Theater

Actor and writer Eric Bogosian. Bogosian's one man, multi-character performances highlight the pressures of modern life and explore the underside of the American Dream. Bogosian's latest show, "Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll" has been released in book form (by Harper Collins) and as a movie. (Interview by Marty Moss-Coane)

Spacey is best known for his role as Mel Proffitt in the TV series "Wiseguy." He's currently starring in a new American Playhouse film "Darrow," on the life of the famous lawyer Clarence Darrow, and plays the role of evangelist Jim Bakker in the NBC movie "Fall From Grace."

Broadway composer John Kander of the songwriting team Kander & Ebb. They wrote the music for "Cabaret" and such songs as "New York, New York," and "And the World Goes 'Round."

Essmann is known for portraying an eclectic mix of characters in his performance pieces. He's currently performing his one-man show, "Artificial Reality," in New York City.

Actress Daisy Eagan and her father, actor Richard Eagan. Daisy is starring as the young heroine, Mary Lenox, in the Broadway production of "The Secret Garden." Richard is working on a performance piece about stories from Coney Island. Guest host Frank Browning talks to them about pretending, acting, and how a Broadway career affects their family life.

British actress Joan Plowright. She's one of her nation's leading actresses, having appeared on the London stage since the mid 50s. She's also been on Broadway, had numerous role on British television, and appeared in the films "The Dressmaker," "I Love You To Death," and "Avalon." She was also married to the late actor Sir Lawrence Oliver.

Shawn co-starred in and co-wrote the movie, "My Dinner With Andre," and also appeared in "Manhattan," "The Princess Bride," and "Radio Days." Now Shawn is performing a one-man monologue called "The Fever," about a well-to-do man coming to grips with the world's poverty.

In the new thriller, Hopkins plays Doctor Hannibal Lecter, a brillant psychiatrist turned sociopath killer, who also holds the key to the identity of another crazed killer. He tells Terry how he developed the character, including his distinctive voice. Earlier in his career, Hopkins was a stage actor.

Stoppard wrote the award-winning plays "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead," "The Real Inspector Hound," and "The Real Thing;" and the screenplays for "Empire of the Sun," "Brazil," and "The Russia House." He's just made his debut as a film director in the movie adaptation of "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead." During his early life, he lived in India and Singapore.

Durang is best-known for his controversial play, "Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You." A new collection of six of his plays has just come out called "Christopher Durang Explains It All For You." He joins Fresh Air to talk about some of his successes and failures, and his frustrations with New York theater.