Chaplin, the Marx Brothers, and George S. Kaufman.
Actor, director, and author Vincent Dowling performs scenes and roles from his repertoire. He discusses his previous plays and touches on what influenced his career in acting and directing.
Studs Terkel heads to the British town of Stratford-upon-Avon (the birthplace of William Shakespeare) intending to interview Sir John Gielgud, and getting a few words before Studs realizes that Sir John is not intending to be interviewed. He speaks instead to other members of the company. Then he meets Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence in the Falcon Hotel.
Vlado Habunek, the Director of The Croatian National Theater, also a teacher at the University of Zagreb and board member for the Debrovnik Summer Festival discusses how all arts are seeking new revelations with Studs Terkel. Terkel asks Habunek to compare American Actors with Croatian actors because they are subsidized by the state. He sees Croatian actors as too secure and admires the ambition of American actors. The fact that theater reflects life and life is difficult begins a discussion on the status of theater today.
Studs Terkel reintroduces this 1958 broadcast with Jacques Tati in a 1992 rebroadcast. At 39:06, Terkel includes a musical epilogue to the conversation with Jacques Tati with French children's songs such as "Cadet Rousselle". Tati discusses his films "Mr. Hulot's Holiday" and" Mon Oncle" and his emphasis as writer, director, actor, and producer to maintain a naturalness. He doesn't want lights, cameras or action to influence the actors. Naturalness will respect independence and keeping it simple and real will create pride and invite people in.
Actor and director Sidney Poitier offers his reflections about his autobiographical memoir, "This Life". Poitier explains how he never had ambitions to be an actor and yet he stumbled into acting when looking through the clasisfied ads. There's a story about his agent trying to settle a negotiation on Poitier's behalf. Poitier's agent told the others involved that Poitier was offered a film in Hollywood. Believing it was a cheap ploy, the agent was told to tell Poitier to go onto Hollywood, and the rest is history for Sidney Poitier.
In the play, "The Value of Names," Shelley Berman plays Benny Silverman, a role which he says is him, an actor from the Hollywood black list. Berman said being in Chicago, acting the role and working with the cast has been THE best experience of his life and when the show closes, it will be the saddest day of his life. The director of the play, Sandy Shinner, said she knew of the Hollywood black list but didn't know about all the personal stories. There is an excerpt of Vic Navasky.
Rilla Bergman, Lou Fant, and Bill Reese converse with Studs about The National Theater for the Deaf and the production they are presenting. Two of the actors Ms. Bergman and Mr. Reese discuss what it took to learn, as hearing people, the best ways to express themselves with sign language. They all talk about how much more expressive the actors in the Deaf Theater have to be to convey the message of the piece they are presenting.
Sam Wanamaker talks about the curtain of a stage being a barrier between the set and the audience. Wanaker says that with theater today, there are more theaters in the round and more thrusts of ramps built into the audience, so that the audience can feel they are a part of the production of the play.
Patrick Garland directs Roy Dotrice, who plays the old and lonely John Aubrey in "Brief Lives". While in studio, Dotrice reenacts part of the one-man show. Garland explains that the play is about John Aubrey, on the last day of his life, telling the audience about the past lives he's encountered.
Ray Gordon, writer and director, and Susanne Nussbaum, cast member of "Disabled Geniuses," discuss the play and the life of people with disabilities. Nussbaum recalls experiences of discrimination she and her friends have faced due to their differences. Both interviewees then talk about the members of the play and some of the characters involved.
The Goodman Theatre cast of the play “Fences” discuss some of the major themes from the play, including the African-American experience and race relations, particularly in Major League Baseball.
Peter Ustinov discusses his wide-ranging career in the arts as an actor, author, director, and dramatist.
Marian Anderson recalls singing on stage for the first time at the Metropolitan Opera House in 1957 and how it was the realization of a dream come true. Marion's nephew, James DePreist remembers being able to conduct a piece of music he had never conducted before because his aunt Marion had exposed him to it when he was a child. James said when his aunt Marion sung spirituals, he couldn't help but feel religious and he's an atheist.