Paul was remembering on his sister’s birthday her non-candle wishes, or, the obligatory treatment one must assume toward the birthed person. As in, please colour with me today. And please get me a yogurt.

Paul was This American Life Live!

Paul was a radio program on in a movie theater, beamed live to over 430 cinema screens around the US of A on April 23 – This American Life Live!

 

Yes, a theatrical version of a radio show.

 

Spotlit at corner stage, a small desk with a mixing board and Star Trek tape machines (to Ira’s left music, to his right quotes) Glass effortlessly blended sounds, story, actual tape, and his narration. Visually seeing all the knob turning, and button pushing gives one the idea of all the production involved in the smallest snips of story.

 

Should music be under the narration here? Should a quote be here or can I explain it better in my own words? Should the other reporter’s voices be heard in the tape asking questions?

 

And these types of editorial decisions are not glamorous, they are tucked below the surface of a well made program. In noticing all the knobs and buttons, being mesmerized in the staging of behind-the-scenes editorial cutting and pasting, the listeners now viewers are transported to the scene of this crime — the making of This American Life.

 

With the help of a single visual cue (a carton by Chris Ware versus Ira Glass at his mixing station) the viewers can relax and be swept into the story. This is as it should be, each Act showing a story through the “intimacy of one voice talking to you” (Ira’s praise of radio see episode #100).  This is a show about “Returning to the Scene of the Crime” not about producing the scene of the crime theme (for a show where production is explored see episode #38: Simulated Words). Yet that question is explored in the ending Act touching on fans want to understand the process, the creation of each magical movie or episode. Closing with Joss Whedon’s song story about the story frames the shows metaphor in this perfect application.

 

The whole premise should not be theatrical in any manner. “Why do this? Why run a radio show in live theaters? It is like entering a novel in a bake off.” Stephen Colbert noted the night before. But it works. In collecting dynamic stories from Mike Birbiglia, Starlee Kine, Dan Savage, Ira Glass’s assembling of a cinema performance of a radio show succeeds in both being seen and heard. An orchestral conductor making his music with the wave of a hand.

Paul was when fiction turns to nonfiction.

Paul was the events all lined up, but not much of a story.

Paul was a ceramic coffee cup with four motivational sayings printed on it, one reading:

 

“Teamwork: Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”

Paul was

 

“The mood is right
The spirits up
We’re here tonight
And that’s enough…”

Paul was not.

Paul was bent.