Theater Talk Returns First Week in October

The popular series THEATER TALK returns the first week in October for a new season of lively and entertaining interviews relating to the world of the stage and particularly the 2008-09 theater season in New York.  Viewers may see it on public television (see list at end of article) or online at www.cuny.tv/series/theatertalk.

The premiere program is the series' first-ever trip beyond New York City, featuring a panel discussion before an audience at Minneapolis' famed Guthrie Theatre.  The guests include the artistic directors of four prominent "Resident Theaters" in the Midwest - Joe Dowling from The Guthrie Theater, Martha Lavey from Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare Theater artistic director Barbara Gaines, and Peter Brosius of Minneapolis' Children's Theatre Company. All four theaters have been recipients of The Regional Theater Tony Award.

This special edition of THEATER TALK is moderated by series co-hosts Michael Riedel of the New York Post and series producer Susan Haskins.  The issues discussed provide a range of topics relevant to not-for-profit and commercial theater - including the importance of America's resident theater movement and how it can survive in the current economy, as well as the implications of moving shows, such as of Steppenwolf's acclaimed August: Osage County, to Broadway.

The second program will feature a Fall Preview with the series' resident prognosticators - Jesse Green of New York Magazine, Michael Musto of The Village Voice, and Patrick Pacheco of NY1 News.

Future THEATER TALK guests and topics will be drawn from the most anticipated shows of the upcoming Broadway season, and are expected to include actors and/or artists from American Buffalo, Billy Elliot, Fela, Dividing the Estate, Equus, Pal Joey, Shrek The Musical, Speed-the-Plow, To Be Or Not To Be, 13, and many others.

About Theater Talk
THEATER TALK is a unique forum for theater artists, featuring conversations with the actors, directors, playwrights and others whose work is part of the New York theater season.

The series also features authors and historians discussing theater legends and classic works of the stage, as well as New York's top critics and reporters on the latest shows and trends. Video excerpts from productions often complement the in-depth interviews.

A staple on public TV in New York since 1996 - with over 400 programs since its debut -THEATER TALK is co-hosted by Michael Riedel, the influential Broadway columnist for the New York Post, and series producer Susan Haskins.

THEATER TALK is jointly produced by the not-for-profit Theater Talk Productions and City University of New York (CUNY) TV.  The series is taped at CUNY TV studios in Manhattan, and premieres weekly on the nation's largest public television station, Thirteen/WNET in New York City.   Programs are rebroadcast three times a week on CUNY TV, syndicated to other public television stations* by Executive Program Services (EPS), and are available online at www.cuny.tv/series/theatertalk.

The series is additionally heard on Playbill Radio and available as iTunes' podcasts.  In addition, THEATER TALK has created the New Theater Corps, mentoring young writers to be the next generation of theater critics.  Their reviews, available on a blog online at http://newtheatercorps.blogspot.com, cover off- and off-off Broadway productions.

THEATER TALK is funded by contributions from private foundations and individuals, as well as The New York State Council on the Arts, The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, The CUNY TV Foundation, and the Friends of THEATER TALK.

Theater Talk is currently available on the following Public Television stations:

THIRTEEN - New York City
WGBX - Boston, MA
NJN - NJ, Philadelphia, and NYC
CPTV - CT, NYC, and Providence
KCET/KVCR - Los Angeles
KQED/KTEH - San Francisco
WETA/WHUT - Washington, DC
WEDU - Tampa, FL
WVIZ - Cleveland OH
WBCC/WCEU - Orlando
KVIE - Sacramento
UNC-TV - North Carolina
WGVU - Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo, MI
WKNO - Memphis
WNED - Buffalo
WSBE - Providence
WMHT - Schenectady
WCVE - Richmond, VA
KWSU - Spokane
WXXI - Rochester NY
WCNY - Syracuse NY
KAMU - Waco, TX
KTNW - Richland WA
KIXE - Redding, CA
KTWU - Topeka, KS
WSKG - Binghamton, NY
KOCV - Odessa, TX
WOUC - Cambridge/Athens, OH
KSKC - Pablo, MT
WBGU - Lima OH
and on its home station,
CUNY TV in New York CIty

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