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Written by award-winning Nashville music journalist Edward Morris, "The Passion of Ethel Rosenberg" is a one-person, three-act radio play and podcast that focuses on the nearly three years Ethel (portrayed by Keri Pagetta) and her husband, Julius, spent in prison on charges of spying for Russia before being executed by electric chair in 1953. From her prison cell, she recalls her impoverished upbringing on New York’s Lower East Side, and reflects on the choices she made and ambitions she’ll never achieve. Based largely on actual letters exchanged in prison between Ethel and Julius and primary sources from that time, the play imagines Ethel’s agony at the prospect of being executed and leaving her two young sons behind. It also traces her transition from an aspiring and talented singer to a fervent political activist and focuses on a love for her husband so passionate that she unflinchingly followed him to the electric chair. The three acts are followed by an interview episode with Morris and Pagetta. The play is introduced by Natasha Senjanovic, a Nashville-based Pulitzer Center grantee, reporter, producer and editor, and scored by Nashville musician and producer Joe Pisapia (Guster, k.d. lang and others). Photos by David Poag. Directed for podcast by Keri and Joe Pagetta based on the original direction for the stage by Carolyn German. It was produced by Keri and Joe Pagetta. To support this podcast, visit https://passionofethelrosenberg.podbean.com/ and click the "Donate" link.
The Passion of Ethel Rosenberg (a Radio Play)
Credits and Bios
Playwright: Edward Morris
Actor: Keri Pagetta
Editor: Joe Pisapia
Score: Joe Pisapia
Host: Natasha Senjanovic
Director: Keri Pagetta and Joe Pagetta (based on original direction for the stage by Carolyn German)
Producer: Keri Pagetta and Joe Pagetta
Contact:
DramaticInterpretations [at] gmail.com
Bios:
Edward Morris (Playwright)
Edward Morris has reported and written columns for CMT.com since 1999. He is also a book reviewer for BookPage and Foreword. A former country music editor for Billboard, where he worked from 1981 to 1995, he has also written for Country Music, Country Weekly, Journal of Country Music, Country Music Today, Bluegrass Unlimited, Hollywood Reporter, TV Guide, McCall’s, Amusement Business, Advertising Age and International Musician. His books include At Carter Stanley’s Grave: Musings on Country Music and Musicians; Garth Brooks: Platinum Cowboy; Alabama; and Edward Morris’ Complete Guide to Country Music Videos (a summary of which appears in the 2014 International Country Music Journal). He is the recipient of the print journalist award from the International Bluegrass Music Assn. and the Charley Lamb journalist award from the International Country Music Conference. Morris was a contributing writer to the Time Life series Legends of Country Music. Before he became a professional writer, Morris taught English and journalism at colleges in Ohio, Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
Keri Pagetta (Actor, Director and Producer)
Keri Pagetta is a voice, stage and screen actor best known for voicing a variety of characters for the cartoon, Veggie Tales. Her professional theater credits in Nashville include Voices of Nashville and Almost Maine (TWTP), Devil Sedan (Playhouse Nashville) and Smoke on the Mountain (Chaffin’s Barn). On the screen, she has been in several short films, including winners of the 48-Hour Film Festival. Her TV credits include commercials for the Tennessee Lottery and Dollar General and the CMT comedy, Still the King. She has also been in digital industrial shorts, commercials and print pieces for Hanes, Chinet, Life
Joe Pisapia (Editor and Composer)
Joe Pisapia is a singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist best known for his work as a member of Guster and k.d. lang and the Siss Boom Bang. He co-produced and co-wrote Guster’s 2006 release, Ganging Up On the Sun, an album that cracked Billboard’s Top 25 and was one of the best selling internet albums of the year. He did the same on the band’s 2010 Easy Wonderful. He produced and penned the title track for Lang’s 2011 album, Sing It Loud, and acted as music director for the accompanying tour. As a producer and mixer, he’s worked on some of the finest indie rock and pop and Americana records to come out of Nashville in the last few years. Among his credits are: Ben Folds Five’s The Sound Of The Life Of The Mind, The Hush Kids (Self Titled,) Zac Clark (Self Titled,) Drew Holcolmb And The Neighbors’ Medicine and Souvenir, Chuck Mead’s Free State Serenade, Josh Rouse’s Love In The Modern Age, Courtney Jaye’s The Exotic Sounds Of Courtney Jaye, Matt Wertz’s While We’re Becoming, William Tyler’s Lost Colony E.P. and Paper Hats, The Silver Seas’ Alaska and The Pierces’ self-titled album. When the Grammy Award-winning band Fun. needed orchestral recording for its Grammy performance, they called on Pisapia. More at JoePisapia.net.
Natasha Senjanovic (Host)
Natasha Senjanovic is an award-winning radio and print reporter, former public radio host and Pulitzer Center grantee dedicated to covering vulnerable populations, including survivors of domestic and sexual violence, at-risk youth, migrant workers and educators. She was born in the former Yugoslavia, grew up in the U.S. and spent 15 years in Rome covering the Italian film industry, including as senior editor at Cineuropa and Italy critic for The Hollywood Reporter. Her local reporting can be heard on WPLN and WKNO and read in The Daily Memphian and Nashville Scene. It has also aired on the NPR programs All Things Considered, Here and Now and Marketplace. She produced the Nashville Public Radio investigative mini-series Left Without Care and is developing a gender inequity podcast entitled Women Like Sex. She is also an avid storyteller, on stage and in print (Chapter16.org).
Carolyn German (Director of original stage version)
Carolyn German is a director, playwright, producer, composer/lyricist, and performer. Since 2000 she has been the Producing Artistic Director of Theater Craft Inc, with projects as diverse as Ed Morris' The Passion of Ethel Rosenberg (director/producer) , and Connye Florance's Jazz Rhapsody (producer). Carolyn's scripts include comedies (Mosaic: Eclectic New Short Plays; Jo-fina, Funeral Parlor Hero), musicals (Airship at Vapor Station; Nashville, The Music City Musical), plays for young audiences (The Story Builders; Burden of Justice:1863), and film (Ethel). As Outreach Director of the newly-launched Wordsmith Collaborative, Carolyn brings creative writing programs to rural Tennessee . She teaches classes in cabaret performance at Nashville Jazz Workshop. Her own cabaret work includes her original show "Unsolicited Advice", performed at NYC's Don't Tell Mama. Carolyn leads workshops on creativity, team-building, and productivity. www.carolyngerman.com
Joe Pagetta (Director and Producer)
Joe Pagetta is a communications professional and writer whose resume includes positions at Broadcast Music, Inc, Nashville Public Television (PBS), Nashville Film Festival and NowPlayingNashville.com (The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee). He currently serves as the the director of communications for the Tennessee State Museum. As a personal essayist and arts writer, his writing has appeared in Ambassador Magazine (the National Italian American Foundation), America: The Jesuit Review, Chapter16.org (Humanities Tennessee), Ovunque Siamo, Wordpeace and PBS.org. A collection of his personal essays, Guinea Bastard, was published in 2018. More at JoePagetta.com.