BEYOND.
>> DAVID STRATHAIRN HAS BEEN AN
IN DEMAND ACTOR FOR DECADES
THROUGH HIS OSCAR NOMINATED
PERFORMANCE AS THE JOURNALIST
EDWARD R. MURROW IN GOOD NIGHT,
GOOD LUCK AND THE WINNING NOMAD
LAND AND NOW HE IS APPEARING AT
CHICAGO SPIKE SPEAR THEATRE IN A
PERFORMANCE CALLED REMEMBER THIS
THE LESSON OF JAN CAR SKY.
AND DAVID STRATHAIRN WHAT A
PLEASURE IT IS TO HAVE YOU THANK
YOU FOR BEING HERE WITH "CHICAGO
TONIGHT".
>> THANKS SO MUCH FOR DOING THIS
FOR THIS PRODUCTION.
>> TELL US ABOUT THE REAL-LIFE
CHARACTER THAT YOU PLAY AND THE
THRUST OF THE STORY THAT YOU ARE
GETTING AT?
>> WELL, WHERE IT BEGINS.
I GUESS WELL WE'LL START WITH
WHAT THE PLAY CENTERS AROUND.
IT IS SOMEWHAT OF A
CHRONOLOGICAL JOURNEY THROUGH
HIS LIFE AND IT FOCUSES
PRIMARILY ON HIS TIME AS A
COURIER FOR THE POLISH
UNDERGROUND CARRYING MESSAGES TO
FROM THE FRONT TO THE GOVERNMENT
IN EXILE IN FRANCE.
AND THEN ULTIMATELY TO HIS
COMING TO THE WEST TO REPORT ON
THE ATROCITIES OF THE HOLOCAUST
TO TELL ROOSEVELT AMONG OTHERS
FOREIGN SECRETARY IN ENGLAND.
AND IT TOUCHES ON HIS CAREER AS
A TEACHER AT GEORGETOWN
UNIVERSITY FROM 1962-1992.
IT'S ON A LARGE SCOPE TO COVER.
BUT I FEEL THAT WE'RE DOING
JUSTICE TO THE HIGH POINTS OF
HIS LIFE AND INDEED TO THE
INCREDIBLE LEGACY THAT HE LEAVES
IN TERMS OF BEARING WITNESS.
>> IT IS AN AMAZING STORY ALMOST
LIKE HE WAS SCREAMING INTO THE
VOID BECAUSE HE TOLD FDR WHAT
WAS HAPPENING AND OTHER LEADERS
AND THEY DID NOT TAKE ANY
ACTION.
AND AS I UNDERSTAND HE BLAMES
HIMSELF FOR THAT.
WHY WAS THAT?
>> WELL, I DON'T KNOW AS HE
BLAMED HIMSELF.
BUT HE DID FEEL A SENSE OF
FAILURE HAVING MADE IT TO THE
OFFICES OF THE MOST POWERFUL
PEOPLE IN THE WORLD AT THE TIME
AND THE MESSAGE HE FELT WAS
CRUCIAL TO STOP THE ANILEIATION
OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE WHILE THERE
WAS TIME TO STOP IT.
HE DID CARRY, I BELIEVE, A
SENSE OF FAILURE.
OBVIOUSLY HE DIDN'T FAIL.
THE FAILURE OF OTHERS TO ACT
UPON THE INFORMATION.
>> CERTAINLY AND THERE WERE
POLITICAL REASONS THAT FDR DID
NOT ACT IMMEDIATELY AND THE
TITLE IS REMEMBER THIS THE
LESSON OF JAN CARSKI.
WHAT IS THE LESSON IN THE PLAY?
>> YOU CAN TAKE A LOT OF LESSONS
FROM HIS LIFE.
I THINK TO PUT IT SIMPLISTICLY,
THE LESSON IS TO REMEMBER.
WE DON'T REMEMBER OUR PAST WE
ARE CONDEMNED TO REPEAT IT
POTENTIALLY.
AND THAT BY DOING AN EXCAVATION
OF WHO WE ARE BY EXPLORING WHERE
WE CAME FROM, HOPEFULLY WE CAN
LEARN THINGS GOING FORWARD TO
FORETHE BETTERMENT OF OUR WORLD.
>> AND IN FACT YOU NOT ONLY DO A
90 MINUTE ONE MAN SHOW YOU DO A
QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION WITH
THE AUDIENCE.
WHAT ARE THOSE SESSIONS LIKE?
>> WELL, WE HAVE HAD A
WEEK-AND-A-HALF IN THE
WASHINGTON D.C. SHAKESPEARE
FESTIVAL THEATRE.
AND THEY WERE VERY MOVING.
VERY INSIGHTFUL AND VERY ENGAGED
BECAUSE BOG GEORGE WASHINGTON
WAS THE HOMETOWN FOR HIS LIFE.
AND HIS STUDENTS WERE THERE AND
PEOPLE WHO KNEW HIM.
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE THERE
REALLY.
BUT I UNDERSTAND THERE IS A
LARGE POLISH COMMUNITY HERE IN
CHICAGO OBVIOUSLY WHO WILL BE
EXCITED TO SEE THESE PEOPLE WHO
KNEW HIM OR KNOW OF HIM SHOW UP.
SO WE'RE OFFERING AN OPPORTUNITY
TO DISCUSS, SHARE AND EXPERIENCE
IT TOGETHER.
>> INDEED A LARGE POLISH
COMMUNITY HERE CALLED THE
LARGEST POLISH CITY OUTSIDE OF
WARSAW.
YOU ARE DOING THIS THROUGH
NOVEMBER 14TH.
THE STAMINA MENTALLY AND
PHYSICALLY THAT IT TAKES TO DO
THIS ONE MAN PERFORMANCE IT IS
NOT LIKE YOU ARE JUST SITTING
AROUND READING A STORY.
YOU ARE PHYSICAL.
HOW DIFFICULT IS THAT?
>> WELL, IT'S IT'S DIFFICULT,
YEAH, BUT YOU TRAPE TO DO IT.
AND --
TRAIN TO DO IT AN
HOUR-AND-A-HALF OF INTENSE
PRESENTATION.
BUT IT'S ALSO IN RESPECT OF
CARSKI HIMSELF AS A TEACHER HE
WAS VERY ANIMATED.
PEOPLE WANTED TO HAVE HIS CLASS
BECAUSE OF HIS PERFORMANCE AND
HIS SKILLS AND ENERGY AND
TELLING OF ANECDOTES.
IT'S IN SYNC WITH WHO HE WAS AS
A PROFESSOR.
>> AND THERE IS A LOT OF
RELEVANCE TO THE MESSAGE IN THIS
PLAY TO THE TIMES THAT WE'RE
LIVE UNWILLING NOW.
I WANT TO GO BACK TO GOOD LUCK
THAT WAS RELEVANT THEN TALKING
ABOUT JOE McCARTHY AND
McCARTHYISM AND NEWS.
DO YOU REFLECT ON THAT MOVIE NOW
GIVEN THE CURRENT CLIMATE OF
MISINFORMATION AND DISTRUST IN
JOURNALISM?
>> EVERYDAY.
EVERYDAY.
I HAVE A NOTION THAT TO CONTACT
GEORGE CLOONEY AND WHOEVER HAS
THE FILM AND SAY THAT FILM
SHOULD BE REVISITED.
AND IT HAS --
IT DOVETAILS A LOT WITH WHAT
CARSKI REPRESENTS.
MISINFORMATION.
BEARING WITNESS, TELLING THE
TRUTH, BEING AN EYEWITNESS.
AND HAVING THE INFORMATION
DISMISSED AND DENIED AND
IGNORED.
BOTH OF THOSE EDWARD R. MURROW
WERE CUT FROM THE SAME CLOTH.
>> IT WOULD BE EXCITING FOR
THESE CURRENT TIMES.
I DON'T KNOW YOU'VE MADE
WONDERFUL SO MANY BIG FILMS.
OSCAR NOMINATED NOMAD LAND JUST
SWEPT THE COUNTRY BY STORM.
WERE YOU SURPRISED AT THE
RECEPTION THAT MOVIE GOT?
>> SOMEWHAT, YEAH.
AFTER THINKING ABOUT IT, I THINK
IT WAS A QUESTION OF CERTAINLY
GOOD TIMING BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE
BEING DISPLACED PEOPLE THERE WAS
A HUGE PEOPLE WHO REPORT
CLOSURES AND ECONOMIC
IMPOVERISH.
AND CRITICAL ISSUES AFFECTING
THE WORLD AND PEOPLE WERE
ISOLATED FROM EACH OTHER WHILE
WE WERE MAKING THAT FILM.
AND IT WENT ON TO THIS DAY.
AND I FEEL NOMAD LAND STRUCK A
NERVE ABOUT PEOPLE WANDERING
LOOKING FOR A COMMUNITY AGAIN
LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO PUT DOWN
ROOTS WHETHER IT'S WHEELS ON THE
ROAD OR FINDING A COMMUNITY
AGAIN.
SO IT'S NOT SURPRISING AFTER
THINKING ABOUT IT THAT THAT WAS
THE BEST FILM OF THE YEAR IT
STRUCK A NERVE.
>> CERTAINLY RELEVANT FOR THE
TIME WE'RE LIVING IN AS WELL.
AND ALL THE FILMS I COULD GO
OVER I WANT TO BRING UP CHICAGO
CONNECTIONS 8 MEN OUT AND LEAGUE
OF THEIR OWN.
ANY MEMORIES OF WORKING HERE IN
OUR CHICAGO?
>> ALWAYS A GREAT TIME.
I HAVE NOT WORKED HERE ENOUGH.
IT IS A BLAST AND IT'S GREAT AND
I MADE A SMALL MOVIE IN THE
SUBURBS OUTSIDE OF CHICAGO.
BUT I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO WORK
IN CHICAGO.
BECAUSE IT'S ONE OF THE GREAT
AMERICAN CITIES FOR SURE.
HOLDS A LOT OF HISTORY AND THE
PILLAR OF THE CULTURE.
>> AND YOU'RE AT A GREAT THEATRE
CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATRE.
>> SUCH A BAUFL THEATRE IT'S
EXTRAORDINARY I'M BLESSED AND
GRATEFUL TO CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE
FOR BRINGING THE PLAY HERE.
>> AND THE SHOW REMEMBER THIS
THE LESSON OF JAN CARSKI IS
PLAYING UNTIL NOVEMBER 14TH.
AND DAVID STRATHAIRN THANK YOU
FOR JOINING US AGAIN FOR JOINING
US.