THE WINSLOW BOY Cast Visits THEATER TALK, Beg. Today

This week's THEATER TALK focuses on British dramatist Sir Terence Rattigan (1911-1977) and his popular drama, The Winslow Boy, currently being revived on Broadway by The Roundabout Theatre Company. First the show welcomes actors Roger Rees, Charlotte Parry and Alessandro Nivola, now starring in this acclaimed production, followed by a conversation about its playwright with critics John Simon, John Heilpern and actor Edward Hibbert.

The cast of The Winslow Boy tells of mining the beloved 1947 play for the richness and depth in the text with an added emphasis on the attraction between Parry's character, suffragette Catherine Winslow (daughter of Rees, who portrays family head Arthur Winslow) and unemotional barrister Sir Robert Morton (Nivola), who is defending Catherine's brother Ronnie in the long-running legal battle for justice that threatens to tear the Winslow family apart.

Next, Simon, Hibbert and Heilpern debate the significance of Terence Rattigan's work, placing it in proper historical context. Taped in 2011 during Rattigan's Centenary, the panel discusses his importance, as well as his fall from favor in the late 1950s, when the "well-made play" was suddenly considered out of fashion.

This episode of THEATER TALK premieres in the New York metropolitan area today, November 15 (2013) at 1 AM (Saturday morning) on Thirteen/PBS, and repeats on CUNY TV* Saturday 11/16 at 8:30 PM, Sunday 11/17 at 12:30 PM, and Monday 11/18 at 7:30 AM, 1:30 PM, and 7:30 PM. Michael Riedel of the New York Post and producer Susan Haskins co host the series.

The not-for-profits Theater Talk Productions and CUNY TV jointly produce THEATER TALK. The program is taped in the Himan Brown TV and Radio Studios at The 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 State Council on the Arts, The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, The TDF/TAP Plus Program, The CUNY TV Foundation and The Friends of THEATER TALK.

*CUNY TV, the City University of New York television station, is broadcast in the New York metropolitan area on digital Ch. 25.3, and cablecast in the five boroughs of New York City on Ch. 75 (Time Warner and Cablevision/Optimum), 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. CUNY TV is also live-streamed for mobile, tablet and desktop viewing on www.Aereo.com.

Pictured: Roger Rees, Charlotte Parry and Alessandro Nivola of the Roundabout's "The Winslow Boy" by Terence Rattigan. Image courtesy Theater Talk/CUNY TV.