Marlo Thomas and Joe DiPietro Chat CLEVER LITTLE LIES on Today's THEATER TALK

An all-new edition of THEATER TALK welcomes actress Marlo Thomas and playwright Joe DiPietro, discussing their new comedy Clever Little Lies at the Westside Arts Theatre, plus a continuation of the conversation with Michael Riedel, New York Magazine drama critic Jesse Green, and producer/general manager Albert Poland talking about Riedel's new book, Razzle Dazzle: The Battle for Broadway.

Marlo Thomas conveys the thrill of working on a new play and DiPietro talks about the dream of getting her for the lead role in his family relationship comedy with serious overtones. The play is a perfect vehicle for Thomas' superb comic timing and also draws on her foundation of serious training with legendary drama teacher Lee Strasberg. Thomas also talks about growing up in show business with her father, Danny Thomas, the popular actor and TV star (and later philanthropist), taking her to movie sets when she was a child and rehearsing his lines with her. He encouraged her dream of being an actress, but insisted that she first get a college degree in teaching before pursuing it "to have something to fall back on." He did finally "relax and let go" about her acting career, she tells us, after he saw her successful performance in Barefoot in the Park under the direction of Mike Nichols. Later that same year, Marlo landed a role in the TV series That Girl, the show that made her a star.

In the second segment, co-host Riedel is back on the guests' side of the table along with producer Albert Poland to share more anecdotes and background relating to his new book, Razzle Dazzle: The Battle for Broadway, about the intrepid producers who saved the theater district and industry from financial ruin in the 1970s and 80s.

THEATER TALK is co hosted by Michael Riedel, Broadway columnist for the New York Post, and Susan Haskins (with New York Magazine drama critic Jesse Green subbing as co-host for the Razzle Dazzle segment). This episode premieres in the New York metropolitan area today 10/23 (2015) at 1:30 AM (Saturday morning) and repeats on Sunday 10/25 at 11:30 AM (new times) on Thirteen/PBS; on CUNY TV* Saturday 10/24 at 8:30 PM, Sunday 10/25 at 12:30 PM, and Monday 10/26 at 7:30 AM, 1:30 PM, and 7:30 PM; and on WLIW/21 on Monday 10/26 at 5:30 PM (new time) - a total of 8 times weekly.

THEATER TALK is jointly produced by the not-for-profits Theater Talk Productions and CUNY TV. The program is taped in the Himan Brown TV and Radio Studios at City University of New York (CUNY) TV in Manhattan, and is distributed to 100+ participating public television stations nationwide. THEATER TALK is made possible in part by The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, The CUNY TV Foundation and The Friends of THEATER TALK.

*CUNY TV, the City University of New York television station, is broadcast in the NYC metropolitan area on digital Ch. 25.3, and cablecast in THE FIVE boroughs of New York City on Ch. 75 (Time Warner; Optimum/Brooklyn), Ch. 77 (RCN), and Ch. 30 (Verizon FiOS). The show is available online anytime at www.cuny.tv and www.theatertalk.org and via iTunes podcasts.

Pictured: Marlo Thomas and Joe DiPietro; Michael Riedel's Razzle Dazzle (Image courtesy of Theater Talk Productions/CUNY TV; book cover courtesy Simon & Schuster)