September 2-5, Sirius‘ Talk Central Channel 148.
September 2-5, Sirius' Talk Central Channel 148.
September 2-5, Sirius' Talk Central Channel 148.
That's when and where you can catch a radio broadcast of “Theater of the New Ear.” Info here (last item on the page). Burn the date into your cerebellums, because it's the only chance most of us will get to hear it. If anyone can record and encode the plays as an MP3, BCK will be forever indebted to you. I'm gonna mention this a lot in the next month, in the hope that someone will come through with the goods. No doubt it'll be a hefty file, but that's fine. (Apparently a lot of people are relying on BCK for an MP3, judging by emails and various message boards.) Spread the word!
For those who have no idea about “New Ear”: it's a pair of “sound plays” - “Hope Leaves the Theater” and “Sawbones,” written and directed by Charlie and the Coen Bros. respectively. The concept was brought to them by Carter Burwell. Cast includes Meryl Streep, Hope Davis, Peter Dinklage, Steve Buscemi, John Goodman, Marcia Gay Harden, Phil Seymour Hoffman. I should really make a page about it. But I am lazy.
“Ethan came up with the title,” says Kaufman. “We ended up calling them sound plays, akin to radio plays, but not exactly. They're different in that there is a visual element (in the theater). Part of the experience is noticing the discrepancies between what you're seeing and what you're hearing.”
Kaufman's play has foley artists, who provide sound effects, an orchestra and actors on stage reading their scripts, but no props, costumes or sets.
“When I was writing mine, it was very important to me that it be heard and be seen,” says Kaufman.
Beyond performances at UCLA Sept. 14-16, it's not likely his hour-long play will travel further, says Kaufman. “We got this amazing cast because the commitment is so limited.”
