THEATER TALK Welcomes Frank Langella Back This Weekend

Favorite guest Frank Langella returns to THEATER TALK to discuss his spellbinding, critically acclaimed performance as André, a man in the early-to-mid-stages of dementia, in the Manhattan Theatre Club production of Florian Zeller's The Father, directed by Doug Hughes. Revealing that he's "never been so frightened of a part...we're all frightened of this; it terrifies; there's no way back from this disease," he also tells co-hosts Michael Riedel of the New York Post and Susan Haskins that his brother is in the early stages of the disorder.

Langella, who has performed in 22 Broadway shows over his remarkable career, shares his perceptions of the role, his commitment to audiences, and his three keys to giving a good performance. He also reveals that a sequel to his bestselling memoir, Dropped Names, is in the works. The previous book contained profiles of 65 people he knew who are now dead; his next will include the now-deceased Elaine Stritch, Robin Williams, Mike Nichols, Joan Rivers and Lauren Bacall, among many others.

Langella's first New York performance was in the Off-Broadway production of The Immoralist at the Bouwerie Lane Theatre in 1963 (he was praised as an actor of "uncommon promise" by Howard Taubman in the New York Times). He next hopes to add another challenging part to his repertoire - Madame Rosepettle in a revival of Arthur Kopit's 1962 play, Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad at La Jolla Playhouse in 2017.

This latest edition of THEATER TALK premieres in the New York metropolitan area on Thirteen/PBS, Friday, April 29 (2016) at 1:30 AM (early Saturday) and Sunday, May 1 at 11:30 AM. It re-airs on CUNY TV* Saturday 4/30 at 8:30 PM, Sunday 5/1 at 12:30 PM, and Monday 5/2 at 7:30 AM, 1:30 PM, and 7:30 PM; as well as on WLIW/21 on Monday 5/2 at 5:30 PM - a total of 8 showings this week.

THEATER TALK is jointly produced by the not-for-profits Theater Talk Productions and CUNY TV. The program is taped in the Himan Brown TV and Radio Studios at The City University of New York (CUNY) TV in Manhattan, and is distributed to 100+ participating public television stations nationwide. THEATER TALK is made possible in part by The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, The CUNY TV Foundation, and The Friends of THEATER TALK.

*CUNY TV, the City University of New York television station, is broadcast in the New York metropolitan area on digital Ch. 25.3 and cablecast in the city's five boroughs on Ch. 75 (Time Warner and Optimum Brooklyn), Ch. 77 (RCN), and Ch. 30 (Verizon FiOS).

Photo by Joan Marcus

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