Podcast appearances and mentions of Tom Stoppard

estival Fever continues this week with a forgotten adaptation and the Venice Film Festival. Tom Stoppard earned his first Tony Award for Best Play for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, an absurdist spoof of Hamlet and various theatre tropes from the perspective of two of the Bard's minor characters. A film version was long delayed … Continue reading "341 – Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead (Festival Fever!)"

Welcome back listeners! After a short break, join Jen and Lane once again, today with the hilarious "Three Men in a Boat" by Jerome K. Jerome. This tale is based on a real adventure taken by Jerome on the Thames, and includes all of the chaotic shenanigans that happen when you take a trip with your closest friends. Especially when just about everything seems to go wrong.Referred to in the episode:Jerome K Jerome Society: https://www.jeromekjerome.com/Tom Stoppard's “Three Men In a Boat” (1975) (IMDb Link)Buy the Book:⁠Three Men in a Boat (Bookshop.org paperback)⁠Three Men in a Boat (libro.fm audiobook)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bards Alley Bookshop Website⁠⁠Show Links:Bard's Alley Bookshop Website

Today, I'm thrilled to announce my episode with 4-time Tony nominee Raul Esparza. Tune in to hear some of the stories of his legendary career, including how he got into character for TICK, TICK…BOOM!, finding his take on the Emcee in CABARET, how Stephen Sondheim rewrote “Being Alive” for him, his experience of being outed while starring in COMPANY, the joys of starring in OLIVER, how his wife convinced him to audition for THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, the difficulty of working with Jeremy Piven on SPEED-THE-PLOW, leaning into film tropes for ROAD SHOW, why he struggled with his role in CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, John Doyle's repetition technique, partying with Boy George to prepare for TABOO, why LEAP OF FAITH didn't have more success on Broadway, his recent role in GALILEO, the lasting power of THE NORMAL HEART, the specificity of Tom Stoppard, his favorite audience reactions during THE HOMECOMING, how LAW AND ORDER gave him a reprieve from stage work, the surprising similarities between ARCADIA and SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, and so much more. Don't miss this in-depth conversation with a true Broadway legend.

Korean name: Gwoemul (Monster)Director: Bong Joon-hoWriters: Bong Joon-ho, Ha Joon-won, Baek Chul-hyunStars: Song Kang-ho as Park Gang-du (Sad Dad), Byun Hee-bong as Park Hee-Bong (Sad Dad's Dad), Go Ah-sung as Park Hyun-seo (Sad Dad's Daughter), Park Hae-il as Park Nam-il (Small Sad Uncle), Bae Doona as Park Nam-joo (Badass Aunt), and a few america people Recommendations:Ryan - Castaway on the Moon, Bong Jun Ho, Song Kang-ho, Memories of a Murder, The ChaserEmily- Train To Busan, Dissident CinemaJeremy - Brazil - Terry Gilliam, Tom Stoppard, Charles McKeown Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom Stoppard's film of his famous play, with Tim Roth and Gary Oldman

Want to support the podcast? Join our Patreon or buy us a coffee. As an independent podcast, Shakespeare Anyone? is supported by listeners like you. This week, we are bringing you something a little different and unlocking our Patreon bonus episode on the 1998 film, Shakespeare in Love. Over on our Patreon, we regularly watch/read and discuss Shakespeare-adjacent media. Shakespeare in Love, written by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard and directed by John Madden, follows a fictional love affair between William Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) and a noblewoman, Viola de Lesseps (Gwyneth Paltrow), during the writing of Romeo and Juliet. The film also features performances by Geoffrey Rush, Colin Firth, Ben Affleck and Judi Dench. Shakespeare in Love received 7 Oscars, including Best Picture at the 71st Academy Awards.  We originally released this episode in February 2023 as a Patreon-exclusive. Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. For updates: join our email list, follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod or visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com You can support the podcast by becoming a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone, buying us coffee, or by shopping our bookshelves at bookshop.org/shop/shakespeareanyonepod (we earn a small commission when you use our link and shop bookshop.org). Find additional links mentioned in the episode in our Linktree. Works referenced: Stoppard, Tom, and Marc Norman. Shakespeare in Love. Panorama, 1998.  

Today, I'm thrilled to be joined by Tony nominee Daniel Davis. Tune in to hear some of the stories of his legendary carer, including his fateful audition for COCO, bringing Katharine Hepburn to dinner with his parents, the disagreement he had with Ian McKellen about AMADEUS, what he admired about Gavin Creel in LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, competing with Roddy McDowall for the role of Niles in THE NANNY, taking inspiration from Eric Blore and Arthur Treacher, acting with Eva Le Gallienne in ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL, his unexpected Tony nomination for WRONG MOUNTAIN, the gift he got from Tom Stoppard during THE INVENTION F LOVOE, the difficulty of doing NOISES OFF at the American Airlines Theater, how Nathan Lane thought of him for THE FROGS, a full-circle moment appearing on ELSBETH, the challenge of playing Iago in OTHELLO, how he almost replaced Len Cariou in SWEENEY TODD, and so much more. Don't miss this honest conversation with a true veteran of the American stage.

“Every exit is an entry somewhere else.” –Tom Stoppard

It's our final session of 2 scenes with Septimus!

Welcome back to 2 scenes with Septimus!

The actor Simon Russell Beale speaks about playing the poet and scholar A. E. Housman in Tom Stoppard's play 'The Invention of Love', as well as discussing his memoir.The singer, songwriter and composer Rufus Wainwright was inspired to write a Requiem by his love of the composer Giuseppe Verdi and the loss of his dog, named Puccini. He speaks about the project and the involvement of Meryl Streep.And Kate Garner performs songs from the music halls, alongside the historian and writer Oskar Jensen discussing the stories behind the songs.Presenter: Samira Ahmed Producer: Ruth Watts

Send us a textBefore I get in to the breakdown of this episode, I have to correct a few things that are bit embarrassing for one hosting a playwriting podcast. 1) Black Comedy was written by Peter Schaefer (Black Comedy, Equis, Amadeus). 2) After "Matisse"  is actually After Magritte and was indeed written by Tom Stoppard that was attributer to Black Comedy in this episode. I'm still trying to find the title of the one-act about the burning building. Update to come. Playwright Nick Amatuzio beamed into Playwright's Spotlight after a last minute cancellation. Nick is a former PLAY Noir submitter who is long overdue for a chat. Four seasons in, we discuss the evolution of a play through editing, avoiding scams, monetary prizes vs production, shopping for publication, expanding on historical characters and cannon, when to edit, and what a character doesn't say. We also touch on setup vs response in comedy, struggles in playwriting, the benefits of simplicity, writing farce, and the effects of changing location. As all episodes land, there is always something new to learn no matter how novice or established a playwright may be. I promise you will walk away with some nugget of insight with this latest episode. Thanks for a great start to a fourth season. Enjoy!Nick Amatuzio is a Smith Falls, Ontario based playwright, screenwriter, and author. His plays The American Way and Seein' is Believin' are both available at Off the Wall Plays, and his plays Before the Cut, Brush with the Law, Mick's Last Line & Melody's Last Line are available at Stage Write Plays.To watch the video format of this episode, visit -https://youtu.be/qK91kRjP7f4Links to resources mentioned in this episode -Off the Wall Plays -https://offthewallplays.comStage-Write Plays -https://stage-write.com.auWriter Beware -https://writerbeware.blogFreefall Writing -https://freefallwriting.comWebsite and Socials for Nick Amatuzio -Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/nick.amatuzioWebsites and socials for James Elden, PMP, and Playwright's Spotlight -Punk Monkey Productions - www.punkmonkeyproductions.comPLAY Noir -www.playnoir.comPLAY Noir Anthology –www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.htmlJames Elden -Twitter - @jameseldensauerIG - @alakardrakeFB - fb.com/jameseldensauerPunk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir - Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods                  - @playnoirla IG - @punkmonkeyprods       - @playnoir_la FB - fb.com/playnoir        - fb.com/punkmonkeyproductionsPlaywright's Spotlight -Twitter - @wrightlightpod IG - @playwrights_spotlightPlaywriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festivalwww.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.htmlSupport the show

คอลัมน์ “สดแต่เช้า”ปีที่4 (236) คนมีวุฒิภาวะที่พระคริสต์ต้องการ! “พระองค์นี้แหละที่เราประกาศอยู่ โดยการเตือนสติและสั่งสอนทุกคนด้วยสรรพปัญญา เพื่อว่าเราจะถวายทุกคนที่เป็นผู้ใหญ่แล้วในพระคริสต์!”‭‭ ~โคโลสี‬ ‭1‬:‭28‬ ‭THSV11‬‬ “He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.”‭‭ ~Colossians‬ ‭1‬:‭28‬ ‭NIV‬‬เราควรประกาศพระคริสต์ และเรื่องราวของพระองค์ให้แก่คนทั้งหลายเราควรเตือนสติและสั่งสอน ด้วยพระวจนะของพระเจ้าเพื่อ1.ให้คนที่ยังไม่เชื่อ จะได้เชื่อพระคริสต์2.ให้คนที่เชื่อแล้ว จะเติบโตเป็นสาวก3.ให้คนที่เป็นสาวก จะเติบโตเป็นผู้ใหญ่ในความเชื่อ4.ให้คนที่เป็นผู้ใหญ่ในความเชื่อ จะออกไปทำเช่นเดียวกัน(1~3) คนที่เป็นผู้ใหญ่ในพระคริสต์ คือคนที่1.มีวุฒิภาวะ(mature)2.รับการฝึกฝนเต็มที่( fully trained)3.สมบูรณ์อยู่ในพระคริสต์(perfect in Christ)Joshua L. Liebman กล่าวว่า “วุฒิภาวะเกิดขึ้น เมื่อคนนั้นปฏิเสธความเพลิดเพลินใจชั่วคราวเฉพาะหน้า เพื่อสิ่งที่มีคุณค่าถาวรระยะยาว!” (Maturity is achieved when a person postpones immediate pleasures for long-term values.) เราต้องพร้อมจ่ายราคาเพื่อความเจริญเติบโต เหมือนดังที่Tom Stoppard กล่าวว่า”วุฒิภาวะคือการจ่ายราคาสูงเพื่อการเจริญเติบโต!“( Maturity is a high price to pay for growing up.เราทุกคนที่เชื่อในพระคริสต์ จึงควรเป็นผู้มีวุฒิภาวะ!ที่มีคุณลักษณะของความเป็นผู้ใหญ่ในฝ่ายจิตวิญญาณ ดังนี้1.Character (คุณลักษณะเด่น) คือ มีความรักอย่างพระคริสต์2.Conviction (ความเชื่อที่มั่นคง)คือ มีความเชื่อมั่นคงในพระคริสต์3.Comprehension(ความเข้าใจที่กระจ่าง)คือมีความเข้าใจในพระทัยพระคริสต์4.Competence(ความสามารถทำได้ดี)คือมีความสามารถในการทำหน้าที่สาวก5.Compassion (ความเมตตาสงสาร)คือมีความเห็นอกเห็นใจช่วยเหลือผู้อื่น พี่น้องที่รักวันนี้ ขอให้เรามาเป็นสาวกแท้ของพระคริสต์ ที่มีวุฒิภาวะฝ่ายจิตวิญญาณที่พร้อมจะมอบทุกคนที่เป็นผู้ใหญ่แล้วในพระคริสต์ถวายแด่พระเจ้าของเรา …จะอาเมนด้วยกันไหมครับ? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ธงชัย ประดับชนานุรัตน์22พฤศจิกายน 2024 #YoutubeCJCONNECT #thongchaibsc#คริสตจักรแห่งความรัก #churchoflove #ShareTheLoveForward #ChurchOfJoy #คริสตจักรแห่งความสุข #NimitmaiChristianChurch #คริสตจักรนิมิตใหม่ #ฮักกัยประเทศไทย #อัลฟ่า #หนึ่งล้านความดี

Monty Python star and king of the travel documentary Michael Palin has just published the fourth volume of his best-selling diaries. In 'There and Back' he covers the years 1999-2009. He joins Clive to talk about how the 21st Century has treated him.The actor and Call The Midwife star Jessica Raine is soon to return to our screens in the second series of 'The Devil's Hour' where she plays Lucy Chambers, the insomniac social worker who wakes every night at 3.33am.Susan Wokoma has just finished playing Charlotte in Tom Stoppard's The Real Thing at the Old Vic and she will soon be back as Fola in the BBC drama Cheaters, which starts its second series later this month.The WAEVE are a collaboration between Blur guitarist Graham Coxon and singer-songwriter Rose Elinor Dougall. They perform a track from their new album City Lights.And there's more music from the London based Jazz musican Ashley Henry who has just released his sophmore album 'Who We Are'Presenter: Clive Anderson Producer: Jessica Treen

A star of stage and screen, Bill Nighy has enjoyed a fifty year career and is now among Britain's most prolific and much loved actors. Acclaimed for National Theatre roles in plays by David Hare and Tom Stoppard, his popular appeal lies with scene-stealing appearances in films including Pirates Of The Caribbean, Harry Potter and, most famously, Love Actually. Bill Nighy has won Bafta and Golden Globe awards and was Oscar nominated for his starring role in the 2022 historical drama Living. His most recent film is Joy in which he plays obstetrician Patrick Steptoe, one of the pioneers of fertility treatment. Bill Nighy talks to John Wilson about some of the earliest influences on his career including a school drama teacher. He also recalls joining the Liverpool Everyman rep company in the 1970s and the influence of playwright David Hare who cast him in many of his works including Pravda, The Vertical Hour and Skylight.Producer: Edwina Pitman

Postcards to Hitler: A German Jew's Defiance in a Time of Terror is a powerful full cast project with a cast of nine pro narrators plus the author. In this episode, six of the nine gather to discuss their experiences being part of the project, what it means to them personally, and how the production process supported them and strengthened the power of the storytelling. Extremely important as well as entertaining and very human in its telling, Postcards to Hitler is a must-listen. Likened to great works such as The Diary of Anne Frank and Tom Stoppard's  Broadway hit Leopoldstadt, Postcards has what it takes to nurture compassion while strengthening resolve to not repeat what led to the Holocaust. Learn more at https://postcardstohitler.com Click here to get the audiobook 

Episode 085: The Real Thing by Tom Stoppard Host: Douglas Schatz Guest: Mark Lawson Welcome to The Play Podcast where we explore the greatest new and classic plays. Each episode we choose a single play to talk about in depth with our expert guest. We'll discuss the play's origins, its themes, characters, structure and impact. For us the play is the thing. Tom Stoppard is renowned for his intellectual wit and playful dramatic form, both of which are certainly on show in The Real Thing, but the play also explores more personal emotional territory: on what constitutes the real thing in love, politics and art. As we record this episode, a new production of the play is on stage at the Old Vic theatre in London. My guest to help us navigate the romantic entanglements and structural twists in the play is the renowned arts journalist, Mark Lawson.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway's next Ginny Potter, Sarah Killough is here! U Guys, this week's BroadwayWorld Recap has all the latest Bway updates, including a tribute to Ken Page and Gavin Creel. Then I am joined by Broadway performer Sarah Killough! Sarah has been seen on Broadway in four critically acclaimed plays, most recently taking over the role of Eva full-time in Tom Stoppard's Leopoldstadt. Her other Broadway credits include The Lehman Trilogy, Travesties, and Long Day's Journey Into Night with Jessica Lange. Sarah was also seen off-broadway in Once Upon A Mattress with the Transport Group. We talk about her experience working as a reader for casting offices in New York City, as well as working in regional theaters across the country. Her next Broadway endeavor is taking on the role of Ginny Potter in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child starting November 12th. Sarah is an absolute delight, U don't wanna miss this episode! Follow Sarah on Instagram: @rhymeswithpillow Follow the pod on Instagram: @ohmypoduguys Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sarah sits down for a wide-ranging conversation with James McArdle, currently starring in The Real Thing at the Old Vic. He talks about returning to the stage, his new film, playing opposite Saoirse Ronan as the Macbeths, what he learnt from Kate Winslet - and why an actor should always be able to make you laugh. Plus a radical idea to help regional theatre. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

pWotD Episode 2705: Maggie Smith Welcome to Popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 2,038,345 views on Friday, 27 September 2024 our article of the day is Maggie Smith.Dame Margaret Natalie Smith (28 December 1934 − 27 September 2024) was a British actress. Known for her wit in comedic roles, she had an extensive career on stage and screen over seven decades and was one of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actresses. She received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, five BAFTA Awards, four Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award, as well as nominations for six Laurence Olivier Awards. Smith was one of the few performers to earn the Triple Crown of Acting.Smith began her stage career as a student, performing at the Oxford Playhouse in 1952, and made her professional debut on Broadway in New Faces of '56. Over the following decades Smith established herself alongside Judi Dench as one of the most significant British theatre performers, working for the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. On Broadway, she received Tony Award nominations for Noël Coward's Private Lives (1975) and Tom Stoppard's Night and Day (1979), and won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for Lettice and Lovage (1990).Smith won Academy Awards for Best Actress for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) and Best Supporting Actress for California Suite (1978). She was Oscar-nominated for Othello (1965), Travels with My Aunt (1972), A Room with a View (1985) and Gosford Park (2001). She portrayed Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter film series (2001–2011). She also acted in Death on the Nile (1978), Hook (1991), Sister Act (1992), The Secret Garden (1993), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012), Quartet (2012) and The Lady in the Van (2015).Smith received newfound attention and international fame for her role as Violet Crawley in the British period drama Downton Abbey (2010–2015). The role earned her three Primetime Emmy Awards; she had previously won one for the HBO film My House in Umbria (2003). Over the course of her career she was the recipient of numerous honorary awards including the British Film Institute Fellowship in 1993, the BAFTA Fellowship in 1996 and the Society of London Theatre Special Award in 2010. Smith was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 1990.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 02:34 UTC on Saturday, 28 September 2024.For the full current version of the article, see Maggie Smith on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Joey.

Today:Saxophonist James Carter is back in town for two shows Saturday night at Scullers Jazz Club. But first, he and his band swing by the BPL.And, Tom Stoppard's Leopoldstadt is on stage now at the Huntington. We speak with director Carey Perloff and actor Rebecca Gibel about the play, about a Jewish family in Vienna at the rise of the 20th century.

Our exit today has us taking a stab at popular slasher movies and the Kevin Williamson oeuvre. This week, we are talking about the Wayans Brothers' Scary Movie, and the debut of Anna Faris. And we are bringing along our favorite bad movie and horror aficionado Mike Merrigan (from our Dogma episode) for the ride. Along the way, we go into a deep dive of horror in the 90s and the importance of Scream, Drew Barrmore vs. Melissa Joan Hart, Laverne & Shirley, the View Askew-averse, bullet time, talking in movie theatres, and several Tom Stoppard references. And it all ends with Tripp officially breaking Ross. Find Mike on the Filmjitsu podcast. Thememusic by Jonworthymusic. Powered by RiversideFM. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CFF Films⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Ross and friends. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Movies We've Covered on the Show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Letterboxd. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Movies Recommended on the Show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Letterboxd.

Arcadia by Tom Stoppard is a little bit of a deviation, being a play script instead of a novel. Still, it's a fascinating read, showcasing Stoppard's wit and esoteric bent. A favorite of Tony's, this is a new experience for Tom. TTYpodcast.com Thumbingthroughyesterday.com

This week on the blog, a podcast interview with playwright and screenwriter Jeffrey Hatcher on Columbo, Sherlock Holmes, favorite mysteries and more!LINKSA Free Film Book for You: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/cq23xyyt12Another Free Film Book: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/x3jn3emga6Fast, Cheap Film Website: https://www.fastcheapfilm.com/Jeffrey Hatcher Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/jeffrey.hatcher.3/The Good Liar (Trailer): https://youtu.be/ljKzFGpPHhwMr. Holmes (Trailer): https://youtu.be/0G1lIBgk4PAStage Beauty (Trailer): https://youtu.be/-uc6xEBfdD0Columbo Clips from “Ashes to Ashes”Clip One: https://youtu.be/OCKECiaFsMQClip Two: https://youtu.be/BbO9SDz9FEcClip Three: https://youtu.be/GlNDAVAwMCIEli Marks Website: https://www.elimarksmysteries.com/Albert's Bridge Books Website: https://www.albertsbridgebooks.com/YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/BehindthePageTheEliMarksPodcastTRANSCRIPTJohn: Can you remember your very first mystery, a movie, book, TV show, play, a mystery that really captured your imagination? Jeffrey: You know, I was thinking about this, and what came to mind was a Disney movie called Emile and the Detectives from 1964. So, I would have been six or seven years old. It's based on a series of German books by Eric Kastner about a young man named Emile and his group of friends who think of themselves as detectives. So, I remember that—I know that might've been the first film. And obviously it's not a play because, you know, little kids don't tend to go to stage thrillers or mysteries and, “Daddy, please take me to Sleuth.But there was a show called Burke's Law that I really loved. Gene Barry played Captain Amos Burke of the Homicide Division in Los Angeles, and he was very rich. That was the bit. The bit was that Captain Burke drove around in a gorgeous Rolls Royce Silver Ghost, and he had a chauffeur. And every mystery was structured classically as a whodunit.In fact, I think every title of every episode was “Who Killed Cock Robin?” “Who Killed Johnny Friendly?” that kind of thing. And they would have a cast of well-known Hollywood actors, so they were all of equal status. Because I always think that's one of the easiest ways to guess the killer is if it's like: Unknown Guy, Unknown Guy, Derek Jacobi, Unknown Guy, Unknown Guy. It's always going to be Derek Jacobi. John: Yeah, it's true. I remember that show. He was really cool. Jim: Well, now I'm going to have to look that up.Jeffrey: It had a great score, and he would gather all of the suspects, you know, at the end of the thing. I think my favorite was when he caught Paul Lynde as a murderer. And, of course, Paul Lynde, you know, kept it very low key when he was dragged off. He did his Alice Ghostly impersonation as he was taken away.John: They did have very similar vocal patterns, those two.Jeffrey: Yep. They're kind of the exact same person. Jim: I never saw them together. John: You might have on Bewitched. Jim: You're probably right.Jeffrey: Well, I might be wrong about this, either Alice Ghostly or Charlotte Ray went to school with Paul Lynde. And Charlotte Ray has that same sound too. You know, kind of warbly thing. Yes. I think they all went to Northwestern in the late 40s and early 50s. So maybe that was a way that they taught actors back then. John: They learned it all from Marion Horne, who had the very same warble in her voice. So, as you got a little older, were there other mysteries that you were attracted to?Jeffrey: Yeah. Luckily, my parents were very liberal about letting me see things that other people probably shouldn't have. I remember late in elementary school, fifth grade or so, I was reading Casino Royale. And one of the teachers said, “Well, you know, most kids, we wouldn't want to have read this, but it's okay if you do.”And I thought, what's that? And I'm so not dangerous; other kids are, well they would be affected oddly by James Bond? But yeah, I, I love spy stuff. You know, The Man from Uncle and The Wild Wild West, all those kind of things. I love James Bond. And very quickly I started reading the major mysteries. I think probably the first big book that I remember, the first novel, was The Hound of the Baskervilles. That's probably an entrance point for a lot of kids. So that's what comes in mind immediately. Jim: I certainly revisit that on—if not yearly basis, at least every few years I will reread The Hound of the Baskervilles. Love that story. That's good. Do you have, Jeffrey, favorite mystery fiction writers?Jeffrey: Oh, sure. But none of them are, you know, bizarre Japanese, Santa Domingo kind of writers that people always pull out of their back pockets to prove how cool they are. I mean, they're the usual suspects. Conan Doyle and Christie and Chandler and Hammett, you know, all of those. John Dickson Carr, all the locked room mysteries, that kind of thing. I can't say that I go very far off in one direction or another to pick up somebody who's completely bizarre. But if you go all the way back, I love reading Wilkie Collins.I've adapted at least one Wilkie Collins, and they read beautifully. You know, terrifically put together, and they've got a lot of blood and thunder to them. I think he called them sensation novels as opposed to mysteries, but they always have some mystery element. And he was, you know, a close friend of Charles Dickens and Dickens said that there were some things that Collins taught him about construction. In those days, they would write their novels in installments for magazines. So, you know, the desire or the need, frankly, to create a cliffhanger at the end of every episode or every chapter seems to have been born then from a capitalist instinct. John: Jeff, I know you studied acting. What inspired the move into playwriting?Jeffrey: I don't think I was a very good actor. I was the kind of actor who always played older, middle aged or older characters in college and high school, like Judge Brack in Hedda Gabler, those kind of people. My dream back in those days was to play Dr. Dysart in Equus and Andrew Wyke in Sleuth. So, I mean, that was my target. And then I moved to New York, and I auditioned for things and casting directors would say, “Well, you know, we actually do have 50 year old actors in New York and we don't need to put white gunk in their hair or anything like that. So, why don't you play your own age, 22 or 23?” And I was not very good at playing 22 or 23. But I'd always done some writing, and a friend of mine, Graham Slayton, who was out at the Playwrights Center here, and we'd gone to college together. He encouraged me to write a play, you know, write one act, and then write a full length. So, I always say this, I think most people go into the theater to be an actor, you know, probably 98%, and then bit by bit, we, you know, we peel off. We either leave the profession completely or we become directors, designers, writers, what have you. So, I don't think it's unnatural what I did. It's very rare to be like a Tom Stoppard who never wanted to act. It's a lot more normal to find the Harold Pinter who, you know, acted a lot in regional theaters in England before he wrote The Caretaker.Jim: Fascinating. Can we talk about Columbo?Jeffrey: Oh, yes, please. Jim: This is where I am so tickled pink for this conversation, because I was a huge and am a huge Peter Falk Columbo fan. I went back and watched the episode Ashes To Ashes, with Patrick McGowan that you created. Tell us how that came about. Jeffrey: I too was a huge fan of Columbo in the 70s. I remember for most of its run, it was on Sunday nights. It was part of that murder mystery wheel with things like Hec Ramsey and McCloud, right? But Columbo was the best of those, obviously. Everything, from the structure—the inverted mystery—to thw guest star of the week. Sometimes it was somebody very big and exciting, like Donald Pleasence or Ruth Gordon, but often it was slightly TV stars on the skids.John: Jack Cassidy, Jim: I was just going to say Jack Cassidy.Jeffrey: But at any rate, yeah, I loved it. I loved it. I remembered in high school, a friend and I doing a parody of Columbo where he played Columbo and I played the murderer of the week. And so many years later, when they rebooted the show in the nineties, my father died and I spent a lot of time at the funeral home with the funeral director. And having nothing to say to the funeral director one day, I said, “Have you got the good stories?”And he told me all these great stories about, you know, bodies that weren't really in the casket and what you can't cremate, et cetera. So, I suddenly had this idea of a Hollywood funeral director to the stars. And, via my agent, I knew Dan Luria, the actor. He's a close friend or was a close friend of Peter's. And so, he was able to take this one-page idea and show it to Peter. And then, one day, I get a phone call and it's, “Uh, hello Jeff, this is Peter Falk calling. I want to talk to you about your idea.” And they flew me out there. It was great fun, because Falk really ran the show. He was the executive producer at that point. He always kind of ran the show. I think he only wrote one episode, the one with Faye Dunaway, but he liked the idea.I spent a lot of time with him, I'd go to his house where he would do his drawings back in the studio and all that. But what he said he liked about it was he liked a new setting, they always liked a murderer and a setting that was special, with clues that are connected to, say, the murderer's profession. So, the Donald Pleasant one about the wine connoisseur and all the clues are about wine. Or the Dick Van Dyke one, where he's a photographer and most of the clues are about photography. So, he really liked that. And he said, “You gotta have that first clue and you gotta have the pop at the end.”So, and we worked on the treatment and then I wrote the screenplay. And then he asked McGoohan if he would do it, and McGoohan said, “Well, if I can direct it too.” And, you know, I've adored McGoohan from, you know, Secret Agent and The Prisoner. I mean, I'd say The Prisoner is like one of my favorite television shows ever. So, the idea that the two of them were going to work together on that script was just, you know, it was incredible. John: Were you able to be there during production at all? Jeffrey: No, I went out there about four times to write, because it took like a year or so. It was a kind of laborious process with ABC and all that, but I didn't go out during the shooting.Occasionally, this was, you know, the days of faxes, I'd get a phone call: “Can you redo something here?” And then I'd fax it out. So, I never met McGoohan. I would only fax with him. But they built this whole Hollywood crematorium thing on the set. And Falk was saying at one point, “I'm getting pushback from Universal that we've got to do all this stuff. We've got to build everything.” And I was saying, “Well, you know, 60 percent of the script takes place there. If you're going to try to find a funeral home like it, you're going to have all that hassle.” And eventually they made the point that, yeah, to build this is going to cost less than searching around Hollywood for the right crematorium, And it had a great cast, you know, it had Richard Libertini and Sally Kellerman, and Rue McClanahan was our murder victim.Jim: I'll tell you every scene that Peter Falk and Mr. McGoohan had together. They looked to me as an actor, like they were having a blast being on together. Jeffrey: They really loved each other. They first met when McGoohan did that episode, By Dawn's Early Light, where he played the head of the military school. It's a terrific episode. It was a great performance. And although their acting styles are completely different, You know, Falk much more, you know, fifties, methody, shambolic. And McGoohan very, you know, his voice cracking, you know, and very affected and brittle. But they really loved each other and they liked to throw each other curveballs.There are things in the, in the show that are ad libs that they throw. There's one bit, I think it's hilarious. It's when Columbo tells the murderer that basically knows he did it, but he doesn't have a way to nail him. And, McGoohan is saying, “So then I suppose you have no case, do you?” And Falk says, “Ah, no, sir, I don't.” And he walks right off camera, you know, like down a hallway. And McGoohan stares off and says, “Have you gone?” And none of that was scripted. Peter just walks off set. And if you watch the episode, they had to dub in McGoohan saying, “Have you gone,” because the crew was laughing at the fact that Peter just strolled away. So McGoohan adlibs that and then they had to cover it later to make sure the sound wasn't screwed up. Jim: Fantastic. John: Kudos to you for that script, because every piece is there. Every clue is there. Everything pays off. It's just it is so tight, and it has that pop at the end that he wanted. It's really an excellent, excellent mystery.Jim: And a terrific closing line. Terrific closing line. Jeffrey: Yeah, that I did right. That was not an ad lib. Jim: It's a fantastic moment. And he, Peter Falk, looks just almost right at the camera and delivers that line as if it's, Hey, check this line out. It was great. Enjoyed every minute of it. Can we, um, can I ask some questions about Sherlock Holmes now?Jeffrey: Oh, yes. Jim: So, I enjoyed immensely Holmes and Watson that I saw a couple summers ago at Park Square. I was completely riveted and had no, absolutely no idea how it was going to pay off or who was who or what. And when it became clear, it was so much fun for me as an audience member. So I know that you have done a number of Holmes adaptations.There's Larry Millet, a St. Paul writer here and I know you adapted him, but as far as I can tell this one, pillar to post was all you. This wasn't an adaptation. You created this out of whole cloth. Am I right on that? Jeffrey: Yes. The, the idea came from doing the Larry Millet one, actually, because Steve Hendrickson was playing Holmes. And on opening night—the day of opening night—he had an aortic aneurysm, which they had to repair. And so, he wasn't able to do the show. And Peter Moore, the director, he went in and played Holmes for a couple of performances. And then I played Holmes for like three performances until Steve could get back. But in the interim, we've sat around saying, “All right, who can we get to play the role for like a week?” And we thought about all of the usual suspects, by which I mean, tall, ascetic looking actors. And everybody was booked, everybody was busy. Nobody could do it. So that's why Peter did it, and then I did it.But it struck me in thinking about casting Holmes, that there are a bunch of actors that you would say, you are a Holmes type. You are Sherlock Holmes. And it suddenly struck me, okay, back in the day, if Holmes were real, if he died—if he'd gone over to the falls of Reichenbach—people probably showed up and say, “Well, I'm Sherlock Holmes.”So, I thought, well, let's take that idea of casting Holmes to its logical conclusion: That a couple of people would come forward and say, “I'm Sherlock Holmes,” and then we'd wrap it together into another mystery. And we're sitting around—Bob Davis was playing Watson. And I said, “So, maybe, they're all in a hospital and Watson has to come to figure out which is which. And Bob said, “Oh, of course, Watson's gonna know which one is Holmes.”And that's what immediately gave me the idea for the twist at the end, why Watson wouldn't know which one was Holmes. So, I'm very grateful whenever an idea comes quickly like that, but it depends on Steve getting sick usually. Jim: Well, I thoroughly enjoyed it. If it's ever staged again anywhere, I will go. There was so much lovely about that show, just in terms of it being a mystery. And I'm a huge Sherlock Holmes fan. I don't want to give too much away in case people are seeing this at some point, but when it starts to be revealed—when Pierce's character starts talking about the reviews that he got in, in the West End—I I almost wet myself with laughter. It was so perfectly delivered and well written. I had just a great time at the theater that night. Jeffrey: It's one of those things where, well, you know how it is. You get an idea for something, and you pray to God that nobody else has done it. And I couldn't think of anybody having done this bit. I mean, some people have joked and said, it's kind of To Tell the Truth, isn't it? Because you have three people who come on and say, “I'm Sherlock Holmes.” “I'm Sherlock Holmes.” “I'm Sherlock Holmes.” Now surely somebody has done this before, but Nobody had. Jim: Well, it's wonderful. John: It's all in the timing. So, what is the, what's the hardest part about adapting Holmes to this stage?Jeffrey: Well, I suppose from a purist point of view‑by which I mean people like the Baker Street Irregulars and other organizations like that, the Norwegian Explorers here in Minnesota‑is can you fit your own‑they always call them pastiches, even if they're not comic‑can you fit your own Holmes pastiche into the canon?People spend a lot of time working out exactly where Holmes and Watson were on any given day between 1878 and 1930. So, one of the nice things about Holmes and Watson was, okay, so we're going to make it take place during the three-year interregnum when Holmes is pretending to be dead. And it works if you fit Holmes and Watson in between The Final Problem and The Adventure of the Empty House, it works. And that's hard to do. I would say, I mean, I really love Larry Millett's book and all that, but I'm sure it doesn't fit, so to speak. But that's up to you to care. If you're not a purist, you can fiddle around any old way you like. But I think it's kind of great to, to, to have the, the BSI types, the Baker Street Irregular types say, “Yes, this clicked into place.”Jim: So that's the most difficult thing. What's the easiest part?Jeffrey: Well, I think it's frankly the language, the dialogue. Somebody pointed out that Holmes is the most dramatically depicted character in history. More than Robin Hood, more than Jesus Christ. There are more actor versions of Holmes than any other fictional character.We've been surrounded by Holmes speak. Either if we've read the books or seen the movies or seen any of the plays for over 140 years. Right. So, in a way, if you're like me, you kind of absorb that language by osmosis. So, for some reason, it's very easy for me to click into the way I think Holmes talks. That very cerebral, very fast, sometimes complicated syntax. That I find probably the easiest part. Working out the plots, you want them to be Holmesian. You don't want them to be plots from, you know, don't want the case to be solved in a way that Sam Spade would, or Philip Marlowe would. And that takes a little bit of work. But for whatever reason, it's the actor in you, it's saying, all right, if you have to ad lib or improv your way of Sherlock Holmes this afternoon, you know, you'd be able to do it, right? I mean, he really has permeated our culture, no matter who the actor is.Jim: Speaking of great actors that have played Sherlock Holmes, you adapted a movie that Ian McKellen played, and I just watched it recently in preparation for this interview.Having not seen it before, I was riveted by it. His performance is terrific and heartbreaking at the same time. Can we talk about that? How did you come to that project? And just give us everything.Jeffrey: Well, it's based on a book called A Slight Trick of the Mind by Mitch Cullen, and it's about a very old Sherlock Holmes in Surrey, tending to his bees, as people in Holmesland know that he retired to do. And it involves a couple of cases, one in Japan and one about 20 years earlier in his life that he's trying to remember. And it also has to do with his relationship with his housekeeper and the housekeeper's son. The book was given to me by Anne Carey, the producer, and I worked on it probably off and on for about five years.A lot of time was spent talking about casting, because you had to have somebody play very old. I remember I went to meet with Ralph Fiennes once because we thought, well, Ralph Fiennes could play him at his own age,‑then probably his forties‑and with makeup in the nineties.And Ralph said‑Ralph was in another film that I'd done‑and he said, “Oh, I don't wear all that makeup. That's just far too much.” And I said, “Well, you did in Harry Potter and The English Patient, you kind of looked like a melted candle.” And he said, “Yes, and I don't want to do that again.” So, we always had a very short list of actors, probably like six actors in the whole world And McKellen was one of them and we waited for him to become available And yeah, he was terrific. I'll tell you one funny story: One day, he had a lot of prosthetics, not a lot, but enough. He wanted to build up his cheekbones and his nose a bit. He wanted a bit, he thought his own nose was a bit too potatoish. So, he wanted a more Roman nose. So, he was taking a nap one day between takes. And they brought him in, said, “Ian, it's time for you to do the, this scene,” and he'd been sleeping, I guess, on one side, and his fake cheek and his nose had moved up his face. But he hadn't looked in the mirror, and he didn't know. So he came on and said, “Very well, I'm all ready to go.” And it was like Quasimodo.It's like 5:52 and they're supposed to stop shooting at six. And there was a mad panic of, Fix Ian's face! Get that cheekbone back where it's supposed to be! Knock that nose into place! A six o'clock, we go into overtime!” But it was very funny that he hadn't noticed it. You kind of think you'd feel if your own nose or cheekbone had been crushed, but of course it was a makeup. So, he didn't feel anything. Jim: This is just the, uh, the actor fan boy in me. I'm an enormous fan of his work straight across the board. Did you have much interaction with him and what kind of fella is he just in general?Jeffrey: He's a hoot. Bill Condon, the director, said, “Ian is kind of methody. So, when you see him on set, he'll be very decorous, you know, he'll be kind of like Sherlock Holmes.” And it was true, he goes, “Oh, Jeffrey Hatcher, it's very good to meet you.” And he was kind of slow talking, all that. Ian was like 72 then, so he wasn't that old. But then when it was all over, they were doing all those--remember those ice Dumps, where people dump a tub of ice on you? You have these challenges? A the end of shooting, they had this challenge, and Ian comes out in short shorts, and a bunch of ballet dancers surrounds him. And he's like, “Alright, everyone, let's do the ice challenge.” And, he turned into this bright dancer. He's kind of a gay poster boy, you know, ever since he was one of the most famous coming out of the last 20 some years. So, you know, he was suddenly bright and splashy and, you know, all that old stuff dropped away. He has all of his headgear at his house and his townhouse. He had a party for us at the end of shooting. And so, there's a Gandalf's weird hat and there's Magneto's helmet, you know, along with top hats and things like that. And they're all kind of lined up there. And then people in the crew would say, can I take a picture of you as Gandalf? “Well, why, of course,” and he does all that stuff. So no, he's wonderful. Jim: You do a very good impression as well. That was great. Now, how did you come to the project, The Good Liar, which again, I watched in preparation for this and was mesmerized by the whole thing, especially the mystery part of it, the ending, it was brilliant.How did you come to that project?Jeffrey: Well, again, it was a book and Warner Brothers had the rights to it. And because Bill and I had worked on Mr. Holmes--Bill Condon--Bill was attached to direct. And so I went in to talk about how to adapt it.This is kind of odd. It's again based in McKellen. In the meeting room at Warner Brothers, there was a life size version of Ian as Gandalf done in Legos. So, it was always, it'll be Ian McKellen and somebody in The Good Liar. Ian as the con man. And that one kind of moved very quickly, because something changed in Bill Condon's schedule. Then they asked Helen Mirren, and she said yes very quickly.And it's a very interesting book, but it had to be condensed rather a lot. There's a lot of flashbacks and going back and forth in time. And we all decided that the main story had to be about this one con that had a weird connection to the past. So, a lot of that kind of adaptation work is deciding what not to include, so you can't really be completely faithful to a book that way. But I do take the point with certain books. When my son was young, he'd go to a Harry Potter movie, and he'd get all pissed off. Pissed off because he'd say Dobby the Elf did a lot more in the book.But if it's a book that's not quite so well-known—The Good Liar isn't a terribly well-known book, nor was A Slight Trick of the Mind--you're able to have a lot more room to play. Jim: It's a very twisty story. Now that you're talking about the book, I'll probably have to go get the book and read it just for comparison. But what I saw on the screen, how did you keep it--because it was very clear at the end--it hits you like a freight train when it all sort of unravels and you start seeing all of these things. How did you keep that so clear for an audience? Because I'll admit, I'm not a huge mystery guy, and I'm not the brightest human, and yet I was able to follow that story completely.Jeffrey: Well, again, I think it's mostly about cutting things, I'm sure. And there are various versions of the script where there are a lot of other details. There's probably too much of one thing or another. And then of course, you know, you get in the editing room and you lose a couple of scenes too. These kinds of things are very tricky. I'm not sure that we were entirely successful in doing it, because you say, which is more important, surprise or suspense? Hitchcock used to have that line about, suspense is knowing there's a bomb under the table. And you watch the characters gather at the table. As opposed to simply having a bomb blow up and you didn't know about it.So, we often went back and forth about Should we reveal that the Helen Mirren character knows that Ian's character is doing something bad? Or do we try to keep it a secret until the end? But do you risk the audience getting ahead of you? I don't mind if the audience is slightly ahead. You know, it's that feeling you get in the theater where there's a reveal and you hear a couple of people say, “Oh, I knew it and they guessed it may be a minute before. But you don't want to get to the point where the audience is, you know, 20 minutes or a half an hour ahead of you.Jim: I certainly was not, I was not in any way. It unfolded perfectly for me in terms of it being a mystery and how it paid off. And Helen Mirren was brilliant. In fact, for a long time during it, I thought they were dueling con men, the way it was set up in the beginning where they were both entering their information and altering facts about themselves.I thought, “Oh, well, they're both con men and, and now we're going to see who is the better con man in the end.” And so. when it paid off. In a way different sort of way, it was terrific for me. Absolutely. Jeffrey: Well, and I thank you. But in a way, they were both con men. Jim: Yes, yes. But she wasn't a professional con man.Jeffrey: She wasn't just out to steal the money from him. She was out for something else. She was out for vengeance. Jim: Yes. Very good. Very, if you haven't seen it, The Good Liar folks, don't wait. I got it on Amazon prime and so can you.Jeffrey: I watched them do a scene, I was over there for about five days during the shooting.And watching the two of them work together was just unbelievable. The textures, the tones, the little lifts of the eyebrow, the shading on one word versus another. Just wonderful, wonderful stuff. Jim: Yeah. I will say I am a huge Marvel Cinematic Universe fan along with my son. We came to those together and I'm a big fan of that sort of movie. So I was delighted by this, because it was such a taut story. And I was involved in every second of what was going on and couldn't quite tell who the good guys were and who the bad guys were and how is this going to work and who's working with who?And it was great. And in my head, I was comparing my love for that sort of big blow it up with rayguns story to this very cerebral, internal. And I loved it, I guess is what I'm saying. And, I am, I think, as close to middle America as you're going to find in terms of a moviegoer. And I thought it was just dynamite. Jeffrey: It was very successful during the pandemic--so many things were when people were streaming--but it was weirdly successful when it hit Amazon or Netflix or whatever it was. And, I think you don't have to be British to understand two elderly people trying to find a relationship. And then it turns out that they both have reasons to hate and kill each other. But nonetheless, there is still a relationship there. So, I pictured a lot of lonely people watching The Good Liar and saying, “Yeah, I'd hang out with Ian McKellen, even if he did steal all my money.” John: Well, speaking of movies, I am occasionally handed notes here while we're live on the air from my wife. And she wants you to just say something about the adaptation you did of your play, Stage Beauty, and what that process was like and how, how that process went.Jeffrey: That was terrific because, primarily Richard Eyre--the director who used to run the National Theater and all that--because he's a theater man and the play's about theater. I love working with Bill Condon and I've loved working with Lassa Hallstrom and other people, but Richard was the first person to direct a film of any of my stuff. And he would call me up and say, “Well, we're thinking of offering it to Claire Danes.” or we're thinking…And usually you just hear later, Oh, somebody else got this role. But the relationship was more like a theater director and a playwright. I was there on set for rehearsals and all that.Which I haven't in the others. No, it was a wonderful experience, but I think primarily because the, the culture of theater saturated the process of making it and the process of rehearsing it and—again--his level of respect. It's different in Hollywood, everybody's very polite, they know they can fire you and you know, they can fire you and they're going to have somebody else write the dialogue if you're not going to do it, or if you don't do it well enough. In the theater, we just don't do that. It's a different world, a different culture, different kind of contracts too. But Richard really made that wonderful. And again, the cast that he put together: Billy Crudup and Claire and Rupert Everett and Edward Fox and Richard Griffiths. I remember one day when I was about to fly home, I told Richard Griffiths what a fan Evan-- my son, Evan--was of him in the Harry Potter movie. And he made his wife drive an hour to come to Shepperton with a photograph of him as Mr. Dursley that he could autograph for my son. John: Well, speaking of stage and adaptations, before we go into our lightning round here, you did two recent adaptations of existing thrillers--not necessarily mysteries, but thrillers--one of which Hitchcock made into a movie, which are Dial M for Murder and Wait Until Dark. And I'm just wondering what was that process for you? Why changes need to be made? And what kind of changes did you make?Jeffrey: Well, in both cases, I think you could argue that no, changes don't need to be made. They're wildly successful plays by Frederick Knott, and they've been successful for, you know, alternately 70 or 60 years.But in both cases, I got a call from a director or an artistic director saying, “We'd like to do it, but we'd like to change this or that.” And I'm a huge fan of Frederick Knott. He put things together beautifully. The intricacies of Dial M for Murder, you don't want to screw around with. And there are things in Wait Until Dark having to do just with the way he describes the set, you don't want to change anything or else the rather famous ending won't work. But in both cases, the women are probably not the most well drawn characters that he ever came up with. And Wait Until Dark, oddly, they're in a Greenwich Village apartment, but it always feels like they're really in Westchester or in Terre Haute, Indiana. It doesn't feel like you're in Greenwich Village in the 60s, especially not in the movie version with Audrey Hepburn. So, the director, Matt Shackman, said, why don't we throw it back into the 40s and see if we can have fun with that. And so it played out: The whole war and noir setting allowed me to play around with who the main character was. And I know this is a cliche to say, well, you know, can we find more agency for female characters in old plays or old films? But in a sense, it's true, because if you're going to ask an actress to play blind for two hours a night for a couple of months, it can't just be, I'm a blind victim. And I got lucky and killed the guy. You've got a somewhat better dialogue and maybe some other twists and turns. nSo that's what we did with Wait Until Dark. And then at The Old Globe, Barry Edelstein said, “well, you did Wait Until Dark. What about Dial? And I said, “Well, I don't think we can update it, because nothing will work. You know, the phones, the keys. And he said, “No, I'll keep it, keep it in the fifties. But what else could you What else could you do with the lover?”And he suggested--so I credit Barry on this--why don't you turn the lover played by Robert Cummings in the movie into a woman and make it a lesbian relationship? And that really opened all sorts of doors. It made the relationship scarier, something that you really want to keep a secret, 1953. And I was luckily able to find a couple of other plot twists that didn't interfere with any of Knott's original plot.So, in both cases, I think it's like you go into a watch. And the watch works great, but you want the watch to have a different appearance and a different feel when you put it on and tick a little differently. John: We've kept you for a way long time. So, let's do this as a speed round. And I know that these questions are the sorts that will change from day to day for some people, but I thought each of us could talk about our favorite mysteries in four different mediums. So, Jeff, your favorite mystery novel”Jeffrey: And Then There Were None. That's an easy one for me. John: That is. Jim, do you have one?Jim: Yeah, yeah, I don't read a lot of mysteries. I really enjoyed a Stephen King book called Mr. Mercedes, which was a cat and mouse game, and I enjoyed that quite a bit. That's only top of mind because I finished it recently.John: That counts. Jim: Does it? John: Yeah. That'll count. Jim: You're going to find that I am so middle America in my answers. John: That's okay. Mine is--I'm going to cheat a little bit and do a short story--which the original Don't Look Now that Daphne du Murier wrote, because as a mystery, it ties itself up. Like I said earlier, I like stuff that ties up right at the end. And it literally is in the last two or three sentences of that short story where everything falls into place. Jeff, your favorite mystery play? I can be one of yours if you want. Jeffrey: It's a battle between Sleuth or Dial M for Murder. Maybe Sleuth because I always wanted to be in it, but it's probably Dial M. But it's also followed up very quickly by Death Trap, which is a great comedy-mystery-thriller. It's kind of a post-modern, Meta play, but it's a play about the play you're watching. John: Excellent choices. My choice is Sleuth. You did have a chance to be in Sleuth because when I directed it, you're the first person I asked. But your schedule wouldn't let you do it. But you would have been a fantastic Andrew Wyke. I'm sorry our timing didn't work on that. Jeffrey: And you got a terrific Andrew in Julian Bailey, but if you wanted to do it again, I'm available. John: Jim, you hear that? Jim: I did hear that. Yes, I did hear that. John: Jim, do you have a favorite mystery play?Jim: You know, it's gonna sound like I'm sucking up, but I don't see a lot of mystery plays. There was a version of Gaslight that I saw with Jim Stoll as the lead. And he was terrific.But I so thoroughly enjoyed Holmes and Watson and would love the opportunity to see that a second time. I saw it so late in the run and it was so sold out that there was no coming back at that point to see it again. But I would love to see it a second time and think to myself, well, now that you know what you know, is it all there? Because my belief is it is all there. John: Yeah. Okay. Jeff, your favorite TV mystery?Jeffrey: Oh, Columbo. That's easy. Columbo.John: I'm gonna go with Poker Face, just because the pace on Poker Face is so much faster than Columbo, even though it's clearly based on Columbo. Jim, a favorite TV mystery?Jim: The Rockford Files, hands down. John: Fair enough. Fair enough. All right. Last question all around. Jeff, your favorite mystery movie? Jeffrey: Laura. Jim: Ah, good one. John: I'm going to go with The Last of Sheila. If you haven't seen The Last of Sheila, it's a terrific mystery directed by Herbert Ross, written by Stephen Sondheim and Anthony Perkins. Fun little Stephen Sondheim trivia. The character of Andrew Wyke and his house were based on Stephen Sondheim. Jeffrey: Sondheim's townhouse has been for sale recently. I don't know if somebody bought it, but for a cool seven point something million, you're going to get it. John: All right. Let's maybe pool our money. Jim, your favorite mystery movie.Jim: I'm walking into the lion's den here with this one. Jeffrey, I hope this is okay, but I really enjoyed the Robert Downey Jr. Sherlock Holmes movies. And I revisit the second one in that series on a fairly regular basis, The Game of Shadows. I thought I enjoyed that a lot. Your thoughts on those movies quickly? Jeffrey: My only feeling about those is that I felt they were trying a little too hard not to do some of the traditional stuff. I got it, you know, like no deer stalker, that kind of thing. But I thought it was just trying a tad too hard to be You know, everybody's very good at Kung Fu, that kind of thing.Jim: Yes. And it's Sherlock Holmes as a superhero, which, uh, appeals to me. Jeffrey: I know the producer of those, and I know Guy Ritchie a little bit. And, I know they're still trying to get out a third one. Jim: Well, I hope they do. I really hope they do. Cause I enjoyed that version of Sherlock Holmes quite a bit. I thought it was funny and all of the clues were there and it paid off in the end as a mystery, but fun all along the road.Jeffrey: And the main thing they got right was the Holmes and Watson relationship, which, you know, as anybody will tell you, you can get a lot of things wrong, but get that right and you're more than two thirds there.

Ein junger Mann versucht in der Zeit des gesellschaftlichen Umbruchs Ende der 1960er-Jahre aus seiner bürgerlichen Existenz auszubrechen. Auf dem Weg seiner Selbstfindung entfernt sich Albert immer mehr von seinen Eltern und seiner Frau. Alle zwei Jahre muss der Anstrich der Brücke über die Clufton-Bucht erneuert werden. Werkstudent Albert erledigt diese Arbeit zusammen mit drei Kollegen. Nach Beendigung seines Philosophiestudiums beschliesst er zum Kummer seiner Eltern, für den Rest seines Lebens weiter die Clufton-Brücke anzustreichen. Dafür verzichtet er sogar auf den frühen Einstieg in die väterliche Firma. Aus der einsamen Höhe der Brücke erscheint ihm die Welt in überschaubarer Ordnung. Zuerst glücklich verheiratet mit der Haushaltshilfe seiner Mutter, meidet er irgendwann jeden menschlichen Kontakt und gibt sich ganz dem Anstreichen der Brücke hin. Mit: Peter Brogle (Albert), Horst Christian Beckmann (Fraser), Eva-Maria Duhan (Mutter), Joachim Ernst (Stimme des Bürgermeisters), Kurt Fischer-Fehling (Dave), Rudolf Hofmann (Papa), Peter Matic (Fitch), Siegfried Meisner (Präsident), Johannes Peyer (Bob), Maria-Magdalena Thiesing (Kate), Wolfgang Reinbacher (George), Maximilian Wolters (Charlie), Karl Worzel (Vater) Aus dem Englischen von Hanno Lunin - Tontechnik: Ernst Neukomm - Regie: Joseph Scheidegger - Produktion: SRF 1968 - Dauer: 50'

Actress Yeardley Smith joins Matt to discuss her role as Nancy in the 1991 film City Slickers as well as being the voice of Lisa Simpson in The Simpsons. Yeardley talks about acting in Tom Stoppard's The Real Thing in her early years, working with Stephen King, and the draw of the live stage. Plus, we'll hear the story behind Homer's voice change, tales from Mom's on Strike, and the origin of Yeardley's podcast Small Town Dicks.This episode is sponsored by Netflix's Arrested Development. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Actress Yeardley Smith joins Matt to discuss her role as Nancy in the 1991 film City Slickers as well as being the voice of Lisa Simpson in The Simpsons. Yeardley talks about acting in Tom Stoppard's The Real Thing in her early years, working with Stephen King, and the draw of the live stage. Plus, we'll hear the story behind Homer's voice change, tales from Mom's on Strike, and the origin of Yeardley's podcast Small Town Dicks.This episode is sponsored by Netflix's Arrested Development. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our final week of looking at the scenes of Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, the group used "Italian run-thrus" (rapid line delivery) and continued to work on the scenes switching roles. The group discussed the benefits and challenges of role-sharing and switching between the language styles of Shakespeare and Stoppard. During the Q&A, a number of artists mentioned their growth in understanding and portrayal of these characters. Subscribe to get notified of our next rehearsal session! Support The Rehearsal Room on Patreon - get early access to sessions (before they go public on YouTube and the podcast), priority with asking questions, and more: https://www.patreon.com/wajpodcast You can also watch the full sessions on YouTube: https://workingactorsjourney.com/youtube  About the Scene Our group is working on sections of Act 2, Scene 2 and Act 3, Scene 2 from Shakespeare's Hamlet - AND they will also look at the beginning of Act 2 in Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. CREATIVE TEAM DIRECTOR: Geoffrey Wade DRAMATURG: Gideon Rappaport And the PLAYERS: Marcelo Tubert, Nick Cagle and Dan Cordova Hamlet scenes from the Folger Shakespeare Library: https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/hamlet/read/2/2/ https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/hamlet/read/3/2/ More about this group: https://workingactorsjourney.com/workshop/shakespeare-stoppard-rehearsal-room-june-2024 BOOKS Dr. Gideon Rappaport has written three books on Shakespeare: William Shakespeare's Hamlet: Edited and Annotated: https://amzn.to/3xdt012 Appreciating Shakespeare: https://amzn.to/3XjY6Pe Shakespeare's Rhetorical Figures: An Outline: https://amzn.to/3KEzyZK Thank you to our current patrons Joan, Michele, Christion, Jim, Magdalen, Ivar, Claudia, Clif and Jeff! #workingactor #rehearsal #shakespeare #stoppard #hamlet

This week, the actors practiced delivering lines from Shakespeare's "Hamlet" using a technique that involved looking at the camera when speaking and looking at the screen when listening to capture the feeling of direct engagement. Emphasis was placed on understanding the meaning behind the words, which sometimes led to emotional revelations. They worked on specific lines to bring out operative words and discussed the implications of ambition within the text. The exercise aimed to illuminate nuances of the text by slowing down and emphasizing clarity in delivery. Subscribe to get notified of our next rehearsal session! Support The Rehearsal Room on Patreon - get early access to sessions (before they go public on YouTube and the podcast), priority with asking questions, and more: https://www.patreon.com/wajpodcast Watch the session on YouTube: https://youtu.be/MYuYgB7GRFw  About the Scene Our group is working on sections of Act 2, Scene 2 and Act 3, Scene 2 from Shakespeare's Hamlet - AND they will also look at the beginning of Act 2 in Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. CREATIVE TEAM DIRECTOR: Geoffrey Wade DRAMATURG: Gideon Rappaport And the PLAYERS: Marcelo Tubert, Nick Cagle and Dan Cordova Hamlet scenes from the Folger Shakespeare Library: https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/hamlet/read/2/2/ https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/hamlet/read/3/2/ More about this group: https://workingactorsjourney.com/workshop/shakespeare-stoppard-rehearsal-room-june-2024 BOOKS Dr. Gideon Rappaport has written three books on Shakespeare: William Shakespeare's Hamlet: Edited and Annotated: https://amzn.to/3xdt012 Appreciating Shakespeare: https://amzn.to/3XjY6Pe Shakespeare's Rhetorical Figures: An Outline: https://amzn.to/3KEzyZK Thank you to our current patrons Joan, Michele, Christion, Jim, Magdalen, Ivar, Claudia, Clif and Jeff! #workingactor #rehearsal #shakespeare #stoppard #hamlet

Subscribe to get notified of our next rehearsal session! Support The Rehearsal Room on Patreon - get early access to sessions (before they go public on YouTube and the podcast), priority with asking questions, and more: https://www.patreon.com/wajpodcast Watch the session on YouTube: https://youtu.be/MYuYgB7GRFw  About the Scene Our group is working on sections of Act 2, Scene 2 and Act 3, Scene 2 from Shakespeare's Hamlet - AND they will also look at the beginning of Act 2 in Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. CREATIVE TEAM DIRECTOR: Geoffrey Wade DRAMATURG: Gideon Rappaport And the PLAYERS: Marcelo Tubert, Nick Cagle and Dan Cordova Hamlet scenes from the Folger Shakespeare Library: https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/hamlet/read/2/2/ https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/hamlet/read/3/2/ More about this group: https://workingactorsjourney.com/workshop/shakespeare-stoppard-rehearsal-room-june-2024 BOOKS Dr. Gideon Rappaport has written three books on Shakespeare: William Shakespeare's Hamlet: Edited and Annotated: https://amzn.to/3xdt012 Appreciating Shakespeare: https://amzn.to/3XjY6Pe Shakespeare's Rhetorical Figures: An Outline: https://amzn.to/3KEzyZK Thank you to our current patrons Joan, Michele, Christion, Jim, Magdalen, Ivar, Claudia, Clif and Jeff! #workingactor #rehearsal #shakespeare #stoppard #hamlet

Subscribe to get notified of our next rehearsal session! Support The Rehearsal Room on Patreon - get early access to sessions (before they go public on YouTube and the podcast), priority with asking questions, and more: https://www.patreon.com/wajpodcast Watch the session on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Lv9Rs26SJRw About the Scene Our group is working on sections of Act 2, Scene 2 and Act 3, Scene 2 from Shakespeare's Hamlet - AND they will also look at the beginning of Act 2 in Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. CREATIVE TEAM DIRECTOR: Geoffrey Wade DRAMATURG: Gideon Rappaport And the PLAYERS: Marcelo Tubert, Nick Cagle and Dan Cordova Hamlet scenes from the Folger Shakespeare Library: https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/hamlet/read/2/2/ https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/hamlet/read/3/2/ More about this group: https://workingactorsjourney.com/workshop/shakespeare-stoppard-rehearsal-room-june-2024 BOOKS Dr. Gideon Rappaport has written three books on Shakespeare: William Shakespeare's Hamlet: Edited and Annotated: https://amzn.to/3xdt012 Appreciating Shakespeare: https://amzn.to/3XjY6Pe Shakespeare's Rhetorical Figures: An Outline: https://amzn.to/3KEzyZK Thank you to our current patrons Joan, Michele, Christion, Jim, Magdalen, Ivar, Claudia, Clif and Jeff! #workingactor #rehearsal

Betsy Aidem has been in over 80 plays, off Broadway, on Broadway, and around the world. Recent titles of note: “All The Way,” where she played Lady Bird Johnson, “Mama's Boy,” where she played Lee Harvey Oswald's mother, Tom Stoppard's “Leopoldstadt,” and “Prayer For The French Republic,” for which she is nominated for her first Tony Award. On this gold-filled episode, she talks about her love of extensive research, why she doesn't think the people she plays are just one person, the “golden moment when your character is unsure,” the importance of a director's patience and willingness to let her swerve off course, and why she believes the prize is always in the work, plus much much more! Back To One is the in-depth, no-nonsense, actors-on-acting podcast from  Filmmaker Magazine. In each episode, host Peter Rinaldi invites one working actor to do a deep dive into their unique process, psychology, and approach to the craft.  Follow Back To One on Instagram

Gregg T. Daniel is best known for his recurring role as David Carter in HBO's show Insecure. In addition, he plays Reverend Daniels on another one of HBO's hit shows True Blood. With over 100 credits in film and television, Gregg's roles span the spectrum from comedy (I Am Not Okay With This) to drama (Insecure) to procedurals (911, Grey's Anatomy), science fiction (Star Trek: Voyager) and children's shows (Austin & Ally, Kickin' It). Big screen credits include Spiderman 3, 7th & Union, and Truth Or Dare. Gregg recurred on HBO's Insecure and starred in the award-winning film 7th And Union. Currently, he is set to be in the upcoming sequel of Joker, Joker: Folie à Deux. Gregg is a very accomplished theater director. He is a founding member and Artistic Director of the Los Angeles-based Lower Depth Theatre Ensemble. He was nominated for a 2013 NAACP Image Award for helming the Los Angeles production of “Kwame Kwei-Armah's Elmina's Kitchen”, also winning the NAACP Award for Best Ensemble for 2013. In addition, he has directed three August Wilson Plays. Prior, his stage direction included 2009's acclaimed production of Tom Stoppard's “Heroes”, Sybyl Walker's “Beneath Rippling Waters”, Lee Blessing's “Cobb”, and Frank McGuinness's “Someone Who'll Watch Over Me”. Gregg also directed Pulitzer Prize-winning author August Wilson's “Seven Guitars” For Theatre 150 in Ojai, California, he directed Athol Fugards' “Sizwe Bansi”, Diana Son's “Stop Kiss”, and the 2004 Pulitzer Prize winner, “I Am My Own Wife by Doug Wright”. Gregg has also directed and acted in various theater productions including, “Hamlet”, “Radio Golf”, and “Les Blancs”. He recently directed his fourth August Wilson play, "King Hedley II," at A Noise Within Theatre and is set to direct his fifth. This marks the halfway mark through the playwright's ten-play cycle.   @stagelync Thank you to our sponsor @clear-com The StageLync Podcast is a branch of our larger StageLync Community. Come visit us at www.stagelync.com

Gregg T. Daniel is best known for his recurring role as David Carter in HBO's show Insecure. In addition, he plays Reverend Daniels on another one of HBO's hit shows True Blood. With over 100 credits in film and television, Gregg's roles span the spectrum from comedy (I Am Not Okay With This) to drama (Insecure) to procedurals (911, Grey's Anatomy), science fiction (Star Trek: Voyager) and children's shows (Austin & Ally, Kickin' It). Big screen credits include Spiderman 3, 7th & Union, and Truth Or Dare. Gregg recurred on HBO's Insecure and starred in the award-winning film 7th And Union. Currently, he is set to be in the upcoming sequel of Joker, Joker: Folie à Deux. Gregg is a very accomplished theater director. He is a founding member and Artistic Director of the Los Angeles-based Lower Depth Theatre Ensemble. He was nominated for a 2013 NAACP Image Award for helming the Los Angeles production of “Kwame Kwei-Armah's Elmina's Kitchen”, also winning the NAACP Award for Best Ensemble for 2013. In addition, he has directed three August Wilson Plays. Prior, his stage direction included 2009's acclaimed production of Tom Stoppard's “Heroes”, Sybyl Walker's “Beneath Rippling Waters”, Lee Blessing's “Cobb”, and Frank McGuinness's “Someone Who'll Watch Over Me”. Gregg also directed Pulitzer Prize-winning author August Wilson's “Seven Guitars” For Theatre 150 in Ojai, California, he directed Athol Fugards' “Sizwe Bansi”, Diana Son's “Stop Kiss”, and the 2004 Pulitzer Prize winner, “I Am My Own Wife by Doug Wright”. Gregg has also directed and acted in various theater productions including, “Hamlet”, “Radio Golf”, and “Les Blancs”. He recently directed his fourth August Wilson play, "King Hedley II," at A Noise Within Theatre and is set to direct his fifth. This marks the halfway mark through the playwright's ten-play cycle.   “ATTENTION SPOTIFY LISTENERS: IF you want to WATCH this with VIDEO, you can also subscribe to our video version: https://open.spotify.com/show/5e9KnBRZdjUTXTvCe6Nrqm?si=6639537c61044396” @stagelync Thank you to our sponsor @clear-com The StageLync Podcast is a branch of our larger StageLync Community. Come visit us at www.stagelync.com

Today, I'm thrilled to announce my interview with 2024 Tony nominee for Best Actress in a Play, Betsy Aidem. She was nominated for her staggering performance in Prayer for the French Republic, and you can tune in today to hear more about that process as well as some of the great stories of her legendary career, including the advice she got from Tom Stoppard, crashing auditions with John Malkovich and Des McAnuff, making her Broadway debut at the age of 57, meeting Lucille Ball and Elizabeth Taylor backstage at Steel Magnolias, originating the role of Toni in Appropriate, working with David Cromer on Prayer for the French Republic and other plays, the joy of collaborating with Marian Seldes, what it's like being nominated for a Tony, and so much more. You won't want to miss this interview.

For his final production as thirty-year artistic director of Chicago's Tony-winning Court Theatre, Charles Newell transforms Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead into an unexpectedly joyful celebration of legacy and theater. Newell reveals his lengthy relationship with not only Stoppard's plays but with the man himself, and shares how he cast two halves of a whole; how he chose to respond instinctively to what was happening in rehearsal rather than adhere to an intricate plan; and how he embraced the counterintuitive and seemingly-oxymoronic phrase “joyful requiem.” (PICTURED: Erik Hellman and Nate Burger as Guildenstern and Rosencrantz in the Court Theatre production of Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, directed by Charles Newell. Photo by Michael Brosilow.) (Length 20:20)

Welcome back to the 173rd episode of The Cup which is our a weekly (give or take, TBD, these are unprecedented times) performing arts talk show presented by Cup of Hemlock Theatre. With the theatres on a come back we offer a mix of both reviews of live shows we've seen and continued reviews of prophet productions! For our 173rd episode we bring you a a Duet Review of Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead, directed by Jeremy Webb, presented in Toronto as part of the Off-Mirvish season (originally produced by Neptune Theatre), starring Lord of the Rings stars Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd as the titular duo. Join Ryan Borochovitz and Andrew Pawarroo, as they discuss the impact of celebrity casting, the legacy of Theatre of the Absurd, and the apparatus of squishy flesh.  Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead is still running at the CAA Theatre (651 Yonge St, Toronto, ON) until April 6, 2024. Tickets can be purchased from the following link: https://www.mirvish.com/shows/rosencrantz-guildenstern-are-dead   This review contains many SPOILERS for Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead. It will begin with a general non-spoiler review until the [12:03] mark, followed by a more in-depth/anything goes/spoiler-rich discussion. If you intend to see the production, we recommend you stop watching after that point, or at least proceed at your own risk.  Welcome to The Cup, a weekly (give or take, TBD, these are unprecedented times) performing arts talk show presented by Cup of Hemlock Theatre. In episode 173, we bring you a Duet Review of Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead, directed by Jeremy Webb, presented in Toronto as part of the Off-Mirvish season (originally produced by Neptune Theatre), starring Lord of the Rings stars Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd as the titular duo. Join Ryan Borochovitz and Andrew Pawarroo, as they discuss the impact of celebrity casting, the legacy of Theatre of the Absurd, and the apparatus of squishy flesh. Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead is still running at the CAA Theatre (651 Yonge St, Toronto, ON) until April 6, 2024. Tickets can be purchased from the following link: https://www.mirvish.com/shows/rosencrantz-guildenstern-are-dead This review contains many SPOILERS for Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead. It will begin with a general non-spoiler review until the [12:03] mark, followed by a more in-depth/anything goes/spoiler-rich discussion. If you intend to see the production, we recommend you stop watching after that point, or at least proceed at your own risk. Check out Liam Donovan's review of the show, which we discuss at length: https://nextmag.ca/review-mirvishs-rosencrantz-guildenstern-are-dead-hobbles-with-hobbits-to-the-finish-line/ Follow our panelists: Andrew Pawarroo – Instagram: @andrew.s.pawarroo Ryan Borochovitz – [Just send all that love to CoH instead; he won't mind!] Follow Cup of Hemlock Theatre on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter: @cohtheatre If you'd like us to review your upcoming show in Toronto, please send press invites/inquiries to coh.theatre.MM@gmail.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cup-of-hemlock-theatre/support

I'm thrilled to announce the release of my episode with Tony-nominated librettist Rick Elice, whose musical Water for Elephants is currently playing at Broadway's Imperial Theater. Tune in to find out about all the facets of his varied career, which he describes as being a “pinball in a pinball machine,” including how a forbidden experience with Follies got him hooked on theater, late-night calls from Elaine May, how Annie led to being hired by Serino-Coyne, crashing a lunch with Stanley Donen, when Cher quoted “Hello, Dolly!” to him, what intrigued him about the Smash musical, the trick he used for marketing The Lion King, the advice he got from Neil Simon and Mike Nichols, why Tom Stoppard is responsible for his career as a playwright, and more. He also shares a beautiful tribute to the late, great Chita Rivera, who worked with Rick's husband Roger Rees on their mutual last project, The Visit. You won't want to miss this episode!

45. Hamlet in Howth - Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard

Mary shares two stories about what Tom Stoppard the playwright taught her about life and creativity.

Dr. Erica Golemis is a Professor, Deputy Chief Science Officer, Co-Leader of the Molecular Therapeutics Program, and Director of the High Throughput Facility at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. In addition, Erica is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University School of Medicine, and the Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine. For most of her scientific career, Erica has been conducting cancer research. Her recent work investigates why some cancers are particularly malignant. Erica's research examines what genes cause cancer to change and progress, whether there are genes that can be targeted directly with different treatments to reverse this process, and if there is a therapeutic time window in which they could potentially reverse this process. When Erica finds free time, one thing she loves to do is read. She reads broadly and has been an avid reader since her early childhood. Erica also has fun attending theatre performances. There are multiple excellent theaters in her home city of Philadelphia, and she especially enjoys shows by British playwright Tom Stoppard. She completed her undergraduate studies in biology and English at Bryn Mawr College and was awarded her PhD in biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Afterwards, Erica conducted postdoctoral research at the Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Molecular Biology and Harvard Medical School department of Genetics before joining the Fox Chase Cancer Center. In this interview, Erica speaks about her experiences in both life and science.

Guest for this Episode is Naveen Kishore, Founder and MD of Seagull Books. Born in Calcutta Naveen Kishore received graduation in English Literature in 1973, and began working as a theatre lighting designer. He established Seagull Books in 1982, a publishing program focusing on drama, film, art and culture studies. Today, it also publishes literature including poetry, fiction non-fiction and English translations from 25 languages.At present, the company has registered divisions in London New York and calcutta. In 1987 Kishore established The Seagull Foundation for the Arts and set up The Seagull School of Publishing in 2012.Kishore is a photographer who has extensively documented female impersonators from Manipuri, Bengali and Punjabi theatre practices. Kishore exhibited his work at Chatterjee & Lal in Bombay in the exhibition Greenroom of the Goddess.Kishore is the recipient of the Goethe Medal, and was awarded the 2021 Ottaway Award for the Promotion of International Literature.Kishore has had his poems published with Scroll.in, Queen Mob's Tea House, Beltway Poetry Quarterly, Another Chicago Magazine, RIC Journal, Poetry at Sangam, Sylph Editions, amongst others.Transcription:Harshaneeyam: Welcome to our podcast. So nice of you to agree and come over to our podcast. Thank you very much.Naveen Kishore: Thank you for having me.H: You were interested in theatre initially during your school days and college days. How did it lead to publishing?N: The theatre actually happened at school, everybody does theatre in school, so that was okay, but then I think it was in college that I really tasted blood, as it were, as far as theatre is concerned. But I remember there was a theatre group called the Red Curtain, which was essentially made up of young people from different colleges who had left school, started a theatre group as the school leavers. They started to do amateur theatre, but with great quality, aesthetic, style, production values. When I joined them, I was a backstage person. My first theatre experience was a play called Wait Until Dark, where I used to sit behind a refrigerator with a small cassette recorder. And every time the blind leading lady opened the fridge, I would have to put on the duct to create the sound of the machine and synchronize it with her shutting it. And at one point in this thriller, which was also a good film, this blind woman is trying to smash all the bulbs because she is going to be attacked by these two people. And I have to synchronize the swinging of her sort of stick to the bulbs and simulate a crash in a waste-paper basket with old bulbs and metal brass. This was my first beginning.H: Sounds too complicated.N: It was good fun. You were assisting backstage and then, immediately, you were plunged into the deep end. The next play was Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard. The Red Curtain was a very democratic set up, so they said: You design the sets and light. I knew nothing about it, but the British Council Library was very useful, so I used to go and study lighting-design books. But at that point, I was playing by the rules, where I was lighting your face as an actor at 45 degrees. But I was frustrated because I couldn't achieve darkness, so that was a disaster.I made a mess of it, I think. But for the next play I designed, Ibsen's Ghosts, I think I threw the rule book out of the window and I started to light the air around the actors. In real...

Byron Jennings, who has appeared with Burning Coal in ART by Yasmina Reza, STUFF HAPPENS by David Hare (playing Colin Powell), UNTIL THE FLOOD by Dael Orlandersmith and THE PRISONER'S DILEMMA by David Edgar, talks with Burning Coal Artistic Director Jerome Davis about their recent triumph with Tom Stoppard's ARCADIA, his upcoming role in HYMN by Lolita Chakrabarti and their mutual love for Stephen Sondheim, among other things.

Do you remember all the plays you were a part of in school? Chances are Gianmarco Soresi remembers more plays than you do because he was in just so many, all of which he will recount for you as you drift off to sleep. Learn how Gianmarco acted and acted and acted through everything from Twelfth Night to something called Fiddler on the Roof Jr. Learn also how he ultimately forsook the theatrical stage for the smaller, more dank stage of standup comedy. Gianmarco Soresi's appearance on Netflix's Verified Stand-Up is available now. Hey Sleepy Heads, is there anyone whose voice you'd like to drift off to, or do you have suggestions on things we could do to aid your slumber? Email us at:  sleepwithcelebs@maximumfun.org.Follow the Show on:Instagram @sleepwcelebsTwitter @SleepWithCelebsTikTok @SleepWithCelebsJohn is on Twitter @johnmoe.John's acclaimed, best-selling memoir, The Hilarious World of Depression, is now available in paperback.Join | Maximum FunIf you like one or more shows on MaxFun, and you value independent artists being able to do their thing, you're the perfect person to become a MaxFun monthly member. 

"It does come down to that moment, when as a reader or as a writer entering into a story we say — it's not about me, it's about you."    Alice McDermott's Absolution shines a light on the dynamic lives of American women as they navigate the tumultuous era of the Vietnam War. McDermott joins us to talk about the untold pieces of American history, the evolution of her career as a writer, the power and impact of language in fiction and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over.     This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Executive Producer Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang.            New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app.          Featured Books (episode):  Absolution by Alice McDermott    The Quiet American by Graham Greene    The Ninth Hour by Alice McDermott    A Flag for Sunrise by Robert Stone    Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard    Family Meal by Bryan Washington    The Bee Sting by Paul Murray 

Special guest Shawn Mooney of Shawn the Book Maniac joins Anna for Book Club! We discuss TRUE BIZ by Sara Nović and Y/N by Esther Yi.  These books have taken us down rabbit holes of deaf culture (True Biz) and super fandom (Y/N). Two interesting and thought-provoking reads! Shawn recommends the interview with Esther Yi on Jaylen's The Bar and the Bookcase podcast. We're currently reading: GIBBONS OR ONE BLOODY THING AFTER ANOTHER by James Morrison (and see the book launch on Shawn's channel) SMALL WORLDS by Caleb Azumah Nelson LEOPOLDSTADT by Tom Stoppard   Follow us! Email: booksonthegopodcast@gmail.com Facebook: Books On The Go Instagram: @abailliekaras and @shawnthebookmaniac YouTube: Shawn the Book Maniac   Credits Artwork: Sascha Wilkosz  

Focus on Africa takes you inside Sierra Leone's overcrowded prisons and looks closely at the country's justice system. Our reporter Umaru Fofana looks into a much needed review on how prisoners are treated. Also the Nobel peace prize-winning gynaecologist Denis Mukwege, who is renowned for helping victims of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, announces his plans to run for president in December. What's the reaction in the DRC and can Denis Mukwege make a difference? And we talk to African playwrights, Tonderai Munyevu and Yael Farber who join over 60 of the world's leading playwrights for an online charity auction taking place at Christie's in London. The event, "Out of the Margins", is organised by the Good Chance theatre and will include writers; Wole Soyinka, Inua Ellams, Tom Stoppard, Tina Fey, and Tanika Gupta.

Laura House tells Annabelle how plumber Frank did great work on her and Brian's home…and their hearts (platonically). And now that Annabelle is back from her book leave, House dusts off the Tiny Victories hotline to play one of the calls that came in while AG was out.Things You Should Stop Worrying About This WeekWoman keying carsOffending New ZealandThis episode is sponsored by…Hello FreshThis summer, spend less time meal planning and prepping with HelloFresh's pre-portioned ingredients that make it easy to get cooking quick. Tiny Victories listeners can get 16 meals for free plus free shipping by going to HelloFresh.com/TINY16.Do YOU have a tiny victory to share? Call the Tiny Victories Hotline: (323) 285-1675We want folks to share their tiny victories on our hotline because, frankly, we'll assume we're just talking into the void every week and nothing matters. Prove us wrong. Did you finally do that thing you were putting off? Tiny victory! Reconnect with someone you haven't been in touch with for ages? Victory! We only ask that you try to keep messages to under a minute so we're able to play it on the show.If you prefer, you can record a tiny victory on your phone and then email us the audio.Email: TinyVictories@maximumfun.orgHOW TO @ US Twitter@GetTinyPod@LAGurwitch@ImLauraHouse@Swish (producer Laura Swisher)Instagram@GetTinyPod

Editors' Picks:Rich: Andrew Stuttaford's magazine piece "The False Promise of Electric Cars"Charlie: Also MBD's pieceMaddy: MBD's piece "The Anti-Bigots Suggest Ivan Provorov Go Die in Ukraine"MBD: Jessica Hornik's magazine piece "1938: A Response to Tom Stoppard's Leopoldstadt"Light Items:Rich: Whiskey Myers song “Stone”Charlie: Classical music on Apple musicMaddy: TV show Don't Tell the BrideMBD: Working late

Tom Stoppard has been a fixture on Broadway since his famous early play, “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,” travelled there in 1967. Stoppard is eighty-five years old, and has largely resisted the autobiographical element in his work. But now, in “Leopoldstadt,” a play that has just opened on Broadway, he draws on his family's tragic losses in the Second World War. Stoppard talks with the contributor Andrew Dickson about his latest work.  And the Oscar- and Emmy Award-winning actor Geena Davis, best known for her role in “Thelma and Louise,” talks with the staff writer Michael Schulman about her life and career. Davis ascribes much of her early experience on- and offscreen to a certain level of politeness, a character trait ingrained in her from childhood. “I learned politeness from minute one, I'm sure,” she tells Schulman. “That was my family: very old-fashioned New Englanders.” She reflects on her childhood, her iconic roles in the eighties and nineties, and her “journey to badassery” in her new memoir, “Dying of Politeness,” out this month.