meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Selected Shorts

Bonus: Meg Wolitzer Talks to Denis O’Hare

Selected Shorts

Symphony Space

Arts, Fiction, Books, Society & Culture

4.42.7K Ratings

🗓️ 8 February 2024

⏱️ 16 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this bonus conversation, host Meg Wolitzer talks to actor Denis O’Hare about his craft, and his approaches to readings of the two very different stories on this program.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:14.1

It's always so interesting to hear a wonderful actor and in particular you read aloud because if I were reading loud it wouldn't sound good and I just love what you do and I'm always struck as a writer by choices that writers make and of course actors make choices too can you talk about that with regard to these

0:17.3

stories first of all I'll say that reading aloud to an audience is different

0:22.1

than reading aloud to microphone.

0:24.0

And the weird thing about reading aloud on a microphone knowing you're being taped with a live audience is that you have two constituencies.

0:31.0

And for me as a live performer, a theatre performer, I tend to privilege the live constituency

0:36.5

over the microphone constituency.

0:38.6

This is all about the microphone.

0:39.9

And I can hear my voice in my head, so I'm very aware of shaping sound in a very different way for this

0:45.3

microphone.

0:46.6

That makes a huge difference.

0:48.4

In a symphony space, the audiences move and shift and groan and laugh and sigh. It's a process. We take in what they do.

0:57.0

And you then maybe change the way you're going to read like the next line?

1:00.6

Yeah, they help you understand.

1:02.1

Are you ever surprised by something an audience laughs at or doesn't?

1:06.5

Yeah, totally surprised.

1:08.4

And again, it can feed you.

1:10.3

Or their absolute silence inspires you because you can feel the weight of the story hitting them.

1:17.3

Audiences can change from night to night too, right?

1:20.0

If you talk to comedians, why aren't you laughing at that?

1:22.5

Last night they loved it.

1:23.8

And also, you know, the thing about the written word

1:26.2

is that you sometimes can't get something across

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Symphony Space, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Symphony Space and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.