Lester Nafzger

Lester Nafzger

Lester Nafzger met Joe Frank when both were attending the Iowa Writers Workshop, and he has been involved in several of Joe's radio programs.

He co-wrote and played the title role in Performer, in which he memorably recites his 26 (and counting) definitive life reference points, linchpins of his existence.

He was born in Columbus, Ohio and went to Defiance College, lives in Woodstock NY.

"Lester Ainslie" is a stage name he sometimes uses.

"Lester Ainslie" and "Alan Barron" have a heated debate during a segment featuring a discussion of the Fast Piano Players League in Arena. "Lester" has been following "Alan" around the world demanding to compete against him on the piano. Such competitions are called "Piano-Offs". "Alan" steadfastly refuses to play any of the newer works by Australian composers because the Fast Piano Players League doesn't recognize any piece written before 1910. It was re-used in Emergency Room.

Lester has appeared in the following programs:

Program	Air date	Series	Cast
Arena	1979-06-08	WBAI And NPR Playhouse	Annalee Jefferies, Arthur Miller, Paul Mantell, Rosemary Foley, Eric Sears, Tim Jerome, Matt Bassford, Lester Nafzger, Joe Frank
Summer Notes	1979-08-22	WBAI And NPR Playhouse	Tim Jerome, Beth Dixon, Arthur Miller, Lester Nafzger, Rosemary Foley, Paul Mantell, Fran Dorn, David St. James, Joe Frank
The Decline Of Spengler	1982	WBAI And NPR Playhouse	Barbara Sohmers, Joseph Palmieri, Lester Nafzger, Irene Wagner, Tim Jerome, Leslie Cass, David Rapkin, Rosemary Foley, Charles Potter, Arthur Miller, Brother Theodore, Joe Frank
Warheads	1983-04-12	WBAI And NPR Playhouse	Lester Nafzger, Paul Mantell, Arthur Miller, Mark Hammer, Irene Wagner, Joe Frank
Across The River	1984-03-27	WBAI And NPR Playhouse	Arthur Miller, Paul Mantell, Lester Nafzger, Avery Hart, Joe Frank
Photography	1986	Work In Progress	Tim Jerome, Nick Ullett, Sandy Faison, David Rapkin, Lester Nafzger, Arthur Miller, Joe Frank
Rain	1986	Work In Progress	Angel, Shawn, Dinah, Chantell, Lester Nafzger, Larry Massett, Scott Carrier, Joe Frank
A Landing Strip In The Jungle	1986	Work In Progress	Lester Nafzger, Fred Coffin, Arthur Miller, Joe Frank
Nightride	1986	Work In Progress	Tim Jerome, Mark Hammer, Joseph Palmieri, Alan Hunter, Lester Nafzger, Annalee Jefferies, F. Murray Abraham, Arthur Miller, Joe Frank
Emergency Room	1988	Work In Progress	Arthur Miller, Tim Jerome, Larry Block, Paul Mantell, Lester Nafzger, Joe Frank
Performer	1989	Work In Progress	Lester Nafzger, Julie Renick, Joe Frank
The Loved One	1993	In The Dark	Grace Zabriskie, Arthur Miller, Laura Esterman, Lester Nafzger, Farley Ziegler, Heidi Nordberg, Harvey Perr, Joe Frank
The Loved One (Remix)	1996	Somewhere Out There	Grace Zabriskie, Arthur Miller, Laura Esterman, Lester Nafzger, Farley Ziegler, Heidi Nordberg, Harvey Perr, Joe Frank
Reprise	1996-07-28	Somewhere Out There	Arthur Miller, Lester Nafzger, Fred Coffin, Avery Hart, Tim Jerome, Ryan Cutrona, Paul Mantell, Joe Frank
The Other Side (Show)	1997-03-16	Somewhere Out There	Larry Block, Lester Nafzger, Paul Mantell, Arthur Miller, Mark Hammer, Irene Wagner, Joe Frank
Arena (Remix)	1997-04-06	Somewhere Out There	Annalee Jefferies, Arthur Miller, Paul Mantell, Rosemary Foley, Eric Sears, Tim Jerome, Matt Bassford, Lester Nafzger, Joe Frank
Joe Frank Live - Women Police Officers	1997-07-05	Somewhere Out There	Lester Nafzger, Larry Block, Joe Frank
Last Show	1997	Somewhere Out There	David Cross, Tim Jerome, Beth Dixon, Arthur Miller, Barbara Sohmers, Mark Hammer, Carolyn Swift, Jerry Klein, Theresa Nolan, Paul Mantell, Lester Nafzger, Avery Hart, Joe Frank
Summer Notes (Remix)	2000-01-02	The Other Side	Tim Jerome, Beth Dixon, Arthur Miller, Lester Nafzger, Rosemary Foley, Paul Mantell, Fran Dorn, David St. James, Joe Frank
Waiting For The Bell	2001-04-22	The Other Side	Laura Esterman, Arthur Miller, Grace Zabriskie, Keith Talbot, Larry Block, Helen Wilson, Walica Fuller, Lester Nafzger, Farley Ziegler, Heidi Nordberg, Harvey Perr, Jack Kornfield, Joe Frank
Bad Faith	2005-03-15	Online	Larry Block, Lester Nafzger, Joe Frank
Goodbye	2006-12-30	Online	Lester Nafzger, Gideon Brower, Michal Story, Larry Block, Mike Fremuth, Joe Frank