Zero Mostel talks about acting theory, French and American theater differences, and the reflection of art in society.

Zero Mostel talks about acting theory, French and American theater differences, and the reflection of art in society.

Contrary to what some people believe, Zero Mostel says that being an actor is not that easy of a job. Everything one knows, Mostel explains, becomes apart of who you are. The more one knows, the better his/her work will be.

Studs Terkel interviews Fred Christy about how he hopes to change the young lives of African-American. He also travels with Fred to places of African-American community.

Terkel comments and presents a musical performance by Wynton Marsalis

Writer Carlos Fuentes discusses life, politics, and Mexican culture; Mexican folk songs are played throughout the program.

The interview begins with Wright Morris reading from a essay he had presented at a conference on Arts in Public. Wright Morris, an American novelist and essayist , discusses how society no longer participates in consuming the arts, only skimming the surface by reading a review. Mr Morris argues that the bulk of society does not embrace or learn from the past mostly due to the fact there is no knowledge and a lack of curiosity to gain that knowledge.

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.

Studs interviews Wolfgang Rubsam who is performing at the St. Clements Catholic Church in Chicago. They discuss the sounds of the harpsichord, piano, and organ. Rubsam explains how the organ builder and the acoustics in a church affects the sound of the organ. Rubsam talks a little about various teachers he has had and the things he learned from each. The musical numbers are removed from this edited version of the original recording.

Wole Soyinka discusses the play "Death and the King's Horseman." Includes passages from the play and Nigerian funeral music.

Win Stracke, Bill Adelman, and Bill Neebe discusses the Haymarket Riot and the following trials and hangings which changed the labor movement around the world. The group discusses the American labor movement and police brutality that led to the protest and the eventual accusal of eight men. They also explore the roles George Pullman, Marshall Field, and the police force played and how they used the protest to weed out union leaders they did not like. The group briefly discusses the future of the labor movement.

Changing up the conversation, Win Stracke talks about artists he's admired like Bill Broonzy and Jim Post. According to Stracke, although Broonzy was a blues musician, he liked humor found in songs. Stracke said he really liked Jim Post, who singled out people who were the best at what they did. As a result, Post asked Stracke to record an album of hymns with him.

Songs, music and lyrics are among the topics of Win Stracke's interview. Stracke believed folk songs had a morality all their own. He also explained that songs have a way of recapturing the feeling(s) of an event that the printed work can not convey.

Content Warning: This conversation has the presence of outdated, biased, or offensive language. Rather than remove this content, we present it in the context of twentieth-century social history to acknowledge and learn from its impact and to inspire awareness and discussion.

Studs interviews blues singers Willie Dixon, Sunnyland Slim, and Willie Mae Big Mama Thornton about the blues. They discuss the blues festival in Chicago for which they are all in town for and name other musicians who will be performing. Sunnyland Slim talks about being on the road and the hard times. Thornton describes the blues as music made from life experiences.