wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

On Demand

Program Schedule

Topics

Selected Shorts / July 13, 2008

Selected Shorts

Sunday, July 13, 2008
Previous Episode | Next Episode
  • The Eyes
    (darkpatator/flickr)

    'The Eyes' Have It

    ”He had been then, and always, essentially a spectator, a humorous, detached observer of the immense, muddled variety show of life, slipping out of his seat now and then for a brief dip into the convivialities at the back of the house, but never as far as one knew showing the least desire to jump on the stage, and do a turn.
    - Edith Wharton, “The Eyes”

    A classic haunting, in polite society.

    One of SELECTED SHORTS most cherished touring venues is The Mount, Edith Wharton’s gracious home in the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts. And just as she used to host such luminaries as Henry James, coaxing him to read aloud, so she has created, in “The Eyes,” a story within a story. A group of gentlemen has just finished telling ghost stories for their own amusement when their host irrevocably alters things with a personal narrative both gripping and grotesque.

    Host Isaiah Sheffer calls reader Charles Keating “a master of the macabre,” and it is apt that he starred in a short-lived television series called "Going to Extremes." Keating played Rex in the celebrated adaptation of "Brideshead Revisited," and had two seasons with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Other theatre credits include "What the Butler Saw," "A Man for All Seasons" and "Pygmalion." Keating spoke with us from his home in Connecticut about what has shaped his approach to drama and language, and how he came to grips with Wharton’s densely layered work.

    “The Eyes,” by Edith Wharton, read by Charles Keating.

    For additional works featured on SELECTED SHORTS, please visit Symphony Space

Comments

  • [1] Kevin Lynch from Washington, DC July 16, 2008 - 10:55AM

    Charles Keating delivered the most spectacular reading of this Wharton story. As dark and macabre stories go, "The Eyes" is a very delicate and subtle jewel. I frankly never understood what the story was driving at until I heard Keating's performance. Bravo!

    From the Producer:

    Dear Kevin:

    Thank you so much for your kind comments, which we will share with Charles, who is one of our jewels!

This thread is closed.