1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:03,320 Speaker 1: This is Alec Baldwin, and you were listening to Here's 2 00:00:03,360 --> 00:00:07,640 Speaker 1: the Thing from iHeart Radio. It's summer, and that means 3 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:10,520 Speaker 1: it's time for our tradition at Here's the Thing, where 4 00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:14,480 Speaker 1: the staff share their favorite episodes from our archives in 5 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:19,239 Speaker 1: our Summer Staff Picks series. Next up is producer Maureen Hoban. 6 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:24,120 Speaker 2: Thanks Alec. When I think of women who unapologetically speak 7 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:27,960 Speaker 2: their minds and are bubbling over with humor and talent, 8 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:32,360 Speaker 2: of course I think of Elaine Stretch. She was known 9 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 2: for playing bold and body females, including that of Colleen Donneghe, 10 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:40,360 Speaker 2: mother to Alex's character on Thirty Rock. It was a 11 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:45,559 Speaker 2: delicious role where she effortlessly eviscerated the vice president of 12 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:50,840 Speaker 2: East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming at every turn. 13 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 2: Elayne Stretch sadly passed away in twenty fourteen, a year 14 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 2: after this recording, but in it you'll experience the sharp wit, 15 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:05,479 Speaker 2: unfiltered candor, and unmatched presence of the legendary first Lady 16 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:07,440 Speaker 2: of Broadway, Elaine Stretch. 17 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:16,360 Speaker 1: Actress Elaine Stretch has been performing for nearly seventy years. 18 00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:19,880 Speaker 1: No matter the medium, she brings her characters to life. 19 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 1: With a playful ferocity that naturally leads to scene stealing performances. 20 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:28,760 Speaker 1: Despite her enviable career in film and television, Elaine Stritch 21 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 1: is a self professed Broadway baby. A big break came 22 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:35,399 Speaker 1: in nineteen fifty when she was hired to understudy ethel 23 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:38,520 Speaker 1: Merman in Irving Berlin's musical Call Me Madam. 24 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 3: She scared me to death. 25 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:41,360 Speaker 1: Really, she's a tough brag. 26 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:43,720 Speaker 3: Oh. When I got to the end of Call Me Madam, 27 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:44,440 Speaker 3: it was. 28 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 1: Mine on me madaises. 29 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:53,600 Speaker 3: It is not so surprises that you feel very strange. 30 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 2: But not. 31 00:01:55,360 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 1: Elaine Stretch remained on stage for much of the fifties 32 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 1: and sixties, playing such iconic roles as Martha in Who's 33 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 1: Afraid of Virginia Woolf, both Vera and Mame in the 34 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:09,400 Speaker 1: musical Mame, and Amanda in Private Lives by Noel Coward. 35 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:12,880 Speaker 1: In nineteen seventy, she originated what was arguably the role 36 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:17,720 Speaker 1: of her career, the acerbic Joanne in Stephen Sondheim's Company. 37 00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:21,720 Speaker 3: And Here's to the Girls who just watched, Aren't They 38 00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:23,040 Speaker 3: the Best? 39 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:26,840 Speaker 1: In a TV documentary about the cast recording of that production, 40 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:31,760 Speaker 1: we meet Elaine's toughest critic herself. Here she is listening 41 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:34,800 Speaker 1: to a take of that song she made famous, Ladies 42 00:02:34,919 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 1: Who Lunch. 43 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 3: As every Boy Row, And of course I'm smoking a 44 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 3: nice cigarette, which helped the situation. 45 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:55,600 Speaker 1: Just to be clear, that's Elaine yelling at the sound 46 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:58,600 Speaker 1: of her own voice. That was over forty years ago. 47 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 1: But Elaine Stritch has continue to hold herself to impossibly 48 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:07,040 Speaker 1: high standards, and she stayed busy, at least until recently. 49 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:10,799 Speaker 1: Earlier this year, she announced that she was leaving New 50 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 1: York for her home state of Michigan. In April, at 51 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: age eighty eight, Elaine Stritch performed her last cabaret show 52 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 1: at the Carlisle Hotel. 53 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:25,120 Speaker 3: About a month ago. I really said, I'm I want 54 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:27,800 Speaker 3: out of here. I want out of New York. I 55 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:30,120 Speaker 3: don't I shouldn't live in New York anymore. It's not 56 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:35,080 Speaker 3: for me anymore. It's too fast for me. Or no, 57 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:37,680 Speaker 3: it's not too fast. And I changed my mind about that. 58 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:41,560 Speaker 3: It's not this, It's not that, it's just not for me. 59 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 3: This is New York taxi lo and it's dinner and 60 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:48,680 Speaker 3: tonight and tomorrow in. 61 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:51,520 Speaker 1: Three full day and I can't. 62 00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:54,280 Speaker 3: Handle it because I'm not interested in handling. 63 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:56,240 Speaker 1: You just don't want you could do it, You just 64 00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 1: don't want to do it. 65 00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:00,960 Speaker 3: Doesn't give me any satisfaction. I don't go home and say, 66 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:03,800 Speaker 3: I guess I told them. 67 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:07,120 Speaker 1: So about a month ago. It had been an idea, 68 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:09,560 Speaker 1: and then a month ago you went, I'm doing it. 69 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:13,840 Speaker 3: I called up my nephew, who is a great buddy 70 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:18,360 Speaker 3: of mine in Birmingham, Michigan, and I said, I'm coming home. 71 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 1: What do you think you're going to do there? 72 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:23,040 Speaker 3: Oh, you have no idea. 73 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:25,919 Speaker 1: I'm just saying a very active life. 74 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:28,840 Speaker 3: First of all, nothing. I'm really going to do nothing. 75 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:32,080 Speaker 3: I'm going to wake up and go back to bed 76 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 3: and go back to bed. That's exactly right. 77 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:35,000 Speaker 1: That's what I want to do. 78 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:37,120 Speaker 3: I want to do it. I want to sleep a lot. 79 00:04:37,279 --> 00:04:39,360 Speaker 1: What's wrong with us? I would like to wake up 80 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:42,479 Speaker 1: and have my oatmeal and read the paper and go 81 00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:46,000 Speaker 1: right back to it, right back to bed until about noon. 82 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:52,160 Speaker 1: So you're going to go there and do nothing. 83 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:55,440 Speaker 3: And I like to go to dinner. I like to 84 00:04:55,520 --> 00:05:00,440 Speaker 3: meet my nieces, my nephews, my cousins, my you know. 85 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:04,039 Speaker 1: Your relations there by way of who you're really two sisters, 86 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:05,280 Speaker 1: your two sisters. 87 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:08,159 Speaker 3: I had two sisters, were three sisters. I was the 88 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:12,200 Speaker 3: baby and they and all the. 89 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 1: Kids in bedroom Detroit. You were in like what Bloomfield 90 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:18,240 Speaker 1: Hills or yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah your dad. But your 91 00:05:18,279 --> 00:05:19,760 Speaker 1: dad was someone not in the car business. 92 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:24,599 Speaker 3: Daddy was, well, yes he was. He was the BF 93 00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:25,600 Speaker 3: Goodrich rubber. He was. 94 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:26,400 Speaker 1: He was in the time. 95 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:29,239 Speaker 3: My mother called it the g d BF good Rich. 96 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:30,520 Speaker 1: Rubber, the goddamn BF. 97 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:31,400 Speaker 3: You got it. 98 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:34,160 Speaker 1: What are your two sisters? What kind of lives did 99 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:35,400 Speaker 1: they have? No show business? 100 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:42,400 Speaker 3: Very very chic, very normal. Normal. Georgie had four kids 101 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:43,520 Speaker 3: and Sally had three. 102 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:46,000 Speaker 1: So you have seven, yeah, he said. 103 00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:49,720 Speaker 3: Seven guys running around and they're all crazy about me. 104 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:53,800 Speaker 3: Why shouldn't I go home? There's nothing to tie me here. 105 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:55,440 Speaker 1: It's not the same. 106 00:05:55,600 --> 00:06:01,080 Speaker 3: My career tied me here. I talk career talk and 107 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:03,680 Speaker 3: play and plan and plan. 108 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:05,240 Speaker 1: And make plan. What am I doing next? What am 109 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:05,880 Speaker 1: I doing next? 110 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 3: That's right? 111 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:09,839 Speaker 1: And when you get off that merry ground, it gets 112 00:06:09,880 --> 00:06:11,120 Speaker 1: you get a different stop. 113 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:13,960 Speaker 3: Oh what to stop? It is the merry go round 114 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:14,679 Speaker 3: broke down? 115 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:20,640 Speaker 1: Why do you say that you could keep working? You 116 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:21,200 Speaker 1: don't want to. 117 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:24,560 Speaker 3: No, I don't want to find parts and look for 118 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:30,359 Speaker 3: him and I said the other night, when is pretend 119 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:31,280 Speaker 3: going to end? 120 00:06:31,920 --> 00:06:32,080 Speaker 4: Right? 121 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:38,120 Speaker 3: Slowly but surely, alex Is I'm starting to say I 122 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:40,760 Speaker 3: don't want to pretend anymore. I want to get up 123 00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 3: in the morning and I want it to be real. 124 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:44,200 Speaker 3: I don't want to. 125 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:47,680 Speaker 1: I can't believe you're saying this, because it's so I am. 126 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:51,239 Speaker 1: It's so much. Maybe as a result of my getting older. 127 00:06:51,279 --> 00:06:54,039 Speaker 1: I turned fifty five a couple of weeks ago, and 128 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:56,600 Speaker 1: my wife I got married again, and my wife were 129 00:06:56,640 --> 00:06:59,200 Speaker 1: having a baby. And because of all this stuff, I 130 00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:02,760 Speaker 1: realize I want to be me for a change. I 131 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:04,279 Speaker 1: want to wake up and I want to say my 132 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:07,640 Speaker 1: words and have my thought or not say anything. It's 133 00:07:07,680 --> 00:07:10,320 Speaker 1: such a self involvement. 134 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:11,840 Speaker 3: This business work, it is it is. 135 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:15,120 Speaker 1: Why do you think you've lasted this long? You know 136 00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:17,760 Speaker 1: what talent is? Why have you lasted all this time? 137 00:07:17,840 --> 00:07:20,520 Speaker 1: And because you're talented? Certainly It isn't because people think 138 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:21,960 Speaker 1: you're an easy time of it. 139 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:26,600 Speaker 3: Because I have to accomplish something in that department almost 140 00:07:26,640 --> 00:07:27,679 Speaker 3: every day of my life. 141 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:30,680 Speaker 1: I have to You've never stopped trying to prove yourself. 142 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 1: That's the key, isn't it. 143 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:35,320 Speaker 3: No, I got to go and do that part in 144 00:07:35,480 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 3: that soap, in that schmope. I don't care what it is. 145 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:40,440 Speaker 1: You got to give it everything. 146 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:45,200 Speaker 3: Or I'm with Noel Coward on the West End, or 147 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:49,640 Speaker 3: I'm with Hal Prince on Broadway. I'm with all the big, big, 148 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:53,960 Speaker 3: big big shots, and they're directing me well and guiding 149 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:56,120 Speaker 3: me well. And I'm I'm. 150 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:57,640 Speaker 1: You going to prove you belong there with them? 151 00:07:57,760 --> 00:08:00,920 Speaker 3: Yes, And I'm being directed in the world way of 152 00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:05,800 Speaker 3: the big shots, and I'm doing fine. I'm doing fine. 153 00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:07,640 Speaker 3: I'm I'm I'm doing fine. 154 00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:10,800 Speaker 1: Would you? But there's a point, I'm assuming when did 155 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:11,960 Speaker 1: you feel that you're in the room and all of 156 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:13,920 Speaker 1: a sudden it's like, I don't need anybody's advice. I 157 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:15,640 Speaker 1: know what I want to do. Here's what I do. 158 00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:18,480 Speaker 1: Was there a time you remember in your life when 159 00:08:18,480 --> 00:08:19,160 Speaker 1: that changed? 160 00:08:21,560 --> 00:08:26,280 Speaker 3: I got self satisfied about the parts that I played. 161 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:31,800 Speaker 3: For example, well, like I was the I was the funny, 162 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:37,320 Speaker 3: kind of offbeat girl. I wasn't. I was never the 163 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:42,080 Speaker 3: romantic lead. I wasn't good that kind of looking girl 164 00:08:42,320 --> 00:08:45,160 Speaker 3: in the movies. I couldn't be that kind of looking 165 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:46,800 Speaker 3: girl I was. 166 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:49,079 Speaker 1: Well, you could you could have been looks Wise, but 167 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:50,840 Speaker 1: you just don't want to play it because those were 168 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:53,880 Speaker 1: dull parts. Well, yeah, they weren't as good as parts. 169 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:57,640 Speaker 1: But I yeah, you were a sassier woman. Yeah, and 170 00:08:57,679 --> 00:08:58,520 Speaker 1: you played those. 171 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:01,000 Speaker 3: Parts an attention getter when I didn't want to be 172 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:02,880 Speaker 3: eve Arden? I really didn't. 173 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:05,360 Speaker 1: Okay, Okay, that's a good point. Why. 174 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:08,040 Speaker 3: Well, because I don't want to be a funny girl 175 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:13,440 Speaker 3: that's just cracking Wise cracks or staying up with the 176 00:09:14,559 --> 00:09:16,560 Speaker 3: you know, with the rollers in her. 177 00:09:16,440 --> 00:09:19,360 Speaker 1: Hair, for driving the car while the two leads make 178 00:09:19,400 --> 00:09:24,080 Speaker 1: out in the back of the car. You don't want 179 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:27,040 Speaker 1: to be that. No, what did you? What did you? 180 00:09:27,280 --> 00:09:29,160 Speaker 3: I don't want them to make up in the bags? 181 00:09:29,559 --> 00:09:32,960 Speaker 1: Right? Well, did you sprinkle on top of what might 182 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:35,080 Speaker 1: have been eve Arden for you, which it very easily 183 00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:36,920 Speaker 1: could have been. What did you sprinkle on top of 184 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:38,560 Speaker 1: that to make sure that it wasn't eve Arden? What 185 00:09:38,559 --> 00:09:40,239 Speaker 1: do you do that eve Arden didn't. 186 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:46,720 Speaker 3: Do I get dramatic or frightened or reel about something 187 00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:48,400 Speaker 3: or pain. 188 00:09:49,240 --> 00:09:53,920 Speaker 1: Yeah there's a pain, Yeah you do. Yes, it's not working. 189 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:57,840 Speaker 3: Dramatic happens to me in the course of a comedy. 190 00:09:59,440 --> 00:09:59,960 Speaker 3: I don't know. 191 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:02,160 Speaker 1: Oh, but are you always that way. 192 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:04,280 Speaker 3: What was I always what way? 193 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:08,320 Speaker 1: Complicating things with the pain of your existence. There's this 194 00:10:08,360 --> 00:10:10,040 Speaker 1: thing you tap into. Did you do when you were 195 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:10,560 Speaker 1: very young? 196 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:12,520 Speaker 3: I think so? I think I did. 197 00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:14,240 Speaker 1: Were you the complicated one? 198 00:10:16,040 --> 00:10:16,199 Speaker 2: Oh? 199 00:10:16,280 --> 00:10:21,120 Speaker 3: I think so. I mean very often I would hear 200 00:10:21,240 --> 00:10:25,720 Speaker 3: around our house where's the lane? And then was oh? 201 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:28,640 Speaker 3: And they'd say oh, and I'd say, I'm right here. 202 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:30,680 Speaker 1: They were worried about you. 203 00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:34,840 Speaker 3: Yeah, everybody was worried about me, because when I wasn't accountable, 204 00:10:35,040 --> 00:10:38,280 Speaker 3: I was. I scared him and I didn't mean to. 205 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:41,520 Speaker 1: When did performing begin for you as a were a 206 00:10:41,520 --> 00:10:42,840 Speaker 1: performer as a child. 207 00:10:44,160 --> 00:10:47,079 Speaker 3: I was laughing. I was born laughing. 208 00:10:47,240 --> 00:10:47,840 Speaker 1: They were funny. 209 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:52,800 Speaker 3: Oh God, I was funny. I really was funny, and 210 00:10:52,960 --> 00:10:56,319 Speaker 3: I made everybody laugh and I wasn't conscious of it. 211 00:10:56,880 --> 00:10:57,120 Speaker 1: Right. 212 00:10:57,559 --> 00:11:00,000 Speaker 3: I want to tell you something. I love to tell 213 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:05,640 Speaker 3: you a line from my life to see if you 214 00:11:05,800 --> 00:11:08,360 Speaker 3: get this, and I'm going to tell it to you. 215 00:11:12,160 --> 00:11:15,800 Speaker 3: My mother and dad, as a present to me when 216 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:21,000 Speaker 3: I was six years old, took me to Niagara Falls, 217 00:11:21,080 --> 00:11:25,640 Speaker 3: which was very close to Birmingham, Michigan. And I kept 218 00:11:25,679 --> 00:11:28,160 Speaker 3: hearing about this, and I was going to wear my 219 00:11:28,280 --> 00:11:31,960 Speaker 3: new pink coat and hat and I was going to 220 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:35,600 Speaker 3: Niagara Falls, and I kept hearing it and you know, 221 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:41,920 Speaker 3: Christmas Morning, Christmas whatever it was. And and I never 222 00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:45,240 Speaker 3: said a word. I just sat in the backseat and 223 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:49,960 Speaker 3: I just waited. They pulled up Alec to the parking 224 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:55,280 Speaker 3: lot in Niagara Falls, and here we are. We're here, lady, 225 00:11:55,400 --> 00:11:58,240 Speaker 3: we're here, Come on, get out. And it was just me, 226 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:01,840 Speaker 3: mom and dad. So that two sisters, the older sisters, 227 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:10,080 Speaker 3: you know, the hell with them. And I got very 228 00:12:10,240 --> 00:12:15,360 Speaker 3: teary eyed and pulled my mother back from the car 229 00:12:15,880 --> 00:12:20,760 Speaker 3: and said, Mama, what We're going to go see Niagara Falls? 230 00:12:23,160 --> 00:12:26,760 Speaker 3: And I asked her if Niagara Falls had a baby, 231 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:32,680 Speaker 3: And to me and to my mother and my father 232 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:37,040 Speaker 3: it was one of the most extraordinary dramatic lines of 233 00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:42,640 Speaker 3: all time. All I was interested in is did this 234 00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:48,240 Speaker 3: woman Niagara Falls have a baby? Because then I could 235 00:12:48,280 --> 00:12:51,520 Speaker 3: play with her. And it was the I think, an 236 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:57,280 Speaker 3: absolute proof of how lonely and sad I was as 237 00:12:57,320 --> 00:13:00,720 Speaker 3: a kid. I didn't know what the hell aretistic was 238 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:04,320 Speaker 3: all about. I really didn't. I knew I had to 239 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:08,200 Speaker 3: express myself. I knew I had to express myself, and 240 00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:09,439 Speaker 3: that's all there was to it. 241 00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:12,640 Speaker 1: So when you left Michigan. When you left home, you 242 00:13:12,679 --> 00:13:14,760 Speaker 1: lived at home in Michigan. Your family lived in Michigan 243 00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:16,880 Speaker 1: until you left home. Did you go to college? 244 00:13:17,280 --> 00:13:19,600 Speaker 3: No, I didn't go to college, which I graduated from 245 00:13:19,679 --> 00:13:22,439 Speaker 3: high school. I went where Sacred Heart Convent. 246 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:23,880 Speaker 1: You went to a convent. 247 00:13:23,960 --> 00:13:28,319 Speaker 3: I went to a convent. The soccer cur highly educational, 248 00:13:28,960 --> 00:13:31,200 Speaker 3: big scholastic, Scooby doo. 249 00:13:31,480 --> 00:13:34,040 Speaker 1: You went there for what twelve years? That was your 250 00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:36,080 Speaker 1: high school? When you left there? 251 00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:41,000 Speaker 3: Where'd you go to Dushen Residence? Which was also the 252 00:13:41,120 --> 00:13:46,160 Speaker 3: soccer cur but it was a residence finishing school for 253 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:51,400 Speaker 3: what it was like after school stuff, you know, Like 254 00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:54,120 Speaker 3: I'm trying to think of one of the courses that 255 00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:58,440 Speaker 3: we took, current events, isn't that? I guess how long. 256 00:13:58,360 --> 00:13:58,920 Speaker 1: Were you there? 257 00:14:00,200 --> 00:14:00,560 Speaker 3: Years? 258 00:14:00,760 --> 00:14:01,680 Speaker 1: Two years after that? 259 00:14:01,960 --> 00:14:04,320 Speaker 3: And I went out and majored in dramatics at the 260 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:06,840 Speaker 3: New School in Greenwich Village. 261 00:14:07,440 --> 00:14:10,160 Speaker 1: The finishing school was in the city where you were 262 00:14:10,200 --> 00:14:11,320 Speaker 1: back in Michigan. 263 00:14:10,880 --> 00:14:12,839 Speaker 3: In Greenwich Village, the finishing school. 264 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:15,120 Speaker 1: I'm in New York And you went to finishing school 265 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:15,560 Speaker 1: in New York. 266 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:19,880 Speaker 3: Absolutely, see on ninety first and fifth Avenue. 267 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:20,640 Speaker 1: Oh my god. 268 00:14:20,920 --> 00:14:25,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, And I took these three courses at the school, 269 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:28,840 Speaker 3: which was fine. I had a roommate from Chicago who 270 00:14:28,920 --> 00:14:33,760 Speaker 3: was majoring in journalism, and we were all very sophisticated abroads. 271 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:36,200 Speaker 1: You went to New School for drama. That was your 272 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:39,840 Speaker 1: first acting exposure able boom. What did you think about 273 00:14:39,880 --> 00:14:41,760 Speaker 1: it when you first I loved it. 274 00:14:43,080 --> 00:14:46,120 Speaker 3: I sat next to Myrlon Brando. That was didn't hurt 275 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:46,560 Speaker 3: at all. 276 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:48,080 Speaker 1: That'll get you through class. 277 00:14:48,280 --> 00:14:51,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, Walter Matho was on the other side of me 278 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:56,600 Speaker 3: at the New School. Yeah, we had a very stellar cast. 279 00:14:57,720 --> 00:15:00,280 Speaker 3: I was getting along fine and having the most fun 280 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:01,480 Speaker 3: I've ever had in my own life. 281 00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:03,840 Speaker 1: What's the first job you ever got? 282 00:15:04,840 --> 00:15:06,960 Speaker 3: Well, first of all, I was at the studio theater 283 00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:09,880 Speaker 3: at the New School and we had our own theater 284 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:15,960 Speaker 3: and Piscott he directed, and Stella Adler directed, and we 285 00:15:16,040 --> 00:15:22,000 Speaker 3: had all those Stanislawski people. We had more fun, Alex. 286 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:23,760 Speaker 3: You couldn't believe. 287 00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:27,520 Speaker 1: It was Stella like as a director, heaven she was 288 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:33,880 Speaker 1: what made her so. She's very insightful, all. 289 00:15:33,760 --> 00:15:40,760 Speaker 3: This kind of dramatics, you know, Slaine and Marlin and 290 00:15:40,960 --> 00:15:47,040 Speaker 3: Wolf and you do it. She scream her head off 291 00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:54,040 Speaker 3: at us. She was crazy woman, absolutely divine. 292 00:15:53,080 --> 00:15:55,800 Speaker 1: And when you left that program. What was your first job. 293 00:15:55,680 --> 00:15:59,960 Speaker 3: Job summers Dock where Westport, Connecticut? 294 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:01,040 Speaker 1: Do you remember what you did? 295 00:16:01,320 --> 00:16:05,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, Craig's Wife. I think I did. 296 00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:09,880 Speaker 1: People they say years ago, they go, what show did 297 00:16:09,920 --> 00:16:11,760 Speaker 1: you do? And you name a show people just never 298 00:16:11,800 --> 00:16:13,840 Speaker 1: heard of. They go, Craig is Craig's wife. 299 00:16:14,120 --> 00:16:15,760 Speaker 3: Who did you play Craig's wife? 300 00:16:15,920 --> 00:16:17,560 Speaker 1: They nurse? What did you play? 301 00:16:17,720 --> 00:16:21,840 Speaker 3: I played the ant, the ant that visited and told 302 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:24,040 Speaker 3: craig wife she was full of shit. 303 00:16:24,200 --> 00:16:26,120 Speaker 1: You started as an aunt, and you're going to finish 304 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:28,480 Speaker 1: as an ant. You're going now you're an aunt. That's 305 00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:30,720 Speaker 1: your next that's your that's your role. Now you're an aunt. 306 00:16:30,880 --> 00:16:34,400 Speaker 3: They're not allowed to call me because it's so boring. 307 00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:37,840 Speaker 3: They called me Todd Lane because my mother is French. 308 00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:40,240 Speaker 1: To Lane. I thought they were going to call it 309 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:44,480 Speaker 1: lady stretch. How would have them call you? No, her highness? 310 00:16:45,440 --> 00:16:50,240 Speaker 3: But I just had the most wonderful time in dramatic school. 311 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:52,800 Speaker 1: And then what about your first job, Douglas? 312 00:16:52,840 --> 00:16:55,360 Speaker 3: I did my first play with Kirk Douglas. 313 00:16:55,360 --> 00:16:57,600 Speaker 1: What show with Kirk Craig's. 314 00:16:58,280 --> 00:17:00,480 Speaker 3: Wait a minute, Wait a minute, I'll tell you in 315 00:17:00,560 --> 00:17:01,080 Speaker 3: a minute. 316 00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:04,879 Speaker 1: Close you and Kirk Douglas. You're on a stage in 317 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:05,359 Speaker 1: New York. 318 00:17:05,640 --> 00:17:11,359 Speaker 3: Yeah, I play. And also where is my black bag? Alec? 319 00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:11,960 Speaker 1: Hunter? 320 00:17:12,240 --> 00:17:15,119 Speaker 3: I need I need orange juice? 321 00:17:15,560 --> 00:17:17,439 Speaker 1: Hunter? Come in places? Can we send Hunter in here? 322 00:17:17,480 --> 00:17:22,680 Speaker 1: Plays with the provisions? Hunter. Ryan Herdlica, who accompanied Elaine 323 00:17:22,720 --> 00:17:25,840 Speaker 1: to the studio, came through the door juice in hand. 324 00:17:26,240 --> 00:17:30,400 Speaker 3: I need some orange juice. Diab Beanies is kicking up. 325 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:34,560 Speaker 1: I need Hunter, my good man. Hunters here now. 326 00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:39,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, Hunter's here. All's right with the world. Okay, we're 327 00:17:39,080 --> 00:17:40,040 Speaker 3: how about a glass? 328 00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:44,639 Speaker 1: Yes, that's a cleaning. We'll get them a clean. We'll 329 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:45,240 Speaker 1: go get a clean. 330 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:47,439 Speaker 3: It's all right, it's all right if you just empty 331 00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:51,800 Speaker 3: that glass, it's heaven. I need some orange juice. You 332 00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:53,640 Speaker 3: know that I'm diabetic. 333 00:17:53,200 --> 00:17:55,439 Speaker 1: Yes, of course I need. The world knows by now. 334 00:17:55,359 --> 00:18:01,199 Speaker 3: The world knows. Okay. You know what I couted the 335 00:18:01,240 --> 00:18:04,879 Speaker 3: other day line of my father's that really is so 336 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:08,360 Speaker 3: naughty and just so much fun. Here's looking up your 337 00:18:08,359 --> 00:18:13,240 Speaker 3: old address. Isn't that a great line? And he said 338 00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:15,280 Speaker 3: it with no he used that was it? 339 00:18:15,359 --> 00:18:15,960 Speaker 1: Nothing on it? 340 00:18:16,400 --> 00:18:18,400 Speaker 3: That's right, all right, I'm going to drink this. 341 00:18:18,520 --> 00:18:20,000 Speaker 1: I mean the oranges now, so we don't have some 342 00:18:20,080 --> 00:18:24,840 Speaker 1: event here. That's cool, okay, all right, So now that 343 00:18:24,840 --> 00:18:27,640 Speaker 1: you've had your orange juice and your brain freezes over, 344 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:30,640 Speaker 1: Kirk Douglas, what was the show? Do you remember? Now? 345 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:32,399 Speaker 3: Woman bites Dog? 346 00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:38,159 Speaker 1: That orange juice. It's a miracle elixir. I want to 347 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:41,040 Speaker 1: mean a case of that orange juice. It's kind of dog, 348 00:18:41,520 --> 00:18:43,760 Speaker 1: Woman bites Dog. What'd you play in that? 349 00:18:43,840 --> 00:18:48,479 Speaker 3: If you girlfriend? He lived with I didn't even know 350 00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:51,280 Speaker 3: what that phrase meant. 351 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:52,240 Speaker 1: You were a floozy. 352 00:18:52,840 --> 00:18:55,520 Speaker 3: Well no, I wasn't. I just but I lived with 353 00:18:55,640 --> 00:18:58,639 Speaker 3: him and I wasn't married to him. I didn't know 354 00:18:58,640 --> 00:18:59,399 Speaker 3: what that meant. 355 00:18:59,520 --> 00:19:02,280 Speaker 1: What do you mean, Kirk Douglas, Oh. 356 00:19:01,880 --> 00:19:05,640 Speaker 3: My god, I loved him, Oh god, I loved him. 357 00:19:05,640 --> 00:19:06,639 Speaker 3: And what an actor. 358 00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:10,400 Speaker 1: And he's one of the few men who was as 359 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:13,760 Speaker 1: great an actor as he was a star. Oh he 360 00:19:13,880 --> 00:19:14,760 Speaker 1: was a great actor. 361 00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:15,840 Speaker 3: He was a great actor. 362 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:16,879 Speaker 1: He was a great actor. 363 00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:20,800 Speaker 3: I loved him, and he loved me. He flipped over me. 364 00:19:21,280 --> 00:19:25,080 Speaker 3: I've known him for years and he took me half 365 00:19:25,119 --> 00:19:27,960 Speaker 3: way away for the weekend, and then I discovered that 366 00:19:28,040 --> 00:19:32,399 Speaker 3: I shouldn't go. He took you half way away to 367 00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:34,960 Speaker 3: Poem Springs, and then I said I shouldn't be going. 368 00:19:35,040 --> 00:19:35,879 Speaker 1: So what did you do? You hit? 369 00:19:35,960 --> 00:19:36,880 Speaker 3: Like what he said? 370 00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:39,440 Speaker 1: Where were your redlands? 371 00:19:39,720 --> 00:19:44,800 Speaker 3: I don't know. We were halfway to Palm Beach Springs. 372 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:47,040 Speaker 1: So you're driving east and we. 373 00:19:46,880 --> 00:19:49,000 Speaker 3: Were driving for the weekend. 374 00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:51,160 Speaker 1: And you decided you didn't want to Well, I. 375 00:19:51,119 --> 00:19:54,399 Speaker 3: Said, I'm getting nervous because what do you want me 376 00:19:54,440 --> 00:19:58,520 Speaker 3: to do when we get up here? Douglas, Oh, Elaine, 377 00:19:58,920 --> 00:20:00,840 Speaker 3: he knew I was a verge and so he was 378 00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:01,720 Speaker 3: dealing with that. 379 00:20:05,440 --> 00:20:08,560 Speaker 1: We'll have more with a lame stretch after the break. 380 00:20:21,119 --> 00:20:23,320 Speaker 1: So what was the first leading role you had on Broadway? 381 00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:27,880 Speaker 1: Big row, take more rs you see? Can remember. 382 00:20:32,119 --> 00:20:37,600 Speaker 3: Of the big part? Oh, big big part I had 383 00:20:37,840 --> 00:20:41,440 Speaker 3: was Angel in the Wings, which was a review. Hardest 384 00:20:41,440 --> 00:20:44,960 Speaker 3: thing in the world to do a review, and the 385 00:20:45,119 --> 00:20:45,440 Speaker 3: kind of. 386 00:20:45,359 --> 00:20:49,000 Speaker 5: Review like New Faces was like Leonard Simons sketches one 387 00:20:49,040 --> 00:20:53,760 Speaker 5: sket and I was the big busted you know, girl 388 00:20:53,960 --> 00:20:55,840 Speaker 5: in the in the bedroom. 389 00:20:56,280 --> 00:20:59,960 Speaker 3: I was the I was the. 390 00:20:58,840 --> 00:20:59,920 Speaker 1: The piece on the side. 391 00:21:00,320 --> 00:21:02,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, so you hear you? 392 00:21:02,359 --> 00:21:05,159 Speaker 1: Is it amazing you with this virginal You went to 393 00:21:05,280 --> 00:21:08,720 Speaker 1: Sucker cur and you went to finishing school and as 394 00:21:08,760 --> 00:21:11,800 Speaker 1: soon as you're out, God is just tempting you. He's 395 00:21:11,840 --> 00:21:14,760 Speaker 1: taking Marlon Branda on one side of you, and Kirk 396 00:21:14,800 --> 00:21:17,040 Speaker 1: Douglas is reving up the convertible to take you to 397 00:21:17,080 --> 00:21:20,119 Speaker 1: Palm Springs, and you're the fluzy here and you're the 398 00:21:20,119 --> 00:21:22,400 Speaker 1: peace on the side, the busty fem the tale. 399 00:21:22,880 --> 00:21:28,440 Speaker 3: But what I was really doing is learning my lines 400 00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:34,040 Speaker 3: to the play or to the television or to the 401 00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:40,399 Speaker 3: I was really loving acting. I loved it. I loved pretending. 402 00:21:40,640 --> 00:21:45,639 Speaker 3: I just loved it. Was being somebody other than I 403 00:21:45,680 --> 00:21:48,359 Speaker 3: was was my idea of a good time? 404 00:21:48,600 --> 00:21:51,040 Speaker 1: Was part of that process for you? Learning from people 405 00:21:51,080 --> 00:21:52,840 Speaker 1: you worked with or you admire. Did you look at 406 00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:55,280 Speaker 1: other people and say, because I've had that, I mean, 407 00:21:55,320 --> 00:21:57,040 Speaker 1: I'm not going to say I had it. 408 00:21:56,560 --> 00:21:57,800 Speaker 3: Tell me, well. 409 00:21:57,680 --> 00:21:59,479 Speaker 1: Like Merman, when you worked with Mermam, did you learn 410 00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:02,000 Speaker 1: from Murmam? Did you? Did you? Yeah? You didn't. 411 00:22:02,200 --> 00:22:07,159 Speaker 3: I did her part. I did her. There's no question 412 00:22:07,280 --> 00:22:12,399 Speaker 3: about that. She loved her. Everybody loved everybody. But I 413 00:22:12,520 --> 00:22:16,080 Speaker 3: know how to do that, and I was so frightened 414 00:22:16,760 --> 00:22:19,719 Speaker 3: and so terrified, and I was so good in it. 415 00:22:20,119 --> 00:22:22,560 Speaker 1: Right. Did you feel that she was of that type 416 00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:25,160 Speaker 1: where just Murmuran is murmur She goes out in the stone. 417 00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:28,480 Speaker 3: So she made it, you know, so long. She'd say 418 00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:32,080 Speaker 3: goodbye to me from the wings on my opening night 419 00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:35,680 Speaker 3: and then go sit in the first row. She scared 420 00:22:35,720 --> 00:22:39,080 Speaker 3: me to death when I got to the end of 421 00:22:39,119 --> 00:22:42,040 Speaker 3: Call Me Madam, it was mine. 422 00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:44,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, you felt that way. Huh. When do you think 423 00:22:44,359 --> 00:22:45,400 Speaker 1: you became you? 424 00:22:47,400 --> 00:22:51,720 Speaker 3: The moment I started to rehearse Merman's part, I was 425 00:22:51,800 --> 00:22:54,600 Speaker 3: doing the new Merman, the new Everything. 426 00:22:55,840 --> 00:22:59,080 Speaker 1: That's when you became you. Yeah, So doing the piece 427 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:02,600 Speaker 1: doing Call Me Adam is when you felt things change 428 00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:03,680 Speaker 1: for you. 429 00:23:03,680 --> 00:23:07,360 Speaker 3: You felt you were right something, not necessarily now everything 430 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:11,080 Speaker 3: I did, everything I did was you know. 431 00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:17,240 Speaker 1: But when you do a show Elaine Stretch at Liberty, 432 00:23:17,800 --> 00:23:20,520 Speaker 1: when you do a show that is a memoir of. 433 00:23:20,440 --> 00:23:22,919 Speaker 3: Your career, oh yeah, and. 434 00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:26,840 Speaker 1: It is enormously successful. When did you think in your life? 435 00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:29,280 Speaker 1: When did you reach a point in your life that 436 00:23:29,359 --> 00:23:32,000 Speaker 1: you felt you were someone who could write a memoir 437 00:23:32,040 --> 00:23:34,280 Speaker 1: about your life, that you thought it was interesting enough. 438 00:23:34,600 --> 00:23:36,240 Speaker 1: When did you cross the line and say. 439 00:23:36,119 --> 00:23:40,320 Speaker 3: God, yeah, I was convinced by this producer who said, 440 00:23:40,880 --> 00:23:46,440 Speaker 3: who saw me perform at a Judy Garland special at 441 00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:51,200 Speaker 3: Carnegie Hall? And what I did was tell Judy Garland stories, 442 00:23:51,280 --> 00:23:52,200 Speaker 3: and I told. 443 00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:53,879 Speaker 1: You she was a tribute to Judy as a tribute. 444 00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:56,720 Speaker 1: She's gone by this, yeah, yeah, yeah, long gone. 445 00:23:56,960 --> 00:24:01,480 Speaker 3: And oh boy, I really did know her very well from. 446 00:24:01,359 --> 00:24:02,920 Speaker 1: From where'd you first meet her? 447 00:24:03,440 --> 00:24:07,480 Speaker 3: Party? At a party someplace I don't know. And I 448 00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:11,320 Speaker 3: loved her. So when I tried out one of my 449 00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:14,840 Speaker 3: stories on Judy Garland, I mean she tried out one 450 00:24:14,880 --> 00:24:18,080 Speaker 3: of hers, I said, Judy, I've got an idea, and 451 00:24:18,160 --> 00:24:21,400 Speaker 3: I sincerely did. I said, I've got a great idea. 452 00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:29,159 Speaker 3: Why don't we tour Mame? I said to Judy Garan 453 00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:35,800 Speaker 3: And she says divine. She said that sounds great. I said, 454 00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:41,640 Speaker 3: but here's the good idea, Judy. When I do Mame, 455 00:24:42,800 --> 00:24:47,000 Speaker 3: I go to bed early, and when you do Meme, 456 00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:51,040 Speaker 3: you go to bed early, and then the other one 457 00:24:51,440 --> 00:24:52,560 Speaker 3: does vera. 458 00:24:53,640 --> 00:24:56,399 Speaker 1: She's going to switch on and off. Yeah, and she 459 00:24:56,480 --> 00:24:57,240 Speaker 1: bought that idea. 460 00:24:58,080 --> 00:25:05,119 Speaker 3: She's listening now and she's saying, oh, okay, okay, okay, 461 00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:08,480 Speaker 3: and she's counting up the songs, what songs she has? 462 00:25:08,600 --> 00:25:13,320 Speaker 3: What in it? And after this long pause, she looks 463 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:18,600 Speaker 3: at me and says, what about matinees? And I thought 464 00:25:18,600 --> 00:25:20,440 Speaker 3: it was one of the funniest things I'd ever heard 465 00:25:20,680 --> 00:25:24,200 Speaker 3: in my whole life. That Judy Garland wanted to know 466 00:25:24,640 --> 00:25:29,200 Speaker 3: what about matinees. That's how she carefully She wanted her 467 00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:33,880 Speaker 3: her career planned so she could be able to get 468 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:37,399 Speaker 3: loaded when she wanted to. And you know, it was 469 00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:41,560 Speaker 3: her way of treating a very serious discussion. 470 00:25:41,560 --> 00:25:43,680 Speaker 1: So you did a tribute thing where you told stories 471 00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:46,800 Speaker 1: about her, and that's when someone pinched the idea to 472 00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:48,639 Speaker 1: you of doing a memoir of your career. 473 00:25:48,760 --> 00:25:50,960 Speaker 3: That's right, what vaguely was and there was that you 474 00:25:51,160 --> 00:25:53,800 Speaker 3: tell a story to an audience the like of which 475 00:25:53,840 --> 00:25:54,680 Speaker 3: I have never heard. 476 00:25:54,800 --> 00:25:57,679 Speaker 1: That's true. I was that the opening night at the Public, 477 00:25:57,720 --> 00:26:00,959 Speaker 1: when that Liberty opened at the Public, everyone who was 478 00:26:01,080 --> 00:26:03,600 Speaker 1: had a pulse in New York. Everyone who was alive 479 00:26:03,680 --> 00:26:06,560 Speaker 1: that night came to that opening at the Public. Everybody 480 00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:09,359 Speaker 1: in the theater came. They went crazy, They went crazy. 481 00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:13,399 Speaker 3: It's lovely. God is lovely. Success is lovely. It's so 482 00:26:13,640 --> 00:26:17,720 Speaker 3: hard and it's such hard work, but it's so gratifying. 483 00:26:17,840 --> 00:26:19,520 Speaker 1: What's the hardest thing about it for you? What's been 484 00:26:19,560 --> 00:26:22,399 Speaker 1: the hardest thing? Do you find it hard just to 485 00:26:22,440 --> 00:26:25,040 Speaker 1: have the fear of what that you won't be able 486 00:26:25,040 --> 00:26:25,919 Speaker 1: to perform. 487 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:28,760 Speaker 3: The fear that I'm just gonna forget, and I'm gonna 488 00:26:29,119 --> 00:26:33,760 Speaker 3: not so much forget. But it's the fear. It's the fear. 489 00:26:35,160 --> 00:26:37,840 Speaker 3: And that was when I was not drinking at all, 490 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:41,440 Speaker 3: and I didn't drink anything to get my talent out, 491 00:26:41,960 --> 00:26:43,760 Speaker 3: but all my life I had. 492 00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:46,760 Speaker 1: Have you ever done a show, I'm sure you've done 493 00:26:46,760 --> 00:26:48,440 Speaker 1: countless shows. You ever done a show where you're sitting 494 00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:51,040 Speaker 1: backstage thinking what am I doing here? How did I 495 00:26:51,080 --> 00:26:53,719 Speaker 1: get myself into this? Or were you always engaged by 496 00:26:53,760 --> 00:26:54,480 Speaker 1: what you were doing? 497 00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:57,919 Speaker 3: I was always engaged always. 498 00:26:58,240 --> 00:26:58,760 Speaker 1: You never took it. 499 00:26:58,880 --> 00:27:02,080 Speaker 3: I was leading up to it or coming down. You know, 500 00:27:02,200 --> 00:27:05,520 Speaker 3: I was trying to get it behind you. 501 00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:11,080 Speaker 1: You never regretted doing anything? Never? No, Wow, that's incredible. No. 502 00:27:11,320 --> 00:27:15,600 Speaker 3: I never never regretted doing anything on the stage. 503 00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:18,280 Speaker 1: Never. How was that possible? 504 00:27:18,800 --> 00:27:21,680 Speaker 3: Because I just won every time I walked out there. 505 00:27:23,320 --> 00:27:28,879 Speaker 3: You know that old expression about I own the stage. 506 00:27:30,520 --> 00:27:34,240 Speaker 1: Elaine Strich has never regretted anything she's done on stage, 507 00:27:34,280 --> 00:27:37,160 Speaker 1: but there are many who regret not seeing her one 508 00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:40,840 Speaker 1: woman show, Elaine Stretch at Liberty on Broadway in two 509 00:27:40,840 --> 00:27:45,200 Speaker 1: thousand and two. Newsweek called it a biting hilarious, even 510 00:27:45,320 --> 00:27:49,200 Speaker 1: touching tour de forced tour of Strich's career and life. 511 00:27:49,560 --> 00:27:52,400 Speaker 1: In a minute, Stretch tells me a secret and very 512 00:27:52,440 --> 00:27:55,440 Speaker 1: personal moment she had on stage during the run of 513 00:27:55,480 --> 00:28:03,320 Speaker 1: Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf. In the past twenty years, 514 00:28:03,480 --> 00:28:06,800 Speaker 1: TV and film have introduced Elaine Stretch to a new audience. 515 00:28:07,240 --> 00:28:10,280 Speaker 1: She garnered Emmys for her performances in Law and Order 516 00:28:10,640 --> 00:28:13,440 Speaker 1: and in thirty Rock, where she played my character's mother, 517 00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:15,920 Speaker 1: the irascible Colleen Donahue. 518 00:28:15,960 --> 00:28:19,880 Speaker 3: Well, well, well, well, well, this must be the one 519 00:28:21,119 --> 00:28:22,720 Speaker 3: Phoebe welcome. 520 00:28:22,920 --> 00:28:26,240 Speaker 1: No, no, no, mother, mother, This. 521 00:28:26,160 --> 00:28:30,040 Speaker 3: Is not Phoebe. This is not Phoebe. Well, why the 522 00:28:30,080 --> 00:28:34,439 Speaker 3: hell not? I mean, she's perfect. I ended up liking 523 00:28:34,560 --> 00:28:39,480 Speaker 3: Tina Fey an awful law and very quietly all by myself. 524 00:28:40,680 --> 00:28:44,560 Speaker 1: Did you enjoy doing the show? No, you didn't know why. 525 00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:48,400 Speaker 3: I didn't have any fun with comedy. I did with 526 00:28:48,480 --> 00:28:51,640 Speaker 3: you for a while, but then it got a little 527 00:28:51,680 --> 00:28:57,160 Speaker 3: bit too routine for me, and I wasn't challenged. I 528 00:28:57,200 --> 00:29:00,120 Speaker 3: didn't ever challenge with it. I mean I was fine, 529 00:29:00,400 --> 00:29:04,640 Speaker 3: But oh, I don't know, Alex. 530 00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:08,080 Speaker 1: It would you think TV is not your No? 531 00:29:08,240 --> 00:29:14,560 Speaker 3: I think TV is fine. With me, nothing's wrong with it. 532 00:29:15,200 --> 00:29:19,360 Speaker 3: I love TV, I love comedy. I loved working with you. 533 00:29:19,640 --> 00:29:24,840 Speaker 3: It was almost like we need It was something that 534 00:29:25,040 --> 00:29:29,720 Speaker 3: I did two weeks ago at the Carlisle when they 535 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:35,640 Speaker 3: said challenged me to do a show and just go 536 00:29:35,760 --> 00:29:38,600 Speaker 3: out there and do a show for an hour and 537 00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:43,040 Speaker 3: a half. And I accepted the challenge and did it. 538 00:29:43,680 --> 00:29:44,360 Speaker 1: And how did it go? 539 00:29:44,600 --> 00:29:46,840 Speaker 3: I didn't have any rehearsal or anything. 540 00:29:47,360 --> 00:29:47,840 Speaker 1: How did it go? 541 00:29:49,520 --> 00:29:55,200 Speaker 3: Fantastic? And Warren Baty, people like Warren and Bennette, and 542 00:29:55,320 --> 00:30:00,000 Speaker 3: it came. I adore both of them. And he said, 543 00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:05,280 Speaker 3: I've got to get three cameras on this. This is terrifying, 544 00:30:06,480 --> 00:30:09,960 Speaker 3: you know the fact that I did it with no rehearsals. 545 00:30:10,040 --> 00:30:13,520 Speaker 3: Winged it, winged it exactly. It's a good way of 546 00:30:13,560 --> 00:30:14,040 Speaker 3: putting it. 547 00:30:15,600 --> 00:30:16,960 Speaker 1: But you don't want to wing it anymore. 548 00:30:17,680 --> 00:30:20,840 Speaker 3: Oh it's so hard, My god. 549 00:30:21,200 --> 00:30:25,280 Speaker 1: Is there any place you can perform if you have 550 00:30:25,920 --> 00:30:30,600 Speaker 1: a notion? If you're sitting there in Birmingham, Michigan, and 551 00:30:30,640 --> 00:30:32,160 Speaker 1: you decide you want to get up and you want 552 00:30:32,160 --> 00:30:35,320 Speaker 1: to do a show, you want to do an hour 553 00:30:35,360 --> 00:30:39,520 Speaker 1: and a half? Club act like you are there facilities 554 00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:40,960 Speaker 1: there that you're dialed into that you can go. 555 00:30:41,800 --> 00:30:45,320 Speaker 3: I go up to ann Arbor and I rehearse it. 556 00:30:45,960 --> 00:30:48,720 Speaker 3: But I wouldn't. I just say, here's what I'm going 557 00:30:48,800 --> 00:30:50,960 Speaker 3: to do. I'm going to learn three songs. I have 558 00:30:51,040 --> 00:30:53,800 Speaker 3: to learn them sort of. And if I go up 559 00:30:53,800 --> 00:30:55,360 Speaker 3: in the lyrics, it doesn't matter. 560 00:30:55,760 --> 00:30:57,720 Speaker 1: Who's your piano player, your accompany. 561 00:30:57,520 --> 00:31:00,960 Speaker 6: Rob, Rob, and he's feeding you the lyrics all the time. 562 00:31:02,080 --> 00:31:05,480 Speaker 6: He amusingly, Yeah, yeah, that's part of the act. Well, 563 00:31:06,080 --> 00:31:08,520 Speaker 6: I've never heard a laugh like this. But the other 564 00:31:08,680 --> 00:31:13,600 Speaker 6: night when I said, Rob, what is that? And I'm 565 00:31:13,680 --> 00:31:18,200 Speaker 6: out of control and he says, I don't know, that's. 566 00:31:18,040 --> 00:31:24,560 Speaker 3: What it is. And and I was hit, you know, like, 567 00:31:25,280 --> 00:31:27,720 Speaker 3: I said, okay, but I mean we got to start 568 00:31:27,760 --> 00:31:31,760 Speaker 3: over then, don't we, alec I mean Rob, And he 569 00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:34,560 Speaker 3: said yes. So we went to a new song and 570 00:31:34,600 --> 00:31:37,800 Speaker 3: I sang it straight through with no mistakes, and they 571 00:31:37,840 --> 00:31:42,800 Speaker 3: went crazy. I sang a Snheim song. Everybody says don't, 572 00:31:42,840 --> 00:31:45,480 Speaker 3: everybody says don't, everybody says don't. It is said right 573 00:31:46,120 --> 00:31:51,160 Speaker 3: that song God jo It just goes so fast and furiously, 574 00:31:51,600 --> 00:31:54,120 Speaker 3: and then they went nuts. I mean, when you do 575 00:31:54,320 --> 00:31:57,920 Speaker 3: know something by heart, they really go, h do. 576 00:31:57,920 --> 00:31:58,480 Speaker 1: You give them one. 577 00:31:58,760 --> 00:32:02,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's it. That's it. 578 00:32:02,880 --> 00:32:05,880 Speaker 1: So we did so with the Are you okay? 579 00:32:06,120 --> 00:32:07,080 Speaker 3: Yeah? I think so. 580 00:32:07,080 --> 00:32:10,560 Speaker 1: So did you ever want to do a drama in 581 00:32:11,160 --> 00:32:15,120 Speaker 1: your later years? I mean in the last fifteen years. 582 00:32:15,120 --> 00:32:19,920 Speaker 3: I was just cut out for it, cut out for it. 583 00:32:20,040 --> 00:32:21,960 Speaker 3: You were, oh episode, what's. 584 00:32:21,800 --> 00:32:24,680 Speaker 1: The last drama you did on stage? 585 00:32:26,480 --> 00:32:35,400 Speaker 3: Edward Alby Lady from Dubuque, No No, No, Three, twelve Women. No, 586 00:32:36,280 --> 00:32:39,000 Speaker 3: I was asked to do that. I didn't do it. 587 00:32:39,240 --> 00:32:47,760 Speaker 3: There's too much to learn. A delicate ballance. One of 588 00:32:47,840 --> 00:32:50,320 Speaker 3: the best plays ever written in the whole world of 589 00:32:50,360 --> 00:32:52,320 Speaker 3: it and also a play for me. 590 00:32:53,040 --> 00:32:54,600 Speaker 1: What did you like about the part? What did you 591 00:32:54,640 --> 00:32:55,040 Speaker 1: like about it? 592 00:32:56,240 --> 00:33:05,080 Speaker 3: It was very quiet and very subtle, subtle, like forget 593 00:33:05,120 --> 00:33:09,840 Speaker 3: about it and just and I just went about my 594 00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:12,760 Speaker 3: business on that stage and I did everything. I drank 595 00:33:12,800 --> 00:33:17,800 Speaker 3: too much, I talked too much. I did exactly as 596 00:33:17,880 --> 00:33:21,360 Speaker 3: I pleased. I went upstairs when I wanted to go upstairs. 597 00:33:21,480 --> 00:33:25,880 Speaker 3: I was absolutely all over the place and not promising 598 00:33:26,000 --> 00:33:28,440 Speaker 3: anything to anybody. It was unbelievable. 599 00:33:28,480 --> 00:33:29,480 Speaker 1: Who directed. 600 00:33:30,760 --> 00:33:36,200 Speaker 3: Jerry Gutierras, Really, who is the best director with aside 601 00:33:36,240 --> 00:33:40,320 Speaker 3: from George Wolf, the two of them were the what 602 00:33:40,400 --> 00:33:40,600 Speaker 3: is it? 603 00:33:40,680 --> 00:33:44,120 Speaker 1: No? No help illuminate this for people, because this, to 604 00:33:44,160 --> 00:33:46,640 Speaker 1: me is a very important question for you, and that 605 00:33:46,760 --> 00:33:51,280 Speaker 1: is you're so self directed. You know, you've got the. 606 00:33:51,320 --> 00:33:52,800 Speaker 3: Talent here, you've got to feel good. 607 00:33:52,840 --> 00:33:55,840 Speaker 1: But baby, you got so many bullets in your chamber. 608 00:33:55,880 --> 00:33:58,440 Speaker 1: It's not funny. And you come out there you're loaded. 609 00:33:58,760 --> 00:34:00,880 Speaker 1: And what does a director do for you? How does 610 00:34:00,920 --> 00:34:04,240 Speaker 1: the director help you? 611 00:34:04,280 --> 00:34:07,360 Speaker 3: Oh, he makes me feel comfortable about myself. 612 00:34:07,960 --> 00:34:08,320 Speaker 1: He gives you. 613 00:34:08,360 --> 00:34:12,280 Speaker 3: For instance, George Wolf when he did My One Woman Show, 614 00:34:12,840 --> 00:34:15,239 Speaker 3: he has a way of laughing that he had. When 615 00:34:15,280 --> 00:34:18,360 Speaker 3: he laughs, he falls on the floor. He throws himself 616 00:34:18,360 --> 00:34:21,959 Speaker 3: on the floor because he's got to do that. He's 617 00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:25,960 Speaker 3: got to go. He goes crazy when he laughs and 618 00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:29,480 Speaker 3: he's laughing. And he said, and that will make me 619 00:34:30,160 --> 00:34:34,160 Speaker 3: listen to a director, that will that will tune me in. 620 00:34:34,360 --> 00:34:36,719 Speaker 1: This is a nice one. A director gives you confidence. 621 00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:39,319 Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, I've worked with so many of them. 622 00:34:39,320 --> 00:34:41,520 Speaker 1: Where not that they undermined you, but they certainly didn't 623 00:34:41,520 --> 00:34:46,080 Speaker 1: give you any confidence. They almost resented the implication that 624 00:34:46,120 --> 00:34:47,480 Speaker 1: they do that. They kind of looked at you like, well, 625 00:34:47,520 --> 00:34:49,120 Speaker 1: you're getting paid all this money, you just get up 626 00:34:49,120 --> 00:34:51,720 Speaker 1: there and do it. I'm not here to help you. 627 00:34:51,719 --> 00:34:53,040 Speaker 3: No, they don't help you. 628 00:34:53,719 --> 00:34:57,080 Speaker 1: There's no mentoring or care or whatever. It's very very strange. 629 00:34:57,239 --> 00:35:00,600 Speaker 1: But Wolf, you loved and Gutierra's you love. Now tell 630 00:35:00,600 --> 00:35:04,000 Speaker 1: me about performers in the latter part of your career 631 00:35:04,040 --> 00:35:06,640 Speaker 1: that you worked with that you loved. Did you love Bernadette? 632 00:35:06,640 --> 00:35:08,359 Speaker 1: I'm assuming you just love ador. 633 00:35:09,600 --> 00:35:12,279 Speaker 3: Adored her if I could, and I and I kind 634 00:35:12,280 --> 00:35:16,920 Speaker 3: of ran her. I was her older sister, her older everybody, 635 00:35:17,280 --> 00:35:21,440 Speaker 3: and I made her laugh till she just went crazy, 636 00:35:20,920 --> 00:35:24,480 Speaker 3: and vice versa. I want a little more orange juice. 637 00:35:24,560 --> 00:35:29,440 Speaker 1: Gang Hunter, Hunter. That beating sound we've been hearing periodic? 638 00:35:29,560 --> 00:35:32,200 Speaker 1: Is that a glucose meter? That was that? Was that 639 00:35:32,239 --> 00:35:32,839 Speaker 1: thing that went off? 640 00:35:33,160 --> 00:35:34,919 Speaker 3: Where's mine? It's dux come. 641 00:35:35,680 --> 00:35:37,720 Speaker 1: It's telling us to enter the blood Sugars. 642 00:35:38,040 --> 00:35:43,359 Speaker 3: Okay, Oh my god, I forgot all about them. 643 00:35:43,520 --> 00:35:46,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, this will enter them? 644 00:35:46,800 --> 00:35:47,880 Speaker 3: Oh? Are we okay? 645 00:35:48,960 --> 00:35:50,359 Speaker 1: Do you want to take a break and do it now? 646 00:35:50,800 --> 00:35:53,320 Speaker 3: How will it take a minute? 647 00:35:53,400 --> 00:35:54,719 Speaker 1: Go right ahead? Please do it now. 648 00:35:55,320 --> 00:35:56,560 Speaker 3: I don't want you should wait. 649 00:35:56,800 --> 00:35:58,440 Speaker 1: I wouldn't want it in the post that you were 650 00:35:58,480 --> 00:36:02,120 Speaker 1: hospitalized on my account because of Alec Baldwin refused to 651 00:36:02,200 --> 00:36:04,840 Speaker 1: allow me to administer my diabetes treatment. 652 00:36:06,440 --> 00:36:09,640 Speaker 3: Oh boy, okay, this is right away. I'm going to 653 00:36:09,719 --> 00:36:12,759 Speaker 3: do it now. Okay, Oh there we go. 654 00:36:14,920 --> 00:36:19,440 Speaker 4: I don't have mine, Ladies and gentlemen, Okay, Elaine Stretch 655 00:36:19,719 --> 00:36:26,120 Speaker 4: and Hunter, the ever trusty Hunter are squeezing droplets of 656 00:36:26,120 --> 00:36:28,080 Speaker 4: her blood onto a device. So I got to tell 657 00:36:28,160 --> 00:36:30,160 Speaker 4: us that we've nearly killed her here. 658 00:36:33,480 --> 00:36:37,359 Speaker 3: Okay, yeah, you one more time as okay, and then 659 00:36:37,440 --> 00:36:38,000 Speaker 3: it's done. 660 00:36:38,480 --> 00:36:40,600 Speaker 1: And then and you want to keep it at what number? 661 00:36:41,600 --> 00:36:42,200 Speaker 1: What's the question? 662 00:36:42,239 --> 00:36:45,479 Speaker 3: It's not a matter of keeping, it's just entering them 663 00:36:45,760 --> 00:36:49,440 Speaker 3: what they are now that are two hours after. 664 00:36:50,400 --> 00:36:52,160 Speaker 1: I'd love to do mine too. While we're at it, 665 00:36:53,120 --> 00:36:55,160 Speaker 1: let's have a let's have a prick our finger and 666 00:36:55,239 --> 00:36:56,680 Speaker 1: squeeze it on the glucose meter. 667 00:36:56,800 --> 00:37:02,680 Speaker 3: Party, stop that, Alex, Listen, there's another be bet. 668 00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:05,279 Speaker 1: This is why you're so glad we're not doing this 669 00:37:05,360 --> 00:37:07,719 Speaker 1: on television, because to see this happening is really do 670 00:37:07,760 --> 00:37:08,120 Speaker 1: you want to know? 671 00:37:08,280 --> 00:37:08,520 Speaker 3: Yeah? 672 00:37:08,640 --> 00:37:09,200 Speaker 1: Unsettling. 673 00:37:09,880 --> 00:37:11,040 Speaker 3: And we've done both of them. 674 00:37:11,080 --> 00:37:12,080 Speaker 4: Now, done both of them? 675 00:37:12,600 --> 00:37:13,120 Speaker 3: Yay? 676 00:37:13,680 --> 00:37:16,759 Speaker 1: And what number you have? One ninety one? And where 677 00:37:16,760 --> 00:37:17,279 Speaker 1: do you want to be? 678 00:37:18,320 --> 00:37:18,919 Speaker 3: Doesn't happen? 679 00:37:18,960 --> 00:37:19,399 Speaker 1: To be there. 680 00:37:19,440 --> 00:37:21,520 Speaker 3: That's fine, that's good, it's cool. 681 00:37:21,600 --> 00:37:22,560 Speaker 1: Okay, she's cool. 682 00:37:24,080 --> 00:37:26,120 Speaker 3: Oh oh, I know what I wanted to tell you. 683 00:37:26,280 --> 00:37:29,160 Speaker 3: I want to tell him something that I that I 684 00:37:29,320 --> 00:37:31,920 Speaker 3: got the nerve to tell John Tuturis. 685 00:37:32,680 --> 00:37:35,680 Speaker 1: Now, Now, when you told John Tuturo what you wanted 686 00:37:35,680 --> 00:37:37,680 Speaker 1: to tell him? Was it something that meant a lot 687 00:37:37,719 --> 00:37:40,040 Speaker 1: to you? Because we'll edit that you called him to Taurus. 688 00:37:40,800 --> 00:37:42,000 Speaker 3: A lot of people all have. 689 00:37:42,080 --> 00:37:45,800 Speaker 1: Alex Bold called John Toturis, What did you want to 690 00:37:45,840 --> 00:37:46,879 Speaker 1: tell John to? 691 00:37:47,040 --> 00:37:50,560 Speaker 3: I want to tell somebody something about me and acting 692 00:37:51,239 --> 00:37:55,960 Speaker 3: that sort of I thought kind of represented something about 693 00:37:56,000 --> 00:37:59,680 Speaker 3: me that I had had courage to tell. And the 694 00:37:59,760 --> 00:38:03,719 Speaker 3: thing was that, I, oh, how can I tell you this? 695 00:38:04,400 --> 00:38:06,200 Speaker 1: Will you tell me that your secret and I'll tell 696 00:38:06,200 --> 00:38:06,560 Speaker 1: you mine? 697 00:38:06,760 --> 00:38:11,359 Speaker 3: All right? My secret is is that how can I 698 00:38:11,680 --> 00:38:19,360 Speaker 3: put it to you? My secret is in Virginia Wolf. 699 00:38:19,440 --> 00:38:25,279 Speaker 3: When I was playing Virginia Wolf. I sometimes I get 700 00:38:26,080 --> 00:38:29,320 Speaker 3: fuzzy when I'm telling a story. Now and it's. 701 00:38:30,520 --> 00:38:31,920 Speaker 1: We have that in common. Go ahead. 702 00:38:33,120 --> 00:38:37,080 Speaker 3: I wanted to tell something intimate about myself to John 703 00:38:37,320 --> 00:38:41,360 Speaker 3: about when he was interviewing me. I told him that 704 00:38:42,719 --> 00:38:48,000 Speaker 3: when I was doing Virginia Wolf and when George and 705 00:38:48,120 --> 00:38:52,400 Speaker 3: Martha had their scene together and George said, our son 706 00:38:53,160 --> 00:38:57,080 Speaker 3: is dead. You know, the big scene. Our son he 707 00:38:57,239 --> 00:39:04,600 Speaker 3: yells in my face is And I went no. At 708 00:39:04,640 --> 00:39:12,680 Speaker 3: the height of my force, I said no to him, 709 00:39:12,920 --> 00:39:15,640 Speaker 3: and I had an orgasm for the first time in 710 00:39:15,680 --> 00:39:17,720 Speaker 3: my life. You did, yes? 711 00:39:18,120 --> 00:39:18,480 Speaker 1: Really? 712 00:39:18,600 --> 00:39:24,680 Speaker 3: So so this is this is how important that moment 713 00:39:24,960 --> 00:39:28,040 Speaker 3: was on stage to me. This is unbelievable, you know. 714 00:39:28,080 --> 00:39:31,319 Speaker 1: So it's safe to say this is a very I'm 715 00:39:31,320 --> 00:39:32,959 Speaker 1: not going to I'm going to sound like I'm making 716 00:39:32,960 --> 00:39:35,680 Speaker 1: a joke here, but I'm only half making Honey. I 717 00:39:35,719 --> 00:39:37,920 Speaker 1: just think it speaks volumes about you, about what a 718 00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:41,719 Speaker 1: real uh creature of the theater you want. That the 719 00:39:41,760 --> 00:39:44,960 Speaker 1: only time you ever had an orgasm was saying the 720 00:39:44,960 --> 00:39:47,440 Speaker 1: words of a homosexual man. I mean it is as 721 00:39:47,560 --> 00:39:51,799 Speaker 1: far from a heterosexual orgasm as you could possibly Yeah. No, no, 722 00:39:51,840 --> 00:39:55,960 Speaker 1: I think I'll be very particular about who he casts very. 723 00:39:56,160 --> 00:39:58,000 Speaker 1: Did you have a good relationship with him, you're close 724 00:39:58,040 --> 00:40:00,759 Speaker 1: with Yeah, he's very tough who he put to. 725 00:40:00,800 --> 00:40:05,319 Speaker 3: This very but he's and he's very fond of me. 726 00:40:07,440 --> 00:40:09,799 Speaker 1: I got two last questions for you, and I want 727 00:40:09,800 --> 00:40:11,920 Speaker 1: you to give me a simple answer to this first question. 728 00:40:15,760 --> 00:40:18,160 Speaker 1: I've met a lot of people in this business, and 729 00:40:18,200 --> 00:40:20,080 Speaker 1: I've worked with a lot of people who were powerful. 730 00:40:20,480 --> 00:40:22,760 Speaker 1: Julie Harris played my mother on a TV series. 731 00:40:22,600 --> 00:40:24,920 Speaker 3: Oh My God. And I work with you the best. 732 00:40:25,120 --> 00:40:27,879 Speaker 1: I work with some great people, you know, great great people, 733 00:40:27,960 --> 00:40:29,879 Speaker 1: some not so great, but some great ones. And you're 734 00:40:29,880 --> 00:40:33,719 Speaker 1: one of the great ones I worked with. But just 735 00:40:33,719 --> 00:40:36,240 Speaker 1: give me a yes or a no if you're capable, 736 00:40:36,400 --> 00:40:39,480 Speaker 1: And that is, do you realize what you mean to 737 00:40:39,520 --> 00:40:41,400 Speaker 1: other people who were in this business, how much they 738 00:40:41,520 --> 00:40:43,600 Speaker 1: love you and how much they admire Do you know. 739 00:40:45,640 --> 00:40:46,480 Speaker 3: I'm beginning to. 740 00:40:46,760 --> 00:40:49,000 Speaker 1: Do you into the mic place. Don't talk to you. 741 00:40:49,160 --> 00:40:52,440 Speaker 7: I'm beginning to because in this business, as you know, 742 00:40:53,000 --> 00:40:55,799 Speaker 7: especially for people who themselves are very talented and or 743 00:40:55,840 --> 00:41:00,879 Speaker 7: successful other talented people, that's like an Africa desiac to them. 744 00:41:00,920 --> 00:41:04,440 Speaker 1: Talent is the greatest aff diaisiac. And everyone basically says, 745 00:41:05,200 --> 00:41:08,000 Speaker 1: there's no one more talented than you. You're an immensely, 746 00:41:08,320 --> 00:41:13,919 Speaker 1: immensely incalculably talented woman and people, and you're a gigantic 747 00:41:14,000 --> 00:41:17,279 Speaker 1: pain in the ass. Sometimes you're a legendary pain in 748 00:41:17,320 --> 00:41:20,600 Speaker 1: the ass, but you're a gigantic pain in the ass. 749 00:41:21,000 --> 00:41:24,960 Speaker 1: But people don't, you know, they joke about that because 750 00:41:25,000 --> 00:41:27,279 Speaker 1: they love you. And why do they love you? Of 751 00:41:27,320 --> 00:41:31,440 Speaker 1: course you're so talented, you're so funny, you're soever, Your 752 00:41:31,480 --> 00:41:34,120 Speaker 1: timing is impeccable. Now, what are you going to miss 753 00:41:34,160 --> 00:41:34,759 Speaker 1: about New York? 754 00:41:37,480 --> 00:41:42,080 Speaker 3: The personality of human beings in New York. They are 755 00:41:42,239 --> 00:41:50,200 Speaker 3: so opened and sec They're not watching what they're doing. 756 00:41:50,360 --> 00:41:55,000 Speaker 3: They're not you know, they're they're not watching their language, 757 00:41:55,040 --> 00:41:58,280 Speaker 3: they're not watching anything. They're just going through life saying 758 00:41:58,400 --> 00:42:04,040 Speaker 3: what ye all? Right? Oh? Fuck you? You know, and 759 00:42:04,080 --> 00:42:04,960 Speaker 3: everybody should. 760 00:42:06,080 --> 00:42:09,880 Speaker 1: And they're engaged by the event. Yeah, every day is 761 00:42:09,920 --> 00:42:17,799 Speaker 1: an event in New York. Elaine Stritch says she's going 762 00:42:17,840 --> 00:42:20,200 Speaker 1: to miss New Yorkers, and I can tell you that 763 00:42:20,280 --> 00:42:22,560 Speaker 1: we will miss her too. But she's not out of 764 00:42:22,600 --> 00:42:26,400 Speaker 1: the spotlight just yet. Elaine Stritch Shoot Me, a documentary 765 00:42:26,400 --> 00:42:29,680 Speaker 1: about her life, which I helped to produce, recently premiered 766 00:42:29,960 --> 00:42:32,919 Speaker 1: at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film has been picked 767 00:42:33,000 --> 00:42:38,120 Speaker 1: up by Sundance Selects for a wider distribution. Are you there, Alex? 768 00:42:38,200 --> 00:42:40,319 Speaker 3: Yeah, okay, I can hear you, sweethearn't, So. 769 00:42:40,280 --> 00:42:42,600 Speaker 1: You're in the kitchen. I called Elaine up to ask 770 00:42:42,640 --> 00:42:45,560 Speaker 1: her how the transition was going from New York City 771 00:42:45,800 --> 00:42:47,120 Speaker 1: to Birmingham, Michigan. 772 00:42:47,480 --> 00:42:51,680 Speaker 3: I did the right thing, moving away from the Carla. 773 00:42:51,800 --> 00:42:55,399 Speaker 3: You know, you get hung up on perks. You live 774 00:42:55,520 --> 00:43:00,000 Speaker 3: with perks, and then your perks run out because you 775 00:43:00,080 --> 00:43:02,359 Speaker 3: fall and break your hip and you blah blah blah 776 00:43:02,360 --> 00:43:06,879 Speaker 3: blah blah, and then you have no you have no 777 00:43:07,000 --> 00:43:10,680 Speaker 3: deal card. You know what I mean. I'll go down 778 00:43:10,680 --> 00:43:13,319 Speaker 3: and talk to the audience for an hour every night 779 00:43:13,480 --> 00:43:14,920 Speaker 3: and you give me my cleaning. 780 00:43:15,680 --> 00:43:18,400 Speaker 1: Now, that would be a funny TV show to have 781 00:43:18,640 --> 00:43:24,759 Speaker 1: you be this famous broad, this famous cabaret right the stage, actress, 782 00:43:24,840 --> 00:43:27,640 Speaker 1: award winning actress. And she moves. Of course, it's a 783 00:43:27,640 --> 00:43:30,480 Speaker 1: fish out of water story. She moves back with the 784 00:43:30,560 --> 00:43:33,560 Speaker 1: cousins and the nieces in Birmingham, Michigan. And what you're 785 00:43:33,640 --> 00:43:35,840 Speaker 1: used to is bartering with people. You're walking up to 786 00:43:35,920 --> 00:43:38,360 Speaker 1: some dry cleaner there and saying, well, I'll tell you 787 00:43:38,400 --> 00:43:40,000 Speaker 1: what do I want you to clean my coats to 788 00:43:40,040 --> 00:43:44,920 Speaker 1: me and I'll come sing at your kid's bar mitzvah. 789 00:43:45,000 --> 00:43:46,880 Speaker 1: And they look at you like you got a screw loose. 790 00:43:47,320 --> 00:43:48,080 Speaker 1: They're like, you want to. 791 00:43:48,000 --> 00:43:50,040 Speaker 3: What I think we got some here. 792 00:43:50,160 --> 00:43:52,239 Speaker 1: The guy says, that'll be sixty five dollars. 793 00:43:51,960 --> 00:43:59,880 Speaker 3: Please and send in the clowns. This crowdish, well listen 794 00:44:00,239 --> 00:44:04,480 Speaker 3: and I love it and I miss your humor, like forget. 795 00:44:04,560 --> 00:44:06,480 Speaker 3: I'm not sure I want to work with you again. 796 00:44:06,600 --> 00:44:08,319 Speaker 1: Yeah, I definitely don't want to work with you again. 797 00:44:08,400 --> 00:44:12,000 Speaker 3: Definitely don't want to work with me. I think we agree. 798 00:44:11,200 --> 00:44:15,759 Speaker 1: So I've been upstages enough, Ladies and men, talk to 799 00:44:15,800 --> 00:44:18,000 Speaker 1: you later. Goodbye, Goodbye, my. 800 00:44:18,040 --> 00:44:21,560 Speaker 3: Darling, bye bye. 801 00:44:22,280 --> 00:44:26,560 Speaker 1: Here's the Thing is recorded at CDM Studios. This episode 802 00:44:26,640 --> 00:44:30,200 Speaker 1: was produced by Kathleen Russo, Zach MacNeice, and Maureen Hoban. 803 00:44:30,719 --> 00:44:34,719 Speaker 1: Our engineer is Frank Imperial. Our social media manager is 804 00:44:34,800 --> 00:44:38,040 Speaker 1: Danielle Gingwich. I'm Alec Baldwin. Here's the Thing is brought 805 00:44:38,080 --> 00:44:39,840 Speaker 1: to you by iHeart Radio.