Theater Talk: Critic John Simon / Remembering Richard Griffiths

First, eminent critic John Simon celebrates his 88th birthday on the show. He looks back on his distinguished career, which began in 1949 when he wrote a review for the out-of-town tryout of Tennessee Williams' "A Street Car Named Desire" in The Harvard Advocate and was fired for making it "too positive...because no play can be that good." Next we replay a 2006 conversation with the late Richard Griffiths (known internationally as "Uncle Vernon in The Harry Potter films), who was then on Broadway, giving his Tony-winning performance in "The History Boys." The master performer and raconteur shares tips on acting, as well as an analysis of the Stanislavsky system that is not to be missed.

Taped: 06-10-13

Theater Talk is a series devoted to the world of the stage. It began on New York television in 1993 and is co-hosted by Michael Riedel (Broadway columnist for the New York Post) and series producer Susan Haskins.

The program is one of the few independent productions on PBS and now airs weekly on Thirteen/WNET in New York and WGBH in Boston. Now, CUNY TV offers New York City viewers additional opportunities to catch each week's show. (Of course, Theater Talk is no stranger to CUNY TV, since the show is taped here each week before its first airing on Thirteen/WNET.)

The series is produced by Theater Talk Productions, a not-for-profit corporation and is funded by contributions from private foundations and individuals, as well as The New York State Council on the Arts.

Watch more Theater Talk at http://www.tv.cuny.edu/show/theatertalk