Interviews

Playwright, librettist and screenwriter David Henry Hwang shares his experience working with theater producer Joe Papp, who produced his first play, "FOB." "FOB," which premiered in 1980, explores the dynamics between assimilated Asian Americans and new immigrants. Papp produced four of Hwang's plays, including "The ...

In an outtake from Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage, Edward James Olmos recalls watching his friend Raúl Juliá spontaneously perform Shakespeare on tabletops in bars.

Caroline Stuart, a friend of James Beard, discovered a doll that was designed to look like James Beard. The toy was only available for a short time, and very few remain today.

Alice Waters recalls a party early in her friendship with James Beard. Waters was nervous bringing her young daughter over to Beard's home, but the two made a wonderful impression on one another.

Largely responsible for the explosion of bold American television in the 1970s, writer/producer Norman Lear’s name is synonymous with the sitcom. The first documentary about the 94-year-old television legend, "American Masters — Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You," premieres nationwide Tuesday, October 25 at ...

Rob Reiner reads early reviews of "All in the Family" and talks about the series' 8-season run.

Largely responsible for the explosion of bold American television in the 1970s, writer/producer Norman Lear’s name is synonymous with the sitcom. The first documentary about the 94-year-old television legend, "American Masters — Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You," premieres nationwide Tuesday, October 25 at ...

In this filmmaker interview, Ric Burns describes what camera techniques he used to capture the ephemeral nature of dance on film, as well as how he came to discover ballet through the process of filmmaking. The documentary American Ballet Theatre: A History premiered on American ...

Emmy- and Peabody-winning filmmaker Peter Rosen describes his three key assets for making the documentary Jascha Heifetz: God's Fiddler: the home movies by Heifetz that Rosen discovered; a set provided by Heifetz's reconstructed music studio; and the person of musician Ayke Agus, Heifetz's student, accompanist ...

The artistry of singer and actress Judy Garland (1922 - 1969) is a living legacy upheld by the great singers of our time. American Masters asked performing artists who hold Garland's work close to their hearts and in their own personal repertory what inspires them ...