♪ >> Stephen: HEY.
WELCOME BACK.
YOU'RE ALL RIGHT.
>> Jon: GOT TO FEEL ALL RIGHT.
>> Stephen: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
MY FIRST GUEST IS A WRITER, PODCAST HOST, AND ICON OF STAGE
AND SCREEN.
PLEASE WELCOME THE GREAT ALAN ALDA!
(APPLAUSE).
♪ SCIENCE -- IT'S VERY NICE, WELL, WE KNOW YOU AS AN
AWARD-WINNING ACTOR, WRITER, DIRECTOR BUT YOU'VE ADDED WITH
THE PODCAST A NEW TITLE, THAT IS INTERVIEWER.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: NOT SO EASY, IS IT, BUDDY?
>> NO, I LOVE IT.
THE I TALK TO THE MOST INTERESTING PEOPLE IN THE WORLD.
>> Stephen: YOU TALK TO ALAN ALDA?
>> I FREQUENTLY DO, AS A MATTER OF FACT, YEAH.
>> Stephen: I LOVE ONE OF THE QUESTIONS YOU ASKED YOUR GUESTS
ARE, AND THE PODCAST IS CALLED CLEAR AND VIVID.
>> YEAH, CLEAR AND VIFER I HAD BECAUSE IT IS ABOUT
COMMUNICATING AND RELATING, SO IN ALL FIELDS, ALL AREAS OF
LIFELIKE MUSIC, WE HAVE YO-YO MA AND ITZAK PEARLMAN, TOM HANKS,
EVERY PART OF LIFE REQUIRES GOOD COMMUNICATION.
SO WE HAVE A FORMER CHIEF HOSTAGE NEGOTIATOR FOR THE FBI,
AND HE SAID HIS TECHNIQUES FOR NEGOTIATING THE RELEASE OF A
HOSS TAJ ARE VERY USEFUL IN A MARRIAGE.
(LAUGHTER).
>> Stephen: WHICH IS GIVE THEM EVERYTHING THEY WANT AND TRY TO
STOP THEM BEFORE THEY GET TO THE PLANE?
WHY DID YOU WANT TO DO A PODCAST.
I KNOW IT IS THE HIP YOUNG THING.
>> THE REASON I DO THE PODCAST IS THAT IT'S FUN.
(APPLAUSE).
>> Stephen: YOU HAVE TWO, RIGHT, SO THERE IS CLEAR AND
VIVID.
>> THE OTHER ONE IS SCIENCE CLEAR AND VIFD, WE ARE DOING A
SERIES OF WOMEN SCIENTISTS, IT'S REALLY FASCINATING.
>> Stephen: CERTAINLY ALL SCIENCE SHOULD BE CLEAR AND
VIFD.
>> THAT IS THE IDEA.
I MEAN SCIENTISTS NEED TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK SPEAK TO THE
PUBLIC AND EXPLAIN WHAT THEY DO SO WE UNDERSTAND IT SO WE CAN
MAKE DECISIONS DECISIONS ABOUT W FUND AND WHAT TO COMPLAIN ABOUT
AND THAT KIND OF THING.
BUT THEY ALSO HAVE TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH ONE ANOTHER.
AND FOR INSTANCE ONE OF OUR, I'M SO PROUD, THE CENTER FOR
COMMUNICATING SCIENCE WHICH I HELPED START AT STONNEEBROOK
UNIVERSITY TEACHES COMMUNICATION TO SCIENTISTS AND DOCTORS,
NURSES.
IT'S IMPORTANT, COMMUNICATION IS SO IMPORTANT IN THE DOCTOR'S
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PATIENT.
I HAD THE BEST EXPERIENCE WITH A DOCTOR.
I WAS IN CHILE INTERVIEWING THIS CLIMBER THAT WAS ON TOP OF A
MOUNTAIN AND I GOT A WRENCHED GUT.
MY GUT GOT ALL CAUGHT UP AND WAS LOSING BLOOD SUPPLY.
WITHIN ABOUT TWO HOURS I WAS GOING TO BE DEAD.
SO THEY TOOK ME DOWN THE MOUNTAIN TO THIS LITTLE
HOSPITAL.
IN THIS SMALL TOWN.
AND THERE WAS THIS BRILLIANT SURGEON THERE.
AND HE COMMUNICATED TO ME SO BEAUTIFULLY.
HE SAID HERE IS WHAT IS HAPPENING.
SOME OF YOUR INTESTINE HAS GONE BAD AND WE HAVE TO CUT OUT THE
BAD PART AND SEW THE TWO GOOD ENDS TOGETHER.
AND I SAID OH YOU'RE GOING TO DO AN END-TO-END ANASTOMOSIS.
(APPLAUSE) HE SAID HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT.
I SAID OH, I DID MANY OF THEM ON "MASH."
>> Stephen: ONE OF THE GREATEST SHOWS OF ALL TIME.
I KNOW ITS THAT BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE YOU DID IT BUT WHAT ARE
YOUR FONDEST MEMORIES OF DOING THAT SHOW.
>> IT'S BEEN 50 YEARS.
I DON'T HAVE ANY.
>> Stephen: WIPED CLEAN.
>> NO, I'M JUST KIDDING AROUND.
WE DO LOVE EACH OTHER, THOSE OF US WHO ARE LEFT.
AND WE GET TOGETHER AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
I TRY TO VISIT CALIFORNIA ONCE A YEAR MAINLY TO SEE THOSE PEOPLE.
>> Stephen: WOW.
LEAST FOND MEMORY OF DOING THE SHOW FOR 11 YEARS.
BECAUSE THAT IS ONE OF THE GREATEST T STRRKS RECORDS OF ALL
TIME.
>> I DON'T-- YOU KNOW, WE WENT INTO THIS CAVE OF THE SOUND
STAGE BEFORE DAWN AND WE LEFT IN THE DARK AT THE END OF THE DAY
AND WE SPENT 11 YEARS JUST WITH RUN ANOTHER.
SO IT IS LIKE SAYING WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY OF YOUR
FAMILY.
YOU HEAR THAT FAMILY WORD A LOT.
WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE MEMORY.
OH YEAH, I DID GET SPANKED A LOT.
>> Stephen: THE WHOLE THING ABOUT GOING INTO THE CAVE AND
BEING THERE ALL DAY, THAT IS A BIG PART OF BEING A PERFORMER
THAT PEOPLE DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW WHO AREN'T IN SHOWBIZ.
WE BOTH WERE AT DIFFERENT TIMES MEMBERS OF THE SECOND CITY
FAMILY IN CHICAGO.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) >> HALF THE AUDIENCE IS FROM
CHICAGO.
>> Stephen: WE SHIP THEM IN.
THERE WAS A DIRECTOR AND TEACHER THERE NAMED JOSEPHINE FORCEBERG
WHO SAID FOR PEOPLE FAMOUS IN MY GENERATION, SHE SAID TO A YOUNG
ACTOR SO YOU WANT TO DO THIS FOR A LIVING.
AND HE GOES YES, YES, I REALLY DOSM AND SHE SAID BE PREPARED TO
SPEND MANY BEAUTIFUL DAYS IN DARK, DIRTY ROOMS.
SNS.
>> ISN'T THAT INTERESTING.
THEATERS ARE SO, THEY HAVE A SPECIAL SMELL FROM THE DIRT.
>> Stephen: YES, CABARET THEATERS EVEN MORE BECAUSE OF
ALL THE BEER SOAKED INTO THAT.
UNBELIEVABLY FILTHY.
>> I ACTUALLY LOVE THAT SMELL OF BACKSTAGE.
WELL, I LOVE THE SMELL OF BEER, ACTUALLY.
>> Stephen: WELL, WHAT DID YOU TAKE FROM THAT, DOING IMPROVE
SPHWHRAITION CERTAINLY SHAPED WHO MI AS A PERFORMER.
>> IT COMPLETELY CHANGED ME AND I THINK IT HAS CHANGED EVERY
ACTOR WHO HAS DONE IT FOR SOME PERIOD OF TIME.
BECAUSE YOU GET-- DID YOU EVER DO THE VIOLA PROIM VIEZING.
>> HI IMIMPROVIZATION BY BIOLA WITH THE EXERCISES INSIDE, YES.
>> THE THING IS YOU GET, THE BASIS OF IT IS CONNECTION WITH
THE OTHER PERSON, THAT IS WHY WHEN WE TRAIN SCIENTISTS TO
COMMUNICATE BETTER, WE START WITH AN IMPROVIZATION EXERCISE.
>> Stephen: DO THE IMPROV.
>> YES, SOME BASIC EXPERIENCES BECAUSE YOU CAN'T REALLY
COMMUNICATE WITH SOMEBODY UNLESS YOU LET THEM INTO YOUR FIELD OF
VISION, YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS.
AND IF YOU DO THAT, YOU KNOW IF THEY ARE FOLLOWING YOU, IF THEY
ARE SIM PATHETIC TO WHAT ARE YOU SAYING OR IF THEY ARE IN LEFT
FIELD SOMEWHERE.
AND YOU CAN GET IT TBAK TO THEM.
ALSO IF YOU ARE GOING TO TALK TO THEM WITH-- NOT AN ARGUMENT, I
MEAN TO SAY A POINT OF VIEW THAT THEY MIGHT NOT GO FOR, YOU HAVE
TO KNOW WHO THEY ARE.
AND PART OF THAT IS LISTENING TO THEM, WATCHING THEM, AND THEN
YOU KNOW HOW TO SPEAK TO THEM SO THAT YOU DON'T O HE-- OFFEND
THEM OR TURN THEM OFF.
IF IS REALLY SOMETHING THAT EVERY FAMILY NEEDS NOW BECAUSE
FAMILIES DON'T TALK TO ONE ANOTHER.
>> Stephen: YOU ALSO, YOU WERE ON BROADWAY AT 19, IS THAT TRUE?
>> I WAS UNDERSTUDYING ANOTHER ACTOR WHEN I WAS 19.
I WAS IN COLLEGE.
AND THE SHOW OPENED DURING THE CHRISTMAS VACATION.
AND IT CLOSED BY THE TIME WE WENT BACK TO SCHOOL.
(LAUGHTER) BUT THAT'S NOTHING.
HAVE I BEEN IN PLAYS THAT CLOSED DURING THE INTERMISSION.
>> Stephen: REALLY.
>> ALMOST.
>> Stephen: AND DO YOU MISS BEING ON-- DO YOU MISS BEING ON
STAGE, DO YOU MISS THEATER.
>> NO, I'M MOST AT HOME ON THE STAGE, TO BE WITH YOU FOLKS
TONIGHT IS A REAL PLEASURE.
IN A GREAT THEATER.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) I JUST, I LOVE THE STAGE.
THE STAGE IS ELEMENTAL.
YOU ARE ALL IN THE SAME ROOM TOGETHER AND YOU ARE ALL GOING
TO SOME IMAGINARY PLACE TOGETHER.
AND IT IS ALL AN ACTIVE IMAGINATION.
>> Stephen: DOES IMPROV EVER COME INTO YOUR, LIKE YOUR
STRAIGHT THEATER WORK.
LIKE WHEN THINGS GO SIDEWAYS DO YOU HAVE TO SORT OF ROLL WITH
SOMETHING UNEXPECTED.
>> AT THE TIME I WAS VERY YOWK I WEUSED TO LOVE IT WHEN AN ACTOR
WOULD FORGET TO MAKE AN ENTRANCE.
BECAUSE THEN I HAD THE WHOLE PLAY TO MYSELF.
AND I COULD MAKE UP ANYTHING I WANTED.
I COULD EVEN WRITE THEM OUT OF THE PLAY.
>> Stephen: ALAN, WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK, PLEASE DON'T
GO ANYWHERE, WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE ALAN ALDA.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)