NPR Playhouse
xx/xx/xx 1 Broken Glass by Arthur Miller - 1 of 2 xx/xx/xx 2 Broken Glass by Arthur Miller - 2 of 2 xx/xx/xx 3 The Crucible by Arthur Miller - 1 of 4 xx/xx/xx 4 The Crucible by Arthur Miller - 2 of 4 xx/xx/xx 5 The Crucible by Arthur Miller - 3 of 4 xx/xx/xx 6 The Crucible by Arthur Miller - 4 of 4 xx/xx/xx 7 Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller (Starring Lee J. Cobb) - 1 of 4 xx/xx/xx 8 Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller (Starring Lee J. Cobb) - 2 of 4 xx/xx/xx 9 Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller (Starring Lee J. Cobb) - 3 of 4 xx/xx/xx 10 Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller (Starring Lee J. Cobb) - 4 of 4
xx/xx/xx 11 A View From The Bridge by Arthur Miller - 1 of 2
xx/xx/xx 12 A View From The Bridge by Arthur Miller - 2 of 2
xx/xx/xx 13 All My Sons by Arthur Miller - 1 of 3
xx/xx/xx 14 All My Sons by Arthur Miller - 2 of 3
xx/xx/xx 15 All My Sons by Arthur Miller - 3 of 3
xx/xx/xx 16 Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been by Eric Bently - 1 of 2
xx/xx/xx 17 Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been by Eric Bently - 2 of 2
Sealed for 50 years, the transcripts of the executive session hearings
conducted by Senator Joseph R. McCarthy, as chairman of the Senate
Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations in 1953 and 1954, were
recently opened for research. The Senate Historical Office edited the transcripts for
publication by the Government Printing Office and on the Internet. The hearings
provide new insights into the senator's methods of operations. While they started
out reasonably, the hearings quickly descended into paranoia, conspiracy theory,
and merciless badgering of witnesses by the senator and his chief counsel, Roy Cohn.
The closed hearings served as dress rehearsals for televised public hearings, and also
gave Senator McCarthy an opportunity to release selected information to manipulate his
media coverage. They conclude with the Army-McCarthy hearings that ultimately led to the
senator's censure.
CHARACTERS - ACTORS IN THE L.A. THEATRE WORKS / BBC
RADIO THEATRE PRODUCTION (in order of appearance)
Committee Member. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack Coleman
Witness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Richard Dreyfuss
Chairman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Edward Asner
Narrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michael York
Judy Garland (Singer/Actress) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bonnie Bedelia
Gregory Peck (Actor) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Harry Hamlin
Sam G. Wood (Producer/Director) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Richard Masur
Investigator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . James Whitmore
Edward Dmytryk (Director) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rene Auberjonois
Ring Lardner Jr. (Writer) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bud Cort
Arthur Rankin (Actor). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Richard Dreyfuss
Richard Milhous Nixon (Congressman) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joe Spano
Larry Parks (Actor) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robert Foxworth
Louis Mandel (Parks’ attorney) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Richard Masur
Sterling Hayden (Actor) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Harry Hamlin
Abe Burrows (Playwright/Director). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hector Elizondo
Elia Kazan (Director) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joe Spano
Lillian Hellman (Playwright) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bonnie Bedelia
Jerome Robbins (Choreographer). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Franklyn Seales
Martin Berkeley (Screenwriter) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bud Cort
Lionel Stander (Actor). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Harris Yulin
Arthur Miller (Playwright) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Richard Masur
Director of The American Legion Willand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robert Foxworth
Paul Robeson (Singer/Actor) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . James Earl Jones
'68/'69 Chicago Conspiracy Trial
90 minutes.
The Chicago Seven were seven (originally eight, when they were known as the Chicago Eight)
defendants charged with conspiracy, inciting to riot and other charges related to protests that
took place in Chicago, Illinois on the occasion of the 1968 Democratic National Convention.
The US government was using the trial to stifle dissenters and the defense lawyers were putting
the government on trial in defense of the counterculture.
<<< (from left to right): "Chicago Conspiracy" defendants
Lee Weiner, John Froines, Abbie Hoffman, Rennie Davis, Jerry Rubin,
Tom Hayden and David Dellinger. (Defendant Bobbie Seale had
presumably been severed from the trial by the time Richard Avedon
photographed the "Chicago Seven").
I'm old enough to have been a big Abbie Hoffman/Jerry Rubin/
David Dellinger fan and remember this trial fondly, The Chicago 8
Conspiracy Trial - 7 white guys and Bobbie Seale - gagging Judy
Collins from singing on the stand, Alan Ginsburg doing his om-ing
and chanting on the stand - what fun! And televised every night!
Abbie Hoffman was a sincere visionary with an often crippling sense
of humor. The trial was a very surreal experience for its time, with
Judge Julius Hoffman possibly the greatest heavy-handed clown in the circus. All very funny stuff.
The most enduring image of the "Chicago Conspiracy Trial"
was, of course, defendant Bobby Seale bound and gagged
in a federal courtroom. (Sketch by Verna Sadock of WMAQ-TV)
Julius Jennings Hoffman:
He was seventy-four when
the Chicago Conspiracy Trial
began in his courtroom on
September 24th, 1969. The
trial lasted four and a half months.
(Sketch by Verna Sadock of WMAQ-TV).
Though the jury found five of the seven defendants guilty (not of
conspiracy, but of individual acts). the Seventh Circuit Court of
Appeals voided the convictions and the contempt citations
imposed by Judge Hoffman. The government chose to not retry the case.
This version I've found appears to be cut short. If anyone knows where I can find
the complete version please let me know.
xx/xx/xx 18 Chicago Conspiracy Trial - 1 of 2
xx/xx/xx 19 Chicago Conspiracy Trial - 2 of 2
Murder in the First
by Dan GordonInspired by actual events, MURDER IN THE FIRST is the story of a passionate, young attorney who must prove that one criminal’s cruel treatment during three years in Alcatraz turned him into a vicious killer. Through his defense, he uncovers the surprising truths that ultimately lead to the closing of the most notorious correctional institution in human history.
xx/xx/xx 20 Murder in the First - 1 of 2 xx/xx/xx 21 Murder in the First - 2 of 2
Spread Eagle
by George S. Brooks and Walter Lister. A Drama and a Fiction for Patriots Edward Asner, Kate Asner, Raye Birk, and Sharon Gless head the cast of this “lost” 1927 Broadway hit in which commerce and heroism clash when a titan of American business orchestrates a U.S. invasion of Mexico. An LA Theatre Works/KCRW production.
xx/xx/xx 22 Spread Eagle by George S. Brooks and Walter Lister (Starring Ed Asner) - 1 of 3 xx/xx/xx 23 Spread Eagle by George S. Brooks and Walter Lister (Starring Ed Asner) - 2 of 3 xx/xx/xx 24 Spread Eagle by George S. Brooks and Walter Lister (Starring Ed Asner) - 3 of 3
War of the Worlds
Join actors from STAR TREK and STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION as they recreate this classic radio thriller. The breathless pace and convincing details make it clear why the 1938 broadcast of an "eyewitness report" of an invasion from Mars caused a nationwide panic in 1938. Originally performed by Orson Welles and his Mercury Theatre of the Air, WAR OF THE WORLDS is truly the mother of all space invasions, offering a rare combination of chills, thrills and great literature. Starring Leonard Nimoy, Brent Spiner, Gates McFadden, Wil Wheaton, Meagan Fay, Jerry Hardin, Dwight Schultz, Armin Shimerman, Tom Virtue, and John de Lancie Written by H.G. Wells and Howard Koch
xx/xx/xx 25 War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells - 1 of 2 xx/xx/xx 26 War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells - 2 of 2
The Undecided Molecule
Author Norman Corwin Robert Benchley, Groucho Marx, Vincent Price, Keenan Wynn, Sylvia Sydney and others. You are about to be let into one of the strangest trials in the history of jurisprudence. A molecule refuses to be assigned to any particular substance and insists on choosing for itself. WARNING: It’s in rollicking rhyme from start to finish.
xx/xx/xx 27 The Undecided Molecule by Norman Corwin
On The Waterfront by Budd Schullburg
Terry Malloy, the “seemingly soulless street survivor,” unwittingly lures a rebellious longshoreman to his death in Budd Schulberg’s searing drama about the New York waterfront, the racketeering unions controlling it, and the kid who “could’a been a contender.” Starring Bruce Davison, Jeffrey Donovan, Hector Elizondo, Rebecca Pidgeon, and David Selby Written by Budd Schulberg
xx/xx/xx 28 On The Waterfront by Budd Schulburg
The Best of Second City
by Richard Dreyfuss (Editor), Stacy Keach (Narrator), Arthur Miller (Narrator), Fran Adams, Edward Asner, Samantha Bennett, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Tim Kazurinsky, Joe Liss, Marsha Mason, Ron West, Amy Sedaris Take an unforgettable ride with the classic sketches that helped make this America’s foremost comedy troupe. The Second City lampoons every aspect of modern American life, with brilliant improvised sketches on subjects ranging from salad bars to affairs of state.
xx/xx/xx 29 The Best of Second City - 1 of 8 xx/xx/xx 30 The Best of Second City - 2 of 8 xx/xx/xx 31 The Best of Second City - 3 of 8 xx/xx/xx 32 The Best of Second City - 4 of 8 xx/xx/xx 33 The Best of Second City - 5 of 8 xx/xx/xx 34 The Best of Second City - 6 of 8 xx/xx/xx 35 The Best of Second City - 7 of 8 xx/xx/xx 36 The Best of Second City - 8 of 8
Cakewalk
by Peter Feibleman and Carly Simon. Broadway legend Elaine Stritch stars as literary legend Lillian Hellman in this beguiling account of Hellman’s tumultuous relationship across several decades with a man 25 years her junior, played by Oscar-nominee Bruce Davison. Starring Elaine Stritch, Bruce Davison, Claudette Nevins, Raphael Sbarge, and Samantha Bennett. Original music for "Cakewalk" by Carly Simon.
xx/xx/xx 37 Cakewalk by Peter Feibleman and Carly Simon - 1 of 2 xx/xx/xx 38 Cakewalk by Peter Feibleman and Carly Simon - 2 of 2
I'd Rather Eat Pants
by Peter Ackerman. A seventy-five year old, fast-talking, New York husband and wife team travel cross-country with a twenty year old California dude, only to hook up with a cop that yodels, kids that juggle, a talent agent who's been on the lam for thirty years, and a receptionist obsessed with the time zone in Tuba City. Peter Ackerman's "I'd Rather Eat Pants" was specially commissioned for the commemoration of the opening of NPR West. Starring Edward Asner and Anne Meara
xx/xx/xx 39 I'd Rather eat Pants by Peter Ackerman
Crimes of the Heart
by Beth Henley
This Pulitzer Prize-winner is a deeply touching and funny play about three eccentric sisters from a small Southern town rocked by scandal when Babe, the youngest, shoots her husband. Humor and pathos abound as the sisters unite with an intense young lawyer to save Babe from a murder charge, and overcome their family’s painful past. Starring Glenne Headly, Arye Gross, Sondra Locke, Ray Baker, Donna Bullock, and Belita Moreno
xx/xx/xx 40 Crimes of the Heart by Beth Henley - 1 of 4 xx/xx/xx 41 Crimes of the Heart by Beth Henley - 2 of 4 xx/xx/xx 42 Crimes of the Heart by Beth Henley - 3 of 4 xx/xx/xx 43 Crimes of the Heart by Beth Henley - 4 of 4
Agnes of God
by John Pielmeier
In this contemporary murder mystery set within the confines of a convent, Agnes is a devout, innocent young nun accused of infanticide. As a psychiatrist who is herself a lapsed Catholic, and the Mother Superior struggle over Agnes’ fate, the play plunges into the mystery of faith and the consequence of truth. Starring Barbara Bain and Emily Bergl
xx/xx/xx 44 Agnes of God by by John Pielmeier - 1 of 2 xx/xx/xx 45 Agnes of God by by John Pielmeier - 2 of 2
The Cherry Orchard
by Anton Chekhov
Chekhov’s masterful last play, THE CHERRY ORCHARD, is a work of timeless, bittersweet beauty about the fading fortunes of an aristocratic Russian family and their struggle to maintain their status in a changing world. Alternately touching and farcical, this subtle, intelligent play stars the incomparable Marsha Mason. Starring Marsha Mason, Charles Durning, Hector Elizondo, Jennifer Tilly, Jeffrey Jones and Michael Cristofer Written by Anton Chekhov Translated by Frank Dwyer and Nicholas Saunders
xx/xx/xx 46 The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov - 1 of 2 xx/xx/xx 47 The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov - 2 of 2