♪
>> Stephen: HEY. WELCOME BACK. YOU'RE ALL RIGHT. >> Jon: GOT TO FEEL ALL RIGHT. >> Stephen: LADIES AND
GENTLEMEN, MY FIRST GUEST IS A WRITER,
PODCAST HOST, AND ICON OF STAGE AND SCREEN. PLEASE WELCOME THE GREAT ALAN
ALDA! (APPLAUSE). ♪ SCIENCE -- IT'S VERY NICE,
WELL, WE KNOW YOU AS AN ♪ SCIENCE -- IT'S VERY NICE,
WELL, WE KNOW YOU AS AN AWARD-WINNING ACTOR, WRITER,
DIRECTOR BUT YOU'VE ADDED WITH THE PODCAST A NEW TITLE, THAT IS
INTERVIEWER. >> YEAH. >> Stephen: NOT SO EASY, IS
IT, BUDDY? >> NO, I LOVE IT. THE I TALK TO THE MOST
INTERESTING PEOPLE IN THE WORLD. >> Stephen: YOU TALK TO ALAN
ALDA? >> I FREQUENTLY DO, AS A MATTER
OF FACT, YEAH. >> Stephen: I LOVE ONE OF THE
QUESTIONS YOU ASKED YOUR GUESTS ARE, AND THE PODCAST IS CALLED
CLEAR AND VIVID. >> YEAH, CLEAR AND VIFER I HAD
BECAUSE IT IS ABOUT COMMUNICATING AND RELATING, SO
IN ALL FIELDS, ALL AREAS OF LIFELIKE MUSIC, WE HAVE YO-YO MA
AND ITZAK PEARLMAN, TOM HANKS, EVERY PART OF LIFE REQUIRES GOOD
COMMUNICATION. SO WE HAVE A FORMER CHIEF
HOSTAGE NEGOTIATOR FOR THE FBI, AND HE SAID HIS TECHNIQUES FOR
NEGOTIATING THE RELEASE OF A HOSS TAJ ARE VERY USEFUL IN A
MARRIAGE. (LAUGHTER). >> Stephen: WHICH IS GIVE THEM
EVERYTHING THEY WANT AND TRY TO STOP THEM BEFORE THEY GET TO THE
PLANE? WHY DID YOU WANT TO DO A
PODCAST. I KNOW IT IS THE HIP YOUNG
THING. >> THE REASON I DO THE PODCAST
IS THAT IT'S FUN. (APPLAUSE). >> Stephen: YOU HAVE TWO,
RIGHT, SO THERE IS CLEAR AND VIVID. >> THE OTHER ONE IS SCIENCE
CLEAR AND VIFD, WE ARE DOING A SERIES OF WOMEN SCIENTISTS, IT'S
REALLY FASCINATING. >> Stephen: CERTAINLY ALL
SCIENCE SHOULD BE CLEAR AND VIFD. >> THAT IS THE IDEA. I MEAN SCIENTISTS NEED TO BE
ABLE TO SPEAK SPEAK TO THE PUBLIC AND EXPLAIN WHAT THEY DO
SO WE UNDERSTAND IT SO WE CAN MAKE DECISIONS DECISIONS ABOUT W
FUND AND WHAT TO COMPLAIN ABOUT AND THAT KIND OF THING. BUT THEY ALSO HAVE TO BE ABLE TO
COMMUNICATE WITH ONE ANOTHER. AND FOR INSTANCE ONE OF OUR, I'M
SO PROUD, THE CENTER FOR COMMUNICATING SCIENCE WHICH I
HELPED START AT STONNEEBROOK UNIVERSITY TEACHES COMMUNICATION
TO SCIENTISTS AND DOCTORS, NURSES. IT'S IMPORTANT, COMMUNICATION IS
SO IMPORTANT IN THE DOCTOR'S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PATIENT. I HAD THE BEST EXPERIENCE WITH A
DOCTOR. I WAS IN CHILE INTERVIEWING THIS
CLIMBER THAT WAS ON TOP OF A MOUNTAIN AND I GOT A WRENCHED
GUT. MY GUT GOT ALL CAUGHT UP AND WAS
LOSING BLOOD SUPPLY. WITHIN ABOUT TWO HOURS I WAS
GOING TO BE DEAD. SO THEY TOOK ME DOWN THE
MOUNTAIN TO THIS LITTLE HOSPITAL. IN THIS SMALL TOWN. AND THERE WAS THIS BRILLIANT
SURGEON THERE. AND HE COMMUNICATED TO ME SO
BEAUTIFULLY. HE SAID HERE IS WHAT IS
HAPPENING. SOME OF YOUR INTESTINE HAS GONE
BAD AND WE HAVE TO CUT OUT THE BAD PART AND SEW THE TWO GOOD
ENDS TOGETHER. AND I SAID OH YOU'RE GOING TO DO
AN END-TO-END ANASTOMOSIS. (APPLAUSE)
HE SAID HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT. I SAID OH, I DID MANY OF THEM ON
"MASH." >> Stephen: ONE OF THE
GREATEST SHOWS OF ALL TIME. I KNOW ITS THAT BEEN A LONG TIME
SINCE YOU DID IT BUT WHAT ARE YOUR FONDEST MEMORIES OF DOING
THAT SHOW. >> IT'S BEEN 50 YEARS. I DON'T HAVE ANY. >> Stephen: WIPED CLEAN. >> NO, I'M JUST KIDDING AROUND. WE DO LOVE EACH OTHER, THOSE OF
US WHO ARE LEFT. AND WE GET TOGETHER AS MUCH AS
WE CAN. I TRY TO VISIT CALIFORNIA ONCE A
YEAR MAINLY TO SEE THOSE PEOPLE. >> Stephen: WOW. LEAST FOND MEMORY OF DOING THE
SHOW FOR 11 YEARS. BECAUSE THAT IS ONE OF THE
GREATEST T STRRKS RECORDS OF ALL TIME. >> I DON'T-- YOU KNOW, WE WENT
INTO THIS CAVE OF THE SOUND STAGE BEFORE DAWN AND WE LEFT IN
THE DARK AT THE END OF THE DAY AND WE SPENT 11 YEARS JUST WITH
RUN ANOTHER. SO IT IS LIKE SAYING WHAT IS
YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY OF YOUR FAMILY. YOU HEAR THAT FAMILY WORD A LOT. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE
MEMORY. OH YEAH, I DID GET SPANKED A
LOT. >> Stephen: THE WHOLE THING
ABOUT GOING INTO THE CAVE AND BEING THERE ALL DAY, THAT IS A
BIG PART OF BEING A PERFORMER THAT PEOPLE DON'T NECESSARILY
KNOW WHO AREN'T IN SHOWBIZ. WE BOTH WERE AT DIFFERENT TIMES
MEMBERS OF THE SECOND CITY FAMILY IN CHICAGO. (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
>> HALF THE AUDIENCE IS FROM CHICAGO. >> Stephen: WE SHIP THEM IN. THERE WAS A DIRECTOR AND TEACHER
THERE NAMED JOSEPHINE FORCEBERG WHO SAID FOR PEOPLE FAMOUS IN MY
GENERATION, SHE SAID TO A YOUNG ACTOR SO YOU WANT TO DO THIS FOR
A LIVING. AND HE GOES YES, YES, I REALLY
DOSM AND SHE SAID BE PREPARED TO SPEND MANY BEAUTIFUL DAYS IN
DARK, DIRTY ROOMS. SNS. >> ISN'T THAT INTERESTING. THEATERS ARE SO, THEY HAVE A
SPECIAL SMELL FROM THE DIRT. >> Stephen: YES, CABARET
THEATERS EVEN MORE BECAUSE OF ALL THE BEER SOAKED INTO THAT. UNBELIEVABLY FILTHY. >> I ACTUALLY LOVE THAT SMELL OF
BACKSTAGE. WELL, I LOVE THE SMELL OF BEER,
ACTUALLY. >> Stephen: WELL, WHAT DID YOU
TAKE FROM THAT, DOING IMPROVE SPHWHRAITION CERTAINLY SHAPED
WHO MI AS A PERFORMER. >> IT COMPLETELY CHANGED ME AND
I THINK IT HAS CHANGED EVERY ACTOR WHO HAS DONE IT FOR SOME
PERIOD OF TIME. BECAUSE YOU GET-- DID YOU EVER
DO THE VIOLA PROIM VIEZING. >> HI IMIMPROVIZATION BY BIOLA
WITH THE EXERCISES INSIDE, YES. >> THE THING IS YOU GET, THE
BASIS OF IT IS CONNECTION WITH THE OTHER PERSON, THAT IS WHY
WHEN WE TRAIN SCIENTISTS TO COMMUNICATE BETTER, WE START
WITH AN IMPROVIZATION EXERCISE. >> Stephen: DO THE IMPROV. >> YES, SOME BASIC EXPERIENCES
BECAUSE YOU CAN'T REALLY COMMUNICATE WITH SOMEBODY UNLESS
YOU LET THEM INTO YOUR FIELD OF VISION, YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS. AND IF YOU DO THAT, YOU KNOW IF
THEY ARE FOLLOWING YOU, IF THEY ARE SIM PATHETIC TO WHAT ARE YOU
SAYING OR IF THEY ARE IN LEFT FIELD SOMEWHERE. AND YOU CAN GET IT TBAK TO THEM. ALSO IF YOU ARE GOING TO TALK TO
THEM WITH-- NOT AN ARGUMENT, I MEAN TO SAY A POINT OF VIEW THAT
THEY MIGHT NOT GO FOR, YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHO THEY ARE. AND PART OF THAT IS LISTENING TO
THEM, WATCHING THEM, AND THEN YOU KNOW HOW TO SPEAK TO THEM SO
THAT YOU DON'T O HE-- OFFEND THEM OR TURN THEM OFF. IF IS REALLY SOMETHING THAT
EVERY FAMILY NEEDS NOW BECAUSE FAMILIES DON'T TALK TO ONE
ANOTHER. >> Stephen: YOU ALSO, YOU WERE
ON BROADWAY AT 19, IS THAT TRUE? >> I WAS UNDERSTUDYING ANOTHER
ACTOR WHEN I WAS 19. I WAS IN COLLEGE. AND THE SHOW OPENED DURING THE
CHRISTMAS VACATION. AND IT CLOSED BY THE TIME WE
WENT BACK TO SCHOOL. (LAUGHTER)
BUT THAT'S NOTHING. HAVE I BEEN IN PLAYS THAT CLOSED
DURING THE INTERMISSION. >> Stephen: REALLY. >> ALMOST. >> Stephen: AND DO YOU MISS
BEING ON-- DO YOU MISS BEING ON STAGE, DO YOU MISS THEATER. >> NO, I'M MOST AT HOME ON THE
STAGE, TO BE WITH YOU FOLKS TONIGHT IS A REAL PLEASURE. IN A GREAT THEATER. (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
I JUST, I LOVE THE STAGE. THE STAGE IS ELEMENTAL. YOU ARE ALL IN THE SAME ROOM
TOGETHER AND YOU ARE ALL GOING TO SOME IMAGINARY PLACE
TOGETHER. AND IT IS ALL AN ACTIVE
IMAGINATION. >> Stephen: DOES IMPROV EVER
COME INTO YOUR, LIKE YOUR STRAIGHT THEATER WORK. LIKE WHEN THINGS GO SIDEWAYS DO
YOU HAVE TO SORT OF ROLL WITH SOMETHING UNEXPECTED. >> AT THE TIME I WAS VERY YOWK I
WEUSED TO LOVE IT WHEN AN ACTOR WOULD FORGET TO MAKE AN
ENTRANCE. BECAUSE THEN I HAD THE WHOLE
PLAY TO MYSELF. AND I COULD MAKE UP ANYTHING I
WANTED. I COULD EVEN WRITE THEM OUT OF
THE PLAY. >> Stephen: ALAN, WE HAVE TO
TAKE A QUICK BREAK, PLEASE DON'T GO ANYWHERE, WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK
WITH MORE ALAN ALDA. (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
Glad his mind seems still sharp. Those hand tremors would be a nightmare in the OR.
Thanks for sharing! He's really aged quite a bit these last few years. The tremors make me sad. Alan Alda is a true gift to humanity and we are so lucky to have him.
Bless him. 💚