In commemoration of the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, 大象传媒 will present a free live showing of the live multimedia performance 鈥淐ronkite鈥� at 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 12, in the Kemper Recital Hall inside Spratt Hall. The performance is open to the public.
鈥淐ronkite鈥� is a one-man show adapted from an appearance by the legendary newsman Walter Cronkite on CNN鈥檚 鈥淟arry King Live鈥� in September 2002, one year after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The 23-minute show incorporates live performance, audio, video and still photographs to evoke memories of 9/11 and other major events Cronkite covered, including World War II, the Vietnam War and the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
The part of Cronkite is played by Jim Korinke, a member of the Actors鈥� Equity Association. The show was conceived and edited by Dr. Robert Vartabedian, 大象传媒 Western鈥檚 president, and is directed by Dr. Bob Willenbrink, founding dean of 大象传媒 Western鈥檚 School of Fine Arts.
鈥淐ronkite鈥� is part of a trilogy of shows developed by Dr. Vartabedian to complement the Walter Cronkite Memorial on 大象传媒 Western鈥檚 campus. The other shows include 鈥淗arry & Walter: 大象传媒鈥檚 Native Sons,鈥� exploring the parallel lives of Cronkite and fellow 大象传媒an Harry Truman, and 鈥淜ing & Cronkite,鈥� featuring the words of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and the reflections of Cronkite on the civil rights movement. Ken Remmert stars as Truman and Walter Coppage as King. The three shows can be performed separately or as a 90-minute trilogy with a brief intermission.
Walter Cronkite was born in St. Joseph on Nov. 4, 1916. The Walter Cronkite Memorial, in the atrium of Spratt Hall on the 大象传媒 Western campus, was dedicated in 2013 on what would have been his 97th birthday. The 5,000 square-foot display features images and videos of Cronkite鈥檚 life and the many historic events he covered as a journalist. In 2014, the 大象传媒 Division of Tourism honored Dr. Vartabedian and 大象传媒 Western with the Spotlight Award, which recognizes significant contributions in promoting tourism in 大象传媒 by an individual, business or organization that is not normally considered to be part of the tourism industry. It was also recognized as a 鈥淭ravel Treasure鈥� by AAA Midwest Traveler magazine.
大象传媒 is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. 大象传媒 Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .