After selected shorts wins a national press club award, isaiah vows to. Symphony space is the home of a sheffer brainstorm called selected shorts, produced by wnyc for npr, in which actors read stories for broadcast on more than 160 radio stations nationwide. The three worlds of isaac bashevis singer a new play by isaiah sheffer celebrated host of npr s selected shorts with isaiah sheffer, kathryn markey, and mary brienza april 22, 2010 at 8. All that survives from that incredible era are 500 hours of material. The cultural compass recently spoke with isaiah sheffer, creator of npr s selected shorts, who hosts tonights program edgar allan poe. Npr s isaiah sheffer and catherine minton will participate on this panel. We arent able to give you access to all past episodes due to issues with content rights, but we make at least the most currently released shows available. Dorothy parkers but the one on the right performed by christina pickles. Isaiah sheffer founded new yorks symphony space, a complex of two theaters with a cafe and offices.
Selected shorts is an event at new yorks symphony space on the upper west side, in which screen and stage actors read classic and new short fiction before a live audience. A celebration of the short story, now in its twentieth season, and hosting the public radio series of the same name, heard on npr stations across the country. Explore seven years of recommendations all in one place. Five broadcasts on public radio, three on the internet, three books, and four audio. The easiest way to listen to podcasts on your iphone, ipad.
The annual season of the live events at symphony space begins in the midfall and ends in midspring. Sheffer s new play, based on published stories, sketches, interviews and his personal. Listen to harper lees to kill a mockingbird 50th anniversary celebration by harper lee,stephen colbert, isaiah sheffer for free with a 30 day free trial. I was privileged to know him because two of my short stories had been read on selected shorts, the series that begins at symphony space in new york and winds up on npr. Check out the schedule for the past and upcoming selected shorts episodes. It is with both heavy hearts and a deep sense of gratitude that the staff, board, and community of artists of symphony space honor the life of our founding artistic director, isaiah sheffer, who, along with his good friend and co. The show, which began in 1985, is recorded live at the peter sharp theater at.
In its heyday yiddish radio was heard from coast to coast, with a dozen stations in new york alone. Isaiah sheffers new play on isaac bashevis singer at. They have a podcast, and have released several collections. Selected shorts is an event at new yorks symphony space on the upper west side, in which. Symphony space is the home of a sheffer brainstorm called selected shorts, produced by wnyc for npr, in which actors read stories for. The yiddish radio project is based on a series of stories featured on npr s all things considered in the spring of 2002. Isaiah sheffers new play about isaac bashevis singer. Nationally acclaimed actors jill eickenberry and michael tucker join host isaiah sheffer at the jccsf for an evening that npr calls story time for adults. Isaiah sheffer, host of public radio show selected shorts and the driving force behind symphony space in new york, has died.
Zombie patriot, hudson valley community college bulmer telecommunications center. This threecd compilation features some of the best short stories from national public radios selected shorts, an awardwinning series of classic and contemporary short fiction read by distinguished stage and screen actors and recorded live at the peter norton symphony space in new york city. The amazing thing, though, is that it always feels new. Isaiah wrote the book and lyrics and his longtime friend and collaborator bobby paul isaiah wrote the book and lyrics and his longtime friend and collaborator bobby paul. Symphony space, founded by isaiah sheffer and allan miller, is a multidisciplinary performing arts organization at 2537 broadway on the upper west side of manhattan. The book by joseph heller was first published in 1961 and immediately caused a huge furor in the literary world.
Folklib index music reference books by national public radio npr. Selected shorts is a series of short stories narrated by famous actors. From wild and wacky to kneeslapping, laughoutloud fun, these humorous tales represent some of the best of recent seasons of the hit public radio series selected shorts. Selected shorts has been a longrunning hit for almost twenty years by nowon both the stage and on radio. Here are more than 2000 titles, handpicked by npr staff and trusted critics with. Isaiah sheffer bio, albums, pictures naxos classical music. From wnyc, new york public radio and symphony space comes pris selected shorts recorded live in new york citys peter norton symphony space. Sheffer s new play, based on published stories, sketches, interviews and his. Scott simon of national public radio is the host of the two hour disc, and some of the translations are read by carl reiner and eli wallach. This collection comes through with several very entertaining stories that are superbly presented by talented performers like. Yiddish radio project audiobook, by henry sapoznik.
Join isaiah sheffer, mary brienza, and kathryn markey as they perform excerpts from mr. Symphony space shared this obituary over the weekend. Ian fraziers dating your mom performed by isaiah sheffer. Listen to unlimited audiobooks on the web, ipad, iphone and android. The shows for which isaiah is best known as a writer are the rise of david levinsky and yiddle with a fiddle. Isaiah sheffer was born on december 30, 1935 in bronx, new york city, new york, usa. Isaiah sheffer is a founder and artistic director of symphony space in new york city, where his duties include directing the hit literary series selected shorts. In the late 1970s, sheffer turned an abandoned theater in new york city. Selected shorts does a great job of finding good quality fiction and pairing it with fine actors to read them for the public. The news is out that isaiah sheffer, creator and host of selected shorts, has died from complications of a stroke.
But i knew him when i began listening to the npr series selected shorts when celebrates would read aloud at symphony space and they would be recorded. Some of us celebrate william shakespeares birthday, which also happens to be the day he died. More than three hours of recordings in each collection capture the intimacy of. The podcast features the best of stars of stage and screen reading short works of fiction to a live audience. When isaiah was host of selected shorts, a particular perk of the program was available only to audiences who attended the live performances at symphony space. The selected shorts weekly public radio show is broadcast on more than stations. It was his leadership that created new yorks symphony space by turning a neglected old movie theater into a signature arts venue, and his vision that created the public performance series and radio program that celebrates the short. Isaiah wrote the book and lyrics to these musicals, each of which was well received with a respectable offbroadway run in new york and performances in other cities as well.
An annotated list of plays including translations from other languages from the beginnings to 1931. Join nprs neal conan and his guests to celebrate the centennial bloomsday. National public radio npr, stylized as npr is an american privately and publicly funded. Public radio host created space for music and art wbur news. Listen to selected shorts episodes free, on demand. Estelle parsons in the npr shortfiction reading series with isaiah sheffer. Finalist in audiofile magazines 2007 audie awards in the category audiobook adapted from another mediumthis threecd compilation features some of the best short stories from national public radios selected shorts, an awardwinning series of classic and contemporary short fiction read by distinguished stage and screen actors and recorded live at the peter norton. Each year he stages a season of selected shorts at. Selected shorts your favorite actors bringing great stories to life. Listen to yiddish radio project by henry sapoznik at.
In its heyday yiddish radio was heard from coast to coast, with a dozen stations in. If edgar allan poe had never written a poem, he would still have been one of americas greatest writers, thanks to his wonderful short. James thurbers the day the dam broke performed by alec baldwin. When he buys a beach house on the carolina coast, sedaris envisions long, relaxing vacations spent playing board games and lounging in the sun with those he loves. Performances take place in the 760seat peter jay sharp theatre also called peter norton symphony space or the 160seat leonard nimoy thalia. Sheffer said that because of npr s broadcasting, symphony space received a tremendous amount of mail about the short stories, from people at every level of society. For many years, he also staged a season of selected shorts at the j. Isaiah sheffer, who three decades ago looked at a grimy, derelict movie theater on manhattans upper west side and envisioned the palace of performing arts that became symphony space, a vibrant.
After selected shorts wins a national press club award, isaiah vows to be more serious. The counterfeit secret circle member gets the message, or the asp strikes again, by jean shepherd, performed by isaiah sheffer awake, by jenny allen. David sedaris joins us to discuss his new book, calypso. The deep end productions will present the worldrenowned. A new play by isaiah sheffer celebrated host of npr s selected shorts.
Isaiah sheffer died in manhattan after suffering a stroke. This threecd compilation features some of the best short stories from national public radio s selected shorts, an awardwinning series of classic and contemporary short fiction read by distinguished stage and screen actors and recorded live at the peter norton symphony space in new york city. The rise of david levinsky is a musical adaptation of abraham cahans 1917 novel. Joe menos people are becoming clouds performed by kirsten vangsness. He was its artistic director, and would remain so for 32 years.
For the listener who remembers the era from the 30s to the 50s, it is a nostalgic trip back. More than three hours of recordings in each collection capture the intimacy of live performance, with. Its the day his protagonist, leopold bloom, set out on a series of adventures in dublin. Radio personality isaiah sheffer died today in new york at age 76. Isaiah sheffer was the cofounder and founding artistic director of symphony space in new york city, where he directed the hit literary series selected shorts. We sadly inform our listeners that selected shorts host isaiah sheffer has passed away. Yossarian is a bombardier on a b25, based on a small island off the coast of italy in 1944. The stage show began in 1985 and continues today at symphony spaces peter jay sharp theater. Sheffer wrote the book and lyrics for the musicals yiddle with a fiddle and the rise of david levinsky. Selected shorts honors the memory of our creator and host of isaiah sheffer, who died on november 8, 2012. As i mentioned in my last blog entry a few weeks ago, this summer will see the next big step in the campaign we began last year at symphony space to establish summer stock on broadway and 95th street as a regular part of the citys summer cultural landscape, along with shakespeare in the park, lincoln center out of doors. Your favorite actors bringing great stories to life. The narrations in this collection were all excellent, and narrators included stephen colbert, robert sean leonard, parker posey, christine baranski and alec baldwin. Sheffer was cofounder and artistic director of the performing art center symphony space on the upper west side of manhattan, and.
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