Katherine Michelle Tanner is one of the lucky ones; with an actress mother, artist father and concert pianist grandmother, she grew up surrounded by, and encouraged to, experience the all of the arts. As a result she’s played with and mastered virtually all of them; a dancer, who convinced her ballet master to take her on before she reached the mandatory age, a pianist, violinist, artist, singer and actor, Katherine is currently part of the ensemble cast of Next Fall at Florida Studio Theater. Listen to Katherine talk about the intricacies of this play – it will make you want to run out and see it and her.
On December 15th 1941, (following the bombing of Pearl Harbor) President Franklin Delano Roosevelt requested that Norman Corwin’s radio play “We Hold These Truths,” become the first radio program to be carried by all the network stations in the country. Written to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights, and starring Edward Arnold, Walter Brennen, Bob Burns, Walter Huston, Marjorie Mane, Edward G Robinson, Corporal James Stewart.
The second half of my interview with 100 year old Norman Corwin begins with his description of Orson Wells’ narrating “We Hold These Truths,” which Norman wrote to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights and which was rebroadcast 50 years later on NPR to celebrate its 200th anniversary. Hear him tell the story of the program he created for Election Eve, the year that FDR ran against Thomas Dewey, and his unwillingness to be paid for it because of his concern that he would “not be safe” at CBS if he declared himself a Democrat. Norman’s story continues with the description of his relationship with actor Charles Laughton and how this relationship lead to a career in Hollywood and the writing of screenplays for films such as “Lust For Life,” the Vincent Van Gogh story which he wrote for director Vincent Minnelli and starred Kirk Douglas. Finally hear a portion of his radio play “Between American’s” – also narrated by Orson Wells.
And listen next week for the full airing of “We Hold These Truths.”
I’m interrupting the airing of my Bonnie and Clyde The Musical interviews to dedicate the next 3 shows to what I believe is the last interview given by Norman Corwin who died on 10/18/11 at the age of 101. I interviewed Mr. Corwin at his home shortly before his 100th birthday. Propped in his wheelchair, with little capacity to move his ancient body, Mr. Corwin was nonetheless lucid, erudite, and remembered virtually everything about his 70 plus year career. After the interviews I will rebroadcast one of his most beloved radio plays “We Hold These Truths.”
Norman Corwin has been called “the poet laureate of radio,” the Bard of Broadcasting, a “citizen of the world” “and “to radio what Shakespeare was to theater.” He is truly a national treasure. Listen to the hilarious “accidents” which propelled his career. Hear the story of his interview with world’s greatest ashcan roller, (who could roll an ashcan faster and further than anyone without spilling an ash,”) and was the very first interview ever broadcast on radio, to the production,”On a Note of Triumph.,” written to mark the end of the war in Europe, which then president FDR had alerted him was soon to come, so that he could have the piece ready in time.
The Plot to Overthrow Christmas
Orson Welles performs “Between Americans” by Norman Corwin 1 of 3
Orson Welles performs “Between Americans” by Norman Corwin 2 of 3
Orson Welles performs “Between Americans” by Norman Corwin 1 of 3
Five year old Bob Trisolini and his cousins entertained their parents by putting on plays which always ended with little Bobby being stood on his head and pushed over – a perfect beginning for the entertainer that Bob would become. But like KJ Hatfield, Bob was concerned about making enough money for the life style he wanted, so he took his talents to corporations. Listen to the incredibly long list of companies for whom he created spectacular events which introduced products, celebrated successes, motivated sales forces etc. Now in retirement from an overwhelmingly successful career which took him all over the world, and with a seemingly inexhaustible amount of talent and energy Bob continues to work here and there for FL based companies and to direct and perform in local theater productions. Just having finished directing “Stop The World” for Sarasota’s Golden Apple dinner theater, he is currently directing “Seussical The Musical” for the Players theater. Listen to this irrepressible dynamo and hear a song from “Seussical The Musical.”
After recapping the creation of a Cover Story I explain how and why we hide some of our most important qualities Undercover, and that these qualities which we have, but deny, can be the very ones we need to do some things we’d previously been unable to do. Using brief descriptions of two movies “Juno” and “Miss Pettigrew” I talk about the importance of strong female role models in fiction and then play the second ½ of my interview with Sharon Lesley, who is not only a powerful role model but has written three theater pieces which highlight the lives of powerful woman.
Beginning with a recap of the concepts of Modeling and Anti-Modeling and talking about the dilemma of being an artist in this culture, this show goes on to demonstrate how the creation of a Cover Story stops us from doing what we would otherwise be able to do. It continues the series Anatomy of an Artist with the first half of an interview with Sharon Lesley, actor/singer/playwright/director, and includes cuts from CD’s by Sharon and her husband pianist David Ohrenstein.
