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59:01

Spalding Gray and "The Terrors of Pleasure."

Frequent Fresh Air guest Spalding Gray takes stories about his life and anxieties and transforms them into comedic monologues he delivers in a direct fashion. His monologues include "Sex and Death to the Age of Fourteen," "A Personal History of American Theater," and "Swimming to Cambodia." His current monologue is "The Terrors of Pleasure," and it chronicles his attempts to "grow up" and experience ownership by purchasing a house in the Catskills.

Interview
39:52

New Vaudeville with Avner the Eccentric.

Avner Eisenberg, known as "Avner the Eccentric," is a "new vaudevillian"; he uses juggling, magic, acrobatics, and clowning in his act. Eisenberg also performs as a theater actor. He also appeared in the film "Jewel of the Nile."

Interview
27:47

An Actor's Evolution

Sir Alec Guiness may be best known for his roles in films like Star Wars and Bridge on the River Kwai, but he honed his craft in the theater, learning something new with every production.

Interview
48:02

From a Waitress to a Writer

Deborah Eisenberg began writing short fiction in her 30s, without any formal training, while she worked as a waitress. Her first collection, Transactions in a Foreign Currency, has just been published.

Interview
27:51

From a Waitress to a Writer

Deborah Eisenberg began writing short fiction in her 30s, without any formal training, while she worked as a waitress. Her first collection, Transactions in a Foreign Currency, received critical acclaim.

Interview
27:31

A Life in the Theater

Actress Lynn Redgrave, known for numerous stage productions and the film Georgy Girl, comes from a family of actors. She joins Fresh Air to discuss her craft and how both her weight and famous last name shaped her career.

Interview
27:53

Find the Perfect Moment

Spalding Gray's career performing humorous, autobiographical monologues has sometimes been a detriment to his attempts to break into film and television acting; no casting director wants to be mentioned in one of Gray's stage shows.

Interview
27:49

How to Make Theater Important

Impresario Joseph Papp helped launch Broadway hits like A Chorus Line and The Pirates of Penzance, and founded the New York Shakespeare Festival. He talks about the political aspects of theater casting, production, and criticism.

Interview
09:23

Playwright John Guare

The writer's award-winning play, The House of Blue Leaves, enjoyed an acclaimed revival and is being produced for television. The story follows the life of an unsuccessful songwriter in Queens.

Interview
03:26

Rediscovering "Manhunter"

For those who missed the theatrical release, critic Ken Tucker recommends watching the suspense film on home video.

Review
09:59

A Role Close to Home

Best known for his role as Colonel Klink in Hogan's Heroes, Werner Klemperer plays Herr Schulz in the revival of Cabaret. Klemperer grew up in Berlin during the time the musical is set.

Interview
03:51

Sex in the Age of AIDS

Critic-at-large Laurie Stone reviews two plays currently in production which reflect contemporary anxieties about sex. While As Is strips sex of pleasure, Les Liaisons Dangereuses revels in "pornotopic" eroticism.

Review
03:42

What "Talk Radio" Says About our Time

Critic-at-large Laurie Stone finds the new play by Eric Bogosian, about a bigoted and acerbic Cleveland shock jock, both funny and pretentious. She says its attempt to broadly critique modern culture falls flat.

Review

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