Arts companies will celebrate ‘Modesto Noir’ with lectures, radio plays, discussions
Film noir will be celebrated over the next few months by a trio of Modesto arts groups.
“Modesto Noir” will be presented by the State Theatre, Prospect Theater Project and Gallo Center Repertory Company, all nonprofits, from April through August, according to a press release from the State Theatre. It will include a series of radio plays, lectures on classic films and discussions.
It will feature “monthly evenings dedicated to this unique and popular movie style,” the release said. “Film noir describes classic American black-and-white movies of the 1940s and ’50s, which feature dangerous deeds and love gone wrong, hardboiled detectives and deadly women, snappy dialogue and bold camerawork.”
The series will focus on radio shows presented by Prospect Theater and Gallo Rep.
People will have to screen the radio shows and the films themselves. The State Theatre will host free recorded lectures about each film and an online discussion of the film and its radio play adaptation. Links to the events, as well as readings about the history and influence of film noir, will be found on the State Theatre website, www.thestate.org.
“We’re very excited to introduce this new series, especially during these trying times when people really need a little entertainment,” State Theatre Executive Director Kirstie Boyett said in the release. “Films noir are so popular, and the radio adaptations offer fascinating twists on the original movies. People who watch the films and radio plays are in for a real treat. And our discussions promise to be a lot of fun.”
Boyett will moderate the online Zoom discussions, which will include play directors, cast members and technical specialists.
Planned lineup for events
The series begins with Prospect Theater’s Radio Cavalcade production April 9-10 of “The Postman Always Rings Twice,” based on the 1946 film, according to the release. The State will post a discussion of the film on April 8 by Stanislaus State Professor Arnold Anthony Schmidt and Modesto Junior College Professor Emeritus Randy Siefkin.
Siefkin also will host an online discussion April 15 with members of the Prospect production.
Prospect’s play will stream April 9-11 and tickets are $10. Go to prospecttheaterproject.org to purchase.
There will be a film discussion of two different noirs on May 13, both titled “The Hitchhiker.” The Gallo Rep radio play based on Orson Welles’s 1941 program can be found at https://youtu.be/G7xuP48RxDs and is free. The discussion also will feature Ida Lupino’s similarly titled but different 1953 film. Gallo Rep actors and others will join the online discussion May 20.
On June 10, the lecture will explore the 1948 film “Sorry, Wrong Number.” The June 17 discussion will focus on the film and its Prospect radio play adaptation, inviting Prospect’s actors and technicians to talk about the project. The Prospect production will stream June 11-13 on the company’s website.
On July 8, there will be a lecture about Frank Capra’s 1944 film, “Arsenic and Old Lace” – not a true noir, according to the press release, though it does revolve around murder. On July 15, the Gallo Rep cast and technicians will provide background into their radio play adaptation, which can be screened free at https://youtu.be/AnAmjhrt5Fo.
The final event begins Aug. 12 and focuses on John Houston’s 1941 film, “The Maltese Falcon.” A discussion with cast and crew of the Gallo Rep production will be held on Aug. 19. Gallo Rep’s free version can be found at https://youtu.be/q3Okt3m7idY.
This story was originally published March 30, 2021 at 10:49 AM.
