The story of a legendary American social satirist
and icon of science fiction's golden age.
Performances will include:
A live reading by
Pittsburgh's own
William Tenn
A reading of
Tenn's short masterwork
"Bernie the Faust"
by members of
The Parallax Second Players
January 28th, 2006
Reception: 7:30 PM
meet William Tenn (Phil Klass)
refreshments will be served
Performance and reading: 8:00 PM
937 Liberty Avenue, downtown Pittsburgh
Admission: $15
Reservations: (412) 281- 8723 Ext. 24
Malacandra Productions presents
"William Tenn: a Writer's Life" written and directed by David Brody
produced by David Brody, Laurie D. T. Mann and John Regis
William Tenn: A Writer's Life will be a permanent video record of the life of one of the central figures of science fiction's "Golden Age." With the recent publication of three volumes of his collected fiction and non-fiction, Tenn's genius has been rediscovered and the 85 year-old retired college professor, whose real name is Phil Klass, has begun to receive the attention he deserves.
Considered science fiction's greatest social satirist, Tenn influenced the likes of Robert Silverberg, Daniel Keyes and Robert Sheckley, among many others. His stories were published in the leading fiction magazines of the 40's, 50's and 60's and have been reprinted extensively. Barry N. Malzberg said of William Tenn that he is "regarded with perhaps Theodore Sturgeon as the finest craftsmen of his generation."
Tenn's extraordinary life story has a narrative symmetry that lends itself to the video art form. Using interviews, photographs, stock footage and other representative material, William Tenn: a Writer's Life will investigate the link between Klass' leftist early life, his time in the military, his choice of science fiction as a creative outlet, and the effect of his academic career on his own writing as well as that of his students. Tenn's own voice, with its unique and evocative delivery, will be used as the narration.
The script will interpret the events of Tenn's life as a version of the immigrant American dream and will divide his story into four distinct but overlapping phases; each reminiscent of one of Shakespeare's "ages of life." It will chronicle these ages as the lives of a young radical, soldier, writer and then teacher.
Written and directed by New York City theater director and producer David Brody, William Tenn: a Writer's Life is being made with Phil Klass' full cooperation. Sharing duties as producers are Laurie D. T. Mann, the editor of Tenn's collection of nonfiction, and playwright John Regis. Regis is currently developing a stage adaptation of Tenn's novelette "Winthrop was Stubborn" for presentation as part of the 2006 Three Rivers Arts Festival. William Tenn: a Writer's Life is scheduled for a 2007 release.
PDF of benefit flyer. (2 Mg)