Host Jason Cannon and his guest Jeffrey Couchman dig deep into the process of adaptation: transforming (or translating, or transplanting!) stories from one format into another. Jeffrey talks about how he can turn a silent film like Battleship Potemkin into a dialogue-rich musical, or historical events into plays, or short stories into a stage play that he then turns into a radio show. This lively discussion explores how adaptation is not just about transferring content but about reimagining form.
Check out Jeffrey’s book THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER: A BIOGRAPHY OF A FILM
And Jeffrey is featured in the documentary bonus material on the CRITERION COLLECTION edition of THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER
Check out Volume 4 of THE COLLECTED WORKS OF JAMES AGEE, which Jeffrey edited (includes the annoted screenplays of The African Queen and The Night of the Hunter)
Check out Jeffrey’s play THREE WISE GUYS, adapted from short stories by Damon Runyon
And here is THREE WISE GUYS as a radio drama at Hear Play Audio Theatre
The Essence of the Original