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Frankly, Joe's Branching Out: Difference between revisions
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Frankly, Joe's Branching Out (view source)
Revision as of 08:28, 14 November 2023
, 14 November 2023Fixed a bunch of typos
(Profile from 'LA Magazine' 1989 March) |
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Frankly, Joe's Branching Out BY DICK LOCHTE | Frankly, Joe's Branching Out BY DICK LOCHTE | ||
There are no hard-and-fast rules about success in show | There are no hard-and-fast rules about success in show | ||
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winning the battle for at-home hearts and minds and ears with a | winning the battle for at-home hearts and minds and ears with a | ||
captivating, completely original approach to story telling. His | captivating, completely original approach to story telling. His | ||
60-minute program, Joe Frank: Work In Progress, is heard Saturdays at | 60-minute program, "Joe Frank: Work In Progress", is heard Saturdays at | ||
11 p.m. (and repeated Wednesdays at 7 p.m.) on KCRW-FM, where it is | 11 p.m. (and repeated Wednesdays at 7 p.m.) on KCRW-FM, where it is | ||
produced. The shows are then picked up by other National Public Radio | produced. The shows are then picked up by other National Public Radio | ||
stations after a considerable delay caused by NPR's conservative | stations after a considerable delay caused by NPR's conservative | ||
screening process. Frank's unique composites of fictional and | screening process. Frank's unique composites of fictional and | ||
semifictional interviews, monologues, sound effects, dramatic sketches | |||
and radio | and radio verité - all underscored by a variety of haunting, exotic | ||
beats - manage to be hilarious and unsettling, surreal and painfully | beats - manage to be hilarious and unsettling, surreal and painfully | ||
familiar. And their consistent effectiveness is green-lighting new | familiar. And their consistent effectiveness is green-lighting new | ||
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This month Stages Theater Center in Hollywood is presenting | This month Stages Theater Center in Hollywood is presenting | ||
the theatrical world premiere of Frank's Rent a Family, Part One, | the theatrical world premiere of Frank's "Rent a Family, Part One", | ||
adapted by the radio show's director, Paul Verdier. (The original | adapted by the radio show's director, Paul Verdier. (The original | ||
version, a three-part miniseries on the subject of the loneliness and | version, a three-part miniseries on the subject of the loneliness and | ||
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When the midnight-to-5-a.m. slot opened up, Frank jumped in as | When the midnight-to-5-a.m. slot opened up, Frank jumped in as | ||
host of In the Dark. He'd had a vague idea of what he wanted to do on | host of "In the Dark". He'd had a vague idea of what he wanted to do on | ||
radio, influenced by | radio, influenced by monologist Jean Shepard and another WBAI | ||
broadcaster, Steve Post. "I began doing some of the things I'm still | broadcaster, Steve Post. "I began doing some of the things I'm still | ||
doing," Frank says. "I worked with actors. I always wanted whatever we | doing," Frank says. "I worked with actors. I always wanted whatever we | ||
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panicked. I went to other stations and let them hear excerpts of my | panicked. I went to other stations and let them hear excerpts of my | ||
program, but they thought it was too far out for them. I went through | program, but they thought it was too far out for them. I went through | ||
a period of despondence, depression and re- evaluation." | a period of despondence, depression and re-evaluation." | ||
Just before he exited the radio business entirely, National | Just before he exited the radio business entirely, National | ||
Public Radio in Washington, | Public Radio in Washington, DC , called and asked him to host the | ||
weekend edition of its popular news-feature show All Things | weekend edition of its popular news-feature show "All Things | ||
Considered. "They said they thought of me because they were trying to | Considered". "They said they thought of me because they were trying to | ||
make the weekend edition more entertaining and arts oriented. Still, | make the weekend edition more entertaining and arts oriented. Still, | ||
serious journalism was completely foreign to anything I'd ever | serious journalism was completely foreign to anything I'd ever | ||
done. But it was the break of my life. So | done. But it was the break of my life. So I told them I was very | ||
interested in current events and was eager to give it a try. Thereupon | interested in current events and was eager to give it a try. Thereupon | ||
I began the most horrendous time of my whole broadcasting career. I | I began the most horrendous time of my whole broadcasting career. I | ||
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contract by producing one radio drama a month for NPR. "They were | contract by producing one radio drama a month for NPR. "They were | ||
very successful in terms of listener response, but management thought | very successful in terms of listener response, but management thought | ||
they were too provocative. Too much sex in them, When my | they were too provocative. Too much sex in them, When my contract was | ||
up, I was out. I was very bitter and unhappy. I had thought I was on | up, I was out. I was very bitter and unhappy. I had thought I was on | ||
the cutting edge of radio, doing things that really made a difference | the cutting edge of radio, doing things that really made a difference | ||
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A Joe Frank workday: By 10 a.m., he is seated before a | A Joe Frank workday: By 10 a.m., he is seated before a tape console in | ||
KCRW's well-appointed studios on the Santa Monica College campus, | KCRW's well-appointed studios on the Santa Monica College campus, | ||
making a tape loop of a 20-second segment of a South American song to | making a tape loop of a 20-second segment of a South American song to | ||
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Escorting her into a studio, Frank explains that for the next two | Escorting her into a studio, Frank explains that for the next two | ||
hours he would like her to talk | hours he would like her to talk to some imaginary person, a lover | ||
perhaps or a friend, in conversational tones, responding to Frank's | perhaps or a friend, in conversational tones, responding to Frank's | ||
questions and suggestions. The questions and suggestions will not be | questions and suggestions. The questions and suggestions will not be | ||
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With scarcely a pause, Frank asks her to react to someone who is | With scarcely a pause, Frank asks her to react to someone who is | ||
brushing his teeth with his mouth open. The total lack of continuity | brushing his teeth with his mouth open. The total lack of continuity | ||
is so absurd that | is so absurd that the actress feels challenged and responds | ||
wholeheartedly. | wholeheartedly. | ||
After lunch, | After lunch, another actress is seated across from Frank, providing | ||
him with more material. This time, the centerpiece is a dark | him with more material. This time, the centerpiece is a dark | ||
reminiscence of a romance in Italy | reminiscence of a romance in Italy that has sinister overtones. Frank | ||
makes a suggestion | makes a suggestion that moves the tale from probable autobiography | ||
into fiction. The actress eagerly improvises, adding flourishes and | into fiction. The actress eagerly improvises, adding flourishes and | ||
filling in the fictitious background. When the session is over, Frank | filling in the fictitious background. When the session is over, Frank | ||
signals to his engineer to stop the tape. | signals to his engineer to stop the tape. He thanks the actress, but | ||
before she leaves, Frank asks her the real ending to her story. | before she leaves, Frank asks her the real ending to her story. | ||
"Well, he always carried this knife," she says, and Frank interrupts | "Well, he always carried this knife," she says, and Frank interrupts | ||
her immediately, asking the engineer to start the tape again. | her immediately, asking the engineer to start the tape again. | ||
At 3 p.m., the last actress arrives. Another profitable session. | |||
Frank's plan is to use only portions of these tapings for his next | Frank's plan is to use only portions of these tapings for his next | ||
show and to spread much longer segments over several future shows. | show and to spread much longer segments over several future shows. | ||
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program is not complete. Though it has been seasoned with the music | program is not complete. Though it has been seasoned with the music | ||
loop and with appropriate sound effects, such as the brushing of teeth | loop and with appropriate sound effects, such as the brushing of teeth | ||
and gargling, Frank decides a few more touch- ups are needed before | and gargling, Frank decides a few more touch-ups are needed before | ||
the show is rebroadcast. | the show is rebroadcast. | ||
"It's very hard to explain why I do what I do," he says. "It's a | "It's very hard to explain why I do what I do," he says. "It's a | ||
gut-level feeling I have. It's not so much why I want to do it, it's | gut-level feeling I have. It's not so much why I want to do it, it's | ||
that I want to do it. Inviting these women to the station and asking | |||
them questions about themselves, their first loves, I don't even know | them questions about themselves, their first loves, I don't even know | ||
how to rationalize it, exactly. Except that I want to create | how to rationalize it, exactly. Except that I want to create | ||