Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!news.tamu.edu!bcm.tmc.edu!cs.utexas.edu!howland.erols.net!news.mathworks.com!uunet!news-in2.uu.net!news.abs.net!explorer.csc.com!explorer.csc.com!not-for-mail From: rlooney@csc.com (Richard Looney) Newsgroups: alt.radio.networks.npr,rec.radio.broadcasting,rec.radio.noncomm,alt.answers,rec.answers,news.answers Subject: Joe Frank FAQ Followup-To: poster Date: 5 Oct 1996 10:22:41 -0400 Organization: Computer Sciences Corporation Lines: 796 Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.EDU Message-ID: <535qvh$rsr@explorer.csc.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: explorer.csc.com Summary: This posting contains a list of Frequently Asked Questions about the "Apostle of Radio Noir", Joe Frank of KCRW, Santa Monica X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2] Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu alt.radio.networks.npr:12341 rec.radio.broadcasting:28333 rec.radio.noncomm:5572 alt.answers:20998 rec.answers:24498 news.answers:83776 Archive-name: radio/drama/joe-frank Posting-Frequency: sporadic Last-Modified: October 5, 1996 Version: 4.5 Joe Frank v4.5 Frequently Asked Questions 10/96 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to the Joe Frank FAQ, posted sporadically to alt.radio.networks.npr, rec.radio.broadcasting, rec.radio.noncomm, rec.answers and news.answers. A new multimedia version is available on the web at wfmu.org/JF/joe_fran.html. This document was created by Richard Looney with assistance from many Joe Frank fans who are net.citizens. Additional information is welcome - please send to rlooney@csc.com. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contents: 1. Who is Joe Frank? -> Biography 2. What has he done? -> Chronological Listing of Radio Programs 3. How about video and writing? -> Listing of his non-radio work 4. Is he still on the radio? 5. Are tapes of the radio programs available? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Who is Joe Frank? Joe Frank is *not* the host of a long-running New York talk show, and a different Joe Frank (Carollo) was responsible for those top-40 hits from the early 1970s. Joe Frank is best known for the weekly radio show called "Work In Progress" he created in the studios of KCRW, Santa Monica between 1986 and 1992. His program was picked up by some of the more progressive public radio stations, since KCRW made it available 'on the satellite' via SASS. The following biography from KCRW was dated April 1990: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Joe Frank was born in Strasbourg, France of a Viennese mother and a Polish father. His family immigrated to New York City where Frank was raised and educated. Frank, who received a B.A. from Hofstra University, attended the Iowa Writers Workshop and subsequently taught at the Dalton School in Manhattan. In the mid 70's Frank joined WBAI, the New York Pacifica station, as a volunteer. By 1977 he was the host of "In The Dark," a late night entertainment program that featured Frank's monologues, improvised sketches, and live music. In 1978 Frank moved to Washington D.C., to anchor the weekend edition of "All Things Considered" on National Public Radio (NPR). From 1979 to 1985 he wrote, performed in, and produced 18 dramas for NPR Playhouse, garnering many broadcasting honors, including the 1982 Broadcast Media Award, the 1983 Radio Program Award from the Corporation For Public Broadcasting, two consecutive Gold Awards at the International Radio Festival of New York (1983 & 1984), the American Nomination to the 1984 Prix Italia and a Special Commendation from the Berlin Prix Futura (1985). In 1986, at the invitation of Ruth Hirschman, general manager of KCRW, Frank moved to Los Angeles where he created his own weekly one-hour program, "Joe Frank: Work In Progress" at the Santa Monica-based NPR station. In 1988 Frank won both the prestigious Major Armstrong Award and the Corporation For Public Broadcasting Program Award for his three-part series "Rent A Family." In February 1989 "Rent A Family" was adapted and directed by Paul Verdier at Stages Trilingual Theater. In March of 1989 Frank gave his first one-man show ("Joe Frank: In Performance") at the Museum Of Contemporary Art's Ahmanson Theater. Frank has published two plays, "The Decline Of Spengler" (New Directions 48, New York) and "A Tour Of The City" (Tanim Press, New York). A volume of fiction, "The Queen Of Puerto Rico And Other Stories" will be published by William Morrow (New York) next winter. Montreal's Theater Anima will present Frank's award-winning "A Tour Of The City" at Hangar Number 9 of the Old Port of Montreal in June 1990. This drama, featuring a cast including performers from Cirque du Soleil, will be under the direction of Jordan Dietcher. Michael Mann, creator of the television series "Miami Vice" and "Crime Story," has purchased the rights to Frank's radio monologue, "Night" and plans to adapt it for a feature film. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Starting in 1993, Joe changed the title of his show to "In The Dark". In early 1995 it was announced that Joe Frank would be 'taking a break' from "In The Dark", and it was removed from the KCRW schedule. Repeats of old shows are still broadcast from a few stations. Joe Frank began a new show called "Somewhere Out There" on KCRW in January 1996. 2. What has he done? Chronological List of Joe Frank's radio programs This listing began as the Work In Progress Program List received from KCRW in 1987. That list was then augmented by the author of this FAQ as new shows were broadcast. The productions were originally listed by KCRW as either monologues (M), dramas (D), or both (MD). This FAQ continues that tradition, but simplifies it such that programs with a single vocalist are listed as monologues (performed by Joe Frank unless noted otherwise) and programs featuring multiple performers are marked as dramas. Additional information augments this listing: (cast members of the dramas are enclosed in parentheses) ... based upon the credits announced at the conclusion of each program - note that there may be misspellings! The following key identifies those performers who appear more than twice: AH Avery Hart AJ Annalee Jeffries AM Arthur Miller BD Beth Dixon BM Bernie Mantell BS Barbara Sommers DR David Rapkin DSJ David St. James ES Eric Sears FMA F. Murray Abraham FZ Farley Ziegler GZ Grace Zabriskie HP Harvey Per HW Helen Wilson IW Irene Wagner JP Joseph Palmieri LB Larry Block LE Laura Esterman LM Larry Massett LN Lester Navscer MH Mark Hammer NA Nick Aulette PM Paul Mantell RC Ryan Cutrona RF Rosemary Foley TJ Tim Jerome [ musical artist and title is noted between square brackets ] Some sources of background music used in selected programs are identified. { Comments are enclosed in curly brackets } The author of this FAQ has annotated the listing with a few comments. >>> various NPR Productions <<< 1978 ----- The 80 Yard Run monologue - one hour { KCRW's program list placed this show in the middle of the 1979 entries, but a KCRW announcer's introduction to this program claimed this to be Joe Frank's very first show, initially broadcast in 1978 } 1979 ----- A Call in the Night drama - one hour (BD, ES, AM, BM, IW & Joe) Arena drama - one hour (AJ, AM, BM, RF, ES, Joe & TJ) The Death of Trotsky monologue - one hour [ Miles Davis, "Solea", from "Sketches of Spain" ] 'Til You're Gone drama - one hour (AM, Robin Bartlette, TJ, BM, IW, ES, RF, DSJ, Marcel Rosenblatt & Joe) Summer Notes drama - one hour (TJ, BD, AM, LN, RF, BM, Fran Dorn, DSJ & Joe) 1980 ----- The Rare Recording drama - half hour (BM, ES, AM, IW, FMA, Christina Moore & Joe) Joe Frank in Concert monologue - half hour { Live segments recorded at Bushido, a gallery in NYC } 1982 ----- The Decline of Spengler drama - one hour (Joe, BS, JP, LN, IW, TJ, Leslie Katz (or Cass), DR, RF, Charles Potter, AM & Brother Theodore) [ Steve Reich, from "Music for Eighteen Musicians" ] Lies drama - one hour (Joe, MH, FMA, BS, Christina Moore, TJ, AM & Jane Hunt) [ Mother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece Company, "Ceres Motion" ] [ Philip Glass, "Part One" from "Music In Twelve Parts" ] [ Steve Reich, from "Music for Eighteen Musicians" ] { contains "The Night Watchman", which was used to conclude All Things Considered on Halloween, 1979 } 1983 ----- The End drama - half hour Pilot drama - half hour (BS, Clark Gordon, PM, LB, IW, Joe, AM & TJ) [ Pat Metheny, "As Falls Wichita, So Falls Witchita Falls" ] The Queen of Puerto Rico monologue - half hour Sales monologue - half hour [ Steve Tibbetts, "Walking" from "Northern Song" ] Warheads drama - half hour (LN, PM, AM, MH, IW & Joe) Questions drama - half hour (TJ, MH, AM, PM, ES, IW & Joe) 1984 ----- A Tour of the City drama - part 1 one hour, part 2 half hour (Alan Hunter, Marilyn Casky, BS, AM, Richard Bower, TJ, MH, JP, LB & Joe) [ Steve Reich, from "Six Marimbas" ] [ Harold Budd, "Flowered Knife Shadows" from "Lovely Thunder" ] [ Brian Eno, from "On Land" ] [ Tangerine Dream, "Remote Viewing", from "Exit" ] [ Popol Vuh, "Brothers of Darkness - Sons of Light" from the soundtrack of Herzog's "Nosferatu" ] Across the River drama - half hour (AM, PM, LN, AH & Joe) 1985 ----- Dreams of the River monologue - one hour Dear Annie monologue - one hour A Pact With God monologue - one hour Pretender monologue - one hour When She's Asleep, She Looks Like an Angel monologue - one hour >>> Work In Progress <<< 1986 ----- Photography drama - one hour (TJ, NA, Sandy Fazin, DR, LN, AM & Joe) Rain drama - one hour (Angel, Shawn, Dinah, Chantell, LN, LM, Scott Carrier & Joe) Talking About Love drama - one hour (Dennis, Doug, Danny, Bobby & Craig) Another Country (parts 1, 2, and 3) monologue - three hours [ Philip Glass, "Facades", from "Glassworks" ] [ Eno/Byrne, "Qu'ran" from "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts" ] A Landing Strip in the Jungle monologue - one hour No Show monologue - two hours { subsequently edited and broadcast as a one-hour version } Let Me Not Dream monologue - one hour [ Brian Eno, from "Thursday Afternoon" ] Case Studies drama - one hour (AM, NA, TJ & Joe) Cocktails Before Dinner monologue - one hour [ Jon Hassell, "Power Spot" and "Wing Melodies" from "Power Spot" ] Dreamland monologue - one hour An American Flower monologue - one hour [ Ry Cooder, from the soundtrack of "Paris, Texas" ] { also broadcast as: Rose } Why I Don't Love You Anymore monologue - one hour Tell Me What To Do monologue - one hour Highways West monologue - one hour [ Fred Simon, "Time and the River" from "Usually/Always" ] [ Brian Eno, "Always Returning", from "Apollo" ] Night Ride drama - one hour (TJ, MH, JP, Alan Hunter, LN, AJ, FMA, AM & Joe) [ Steve Reich, from "Six Marimbas" ] [ Gavin Bryars, from the original "Sinking of the Titanic" ] [ Harold Budd, "Flowered Knife Shadows" from "Lovely Thunder" ] { continuation of A Tour of the City } 1987 ----- Rent A Family (parts 1, 2, and 3) drama - three hours (BS, MH, AM, TJ, NA, Carolyn Swift, LB, Lynn, Sarah, Carmen, Thomas, Timo, Sharon, & Christa) [ Harold Budd, "Gypsy Violin", from "Lovely Thunder" ] In the Middle of Nowhere (parts 1, 2, and 3) drama - three hours (TJ, LB, AM, LE & RC) [ Andreas Vollenwieder, "The Stone" from "White Winds" ] The Policemens' Ball drama - one hour (TJ, AM, NA, LB, BS, Steve Friedman, Denny Partridge & Joe) [ Rossini's "William Tell Overture" performed by the Portsmouth Sinfonia ] He Hesitated monologue - one hour [ Eno/Moebius/Roedelius, "Foreign Affairs", from "After The Heat" Frank Sinatra, "All My Tomorrows", from the soundtrack of "A Hole in the Head" ] At The Border monologue - one hour Thank You, You're Beautiful drama - one hour (LE & Joe) [ Harvey Sachs, "What the World Needs Now" ] [ Popol Vuh, "Brothers of Darkness - Sons of Light" from the soundtrack of Herzog's "Nosferatu" ] To The Bar Life monologue - one hour 1988 ----- The Emergency Room drama - one hour (AM, TJ, LB, PM, LN & Joe) Stories For Nothing monologue - one hour Building A Church drama - one hour (TJ, Tess, AM, Richard Eisner & Joe) [ Bill Nelson, "West Deep" and "The Spirit Cannot Fail" from "Chance Encounters in the Garden of Lights" ] The Street drama - one hour { vocalists unidentified } Lines monologue - one hour Words monologue - one hour Five Part Dissonance drama - one hour (ES, AM, AH, PM, FMA, AJ & Joe) { contains excerpts from Joe Frank in Concert } Emerald Isle drama - one hour (Fionualla Flannigan, LB & Joe) Home monologue by GZ - one hour Islands monologue - one hour Sleep monologue - one hour 1989 ----- Performer drama - one hour (LN, Julie Renick & Joe) [ Enya, "Watermark" and "River", from "Watermark" ] The More I Know You drama - one hour (A. Lorey, Antony Becker & GZ) Road To Hell monologue - one hour Nausea monologue - one hour [ Yello, "The Race" from "Flag" ] Bad drama - one hour (TJ, Tess Steincolk, AM, LB, PM & Joe) { essentially the same as Building A Church } Great Lives drama - one hour (AM, RC, TJ, Julie Renick & Joe) Night (parts 1 and 2) monologue - two hours [ Meredith Monk, "Turtle Dreams (Waltz)", from "Turtle Dreams" ] 1990 ----- The Truth About Women (parts 1 and 2) drama - two hours I'm Not Crazy monologue - one hour [ Andreas Vollenwieder, "Flight Feet & Root Hands" from "White Winds" ] Iceland (parts 1, 2, and 3) monologue - three hours [ Eno, Moebius & Roedelius, "Tzima N'arki" from "After The Heat" ] 1991 ----- The Dictator (parts 1, 2, and 3) monologue - three hours [ Enigma, "Principle of Lust", from "MCMXC" ] [ David Van Tieghem, "They Drive By Night", from "Strange Cargo" ] On The Edge monologue - one hour 1992 ----- Redneck Rounder monologue by J. B. Allison - one hour El Cholo (The Beginning) monologue - one hour { vocalist unidentifed } The Best monologue - one hour In The Dark (parts 1 and 2) monologue - two hours { with Theo Mondel & Debbie Devine } [ Thomas Newman, from the soundtrack of "The Player" ] [ Kurt Neumann, from the soundtrack of "The Bonfire of the Vanities" ] Two Babes drama - two hours (Nancy Condy & Mimi Calpestory) >>> In The Dark <<< 1993 ----- God drama - half hour (Joe, GZ, RC, HP & HW) Problems drama - half hour (Joe, GZ, RC, Phil Procter & Alan Arbus) Pilgrim (parts 1 and 2) drama - one hour (Joe, AM, GZ, HW, Florina Federescou & Douglas Johnson) Smile drama - half hour (Joe, FZ, LB, AM, GZ, Bob Gordon, Naomi Schwarz & Mike Mallone) [ Mark Isham's Sextet , from the soundtrack of "Little Man Tate" ] Green Cadillac monologue - half hour When I'm Calling You monologue - half hour The Loved One drama - half hour (Joe, GZ, AM, LE, LN, FZ, Heidi Nordberg & HP) Coma drama - half hour (Joe, GZ, Patrick Buche & LB) [ Harold Budd/Brian Eno, "The Silver Ball", from "The Pearl" ] Just A Closer Walk With Thee monologue - half hour A Special Family monologue - half hour [ Brian Eno, "Thursday Afternoon" ] 1994 ----- Tomorrow monologue - half hour The Cruise monologue - half hour Hit Man monologue - half hour A Natural Disaster drama - half hour (Joe, AM, RC & LB) Joe Frank's America drama - half hour That Night drama - half hour (Joe, GZ, RC, HP, Carol Katz, HW, Donna Hardy, Mark Henning & Douglas Johnson) Just Hold Me monologue - half hour [ William Orbit, "Water From A Vine Leaf" from "Strange Cargo 3" ] Hawaii monologue by Tim Jerome - half hour { also broadcast as: A Trip to Hawaii } Soul Mate monologue by Laura Esterman - half hour Either/Or (parts 1 and 2) drama - one hour (AM, Maude Davis & Joe) Anthology of Love (parts 1 and 2) drama - one hour (TJ, BD and TJ, AM) Jerry's World (parts 1, 2 and 3) drama - 90 minutes (HP) Loner drama - half hour (vocalists unidentified) The Last Run drama - half hour (David Cross, RC & Joe) Prayer drama - half hour (GZ) Haiti drama - half hour (Rick Overton, Paul & Sonya Verdiya, Tucker Smallwood, Irving Gelman, DR & Joe) A Hearing drama - half hour (David Cross, Bob Odenkirk, Marty Castor & Joe) 1995 ----- Raymond monologue - half hour Insomnia monologue by Dana Gold - half hour Third World Country monologue - half hour Hotline drama - half hour (Davis Black) In A Lonely Place monologue by Julia Sweeney - half hour Lila and the Professor monologue - half hour { excerpts from Iceland } Streetwise drama - half hour (William Reinart & J.P Fenyo) >>> Somewhere Out There <<< 1996 ----- Eye In The Sky monologue - one hour Three Shingles Obsession The Sacred The Road To Cavalry Red Sea Escape From Paradise Justine An Enterprising Man Just Get Me Out of Here 3. How about video and writing? Listing of his non-radio work Joe Frank on screen: ----------------------------------------- A short video was presented at the Santa Monica Public Library in 1988. It showed Joe speaking in the KCRW studio, a woman driving up to a pay phone and making the calls heard in "Thank You, You're Beautiful", and material from "Pretender", including the scene of Joe with the pillows stuffed up his shirt. Jerry Summers, one of Joe Frank's cohorts in the studio, says that "... Joe did a short for CBS for a late-night summer-replacement show called 'The Midnight Hour'. The piece was 'Memories', a re-working of a WIP story. It aired (as I recall) late August or early September 1990, on the final night of 'Midnight Hour'." A short film has been aired as filler on the Los Angeles PBS station, KCET, showing a montage of urban images (among which is Joe at the microphone) accompanying the first segment from "Islands". Three shorts are available on Playboy's "Inside Out" anthology series, released on videotape in 1992: Volume 2 contains "The Hitchhiker" (which dramatizes the first segment of "Nausea") Volume 3 contains "The Perfect Woman" (which is similar to part of "Sleep", and also dramatizes part of "The End") Volume 4 contains "Jilted Lover" Joe Frank stars in these features. ... and the 1995 Zima commercial Joe Frank in print: --------------------------------------------- An article about Joe called "Radio Noir", by Jamie Diamond, can be found in the Los Angeles Times Magazine of Sunday, November 22, 1987. The Wall Street Journal profiled him in an article in their March 15, 1988 edition. Another article, by Dick Lochte, called "Frankly, Joe's Branching Out", appeared in the March 1989 issue of Los Angeles Magazine. Much more verbiage (generally quite favorable) appeared in the wake of the release of his book of short stories, _The Queen of Puerto Rico_, which was published in 1993 by William Morrow and Company of New York. Contents of _The Queen of Puerto Rico_ : Tell Me What To Do Fat Man Night Green Cadillac Date The Queen of Puerto Rico Winter The Decline of Spengler { Fat Man contains material from "Dreams of the River", and Winter has similarities to "When She's Asleep, She Looks like an Angel" } Joe Frank on disk - commercial recordings: --------------------------------------------- "Strange Cargo Hinterland" is a 1995 William Orbit production. It's a CD on the Discovery label. The track "Montok Point" contains some brief monologues by Joe Frank. 4. Is he still on the radio? The following stations play Somewhere Out There: KCRW 89.9 FM http://www.kcrw.org Santa Monica College Santa Monica, California Sundays at 11AM WFMU 91.1 FM http://wfmu.org Upsalla College East Orange, New Jersey Thursdays at 7PM The following stations play repeats of Work In Progress or In The Dark: KDVS 90.3 FM http://www.kdvs.org Davis, California Saturdays at 11PM KPFA 94.1 FM http://www.kpfa.org Berkeley, California Thursdays at 11PM 5. Are tapes of the radio programs available? Joe Frank's programs are available on tape from KCRW. Write to them for more information at: KCRW 1900 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90405 or call 310-450-5183 or 800-392-8855 Several Somewhere Out There programs are available on KCRW's Joe Frank web page (www.kcrw.org/c/jfrank.html) in the Real Audio format. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a living document. If you have any corrections or updates, especially concerning the schedule on your local station, please email rlooney@csc.com. Entire contents copyright 1996 by Richard Looney. Noncommercial redistribution permitted.