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American Masters Season 36 Episodes
Season 36 Episode Guide
8 Episodes 2022 - 2022
Episode 1
Ailey
Tue, Jan 11, 2022
The life and career of choreographer Alvin Ailey, whose dances focus on the Black experience, interviews with those close to him and a glimpse into his dance studios.
Episode 2
Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands
Tue, Feb 8, 2022113 mins
American Masters - Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands explores the life, career, art and legacy of the African American contralto and civil rights pioneer in her own words using archival interview recordings. Marian Anderson's singing and speaking voice are heard throughout the documentary, providing new understanding of the woman behind the music. Spotlighting Anderson's voice and point of view, the documentary draws from 34 cassette tapes of interviews recorded in the 1950s, when she was preparing to write her memoir, "My Lord, What a Morning," and other archival interviews. Anchored by key performances in her career, this film shows how her quiet genius and breathtaking voice set the stage for Black performers in classical music, and a louder voice for civil rights. Additionally, with unprecedented access to the Marian Anderson Estate, the documentary draws on rare audio recordings, photographs and personal correspondence to and from family and friends, including Martin Luther King, Jr., Josephine Baker and Langston Hughes. "Previous documentaries centered around her life without her own voice. That's what sets our documentary apart," said director Rita Coburn. "Marian Anderson directly discusses her personal experiences, allowing the viewer to explore history from her point of view." The film also features new interviews with fellow Black opera singers, mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves and tenor George Shirley, who also served on the film's team of humanities advisers. Additional interviews include Anderson's friends, contemporaries and those she influenced, including J'nai Bridges (mezzo-soprano), Angela Brown (soprano), Martina Arroyo (soprano), Sandra Grymes (Anderson's niece), Laura Roosevelt (Eleanor Roosevelt's granddaughter), Raymond Arsenault, Ph.D., (Author, "Marian Anderson: The Sound of Freedom") and Jillian Pirtle (National Marian Anderson Museum). Best known for her concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1939, Anderson christened the Washington, D.C., landmark as a place of protest after she was discriminated against on the basis of a "whites only" concert policy at the Daughters of the American Revolution's Constitution Hall. She garnered interracial support from First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, the NAACP, Howard University and other leaders and defied the conscience of her time by performing for an integrated audience of over 75,000. The concert reached millions of radio listeners around the world and became an inspiration to the growing civil rights movement, inspiring a 10-year-old Martin Luther King, Jr., to later publish a winning oratorical citing the experience. Affectionately known to audiences as "The Lady from Philadelphia" and "The People's Princess," Anderson's career was propelled by her talent, but also steered by the limits imposed by racism and segregation. This gifted pioneer, whose strength was rooted in family and community, overcame humiliation, prejudice and financial hardship to become a voice for justice, an internationally renowned master of her craft and the first African American to sing a leading role at the Metropolitan Opera in 1955. Balancing her public triumph with her personal struggles and resilience, American Masters - Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands charts the impact of one of the world's greatest singers, whose career provides a window into a time of seismic cultural change. "Marian Anderson's legacy creates a bridge as our society continues to sound the call for justice, recognition, reconciliation and the confrontation of racism in order to create lasting change," said Coburn. "Her ability to create, cull and navigate a worldview, having been born in 1897 and facing down Jim Crow, gives us both hope and yet begs the question: how long will America divide itself along racial lines?"
Episode 3
Waterman - Duke: Ambassador of Aloha
Tue, May 10, 2022
Five-time Olympic medalist and Native Hawaiian Duke Paoa Kahanamoku shattered records and brought surfing to the world while overcoming a lifetime of personal challenges. Waterman explores his journey and legacy as a legendary swimmer, trailblazer, and the undisputed father of modern-day surfing. From modest roots in Waikiki, Duke swam his way to fame, becoming the face of a changing Hawaii - and a vital part of its tourism industry - as it evolved from an independent Kingdom to the 50th American state. Yet relatively few outside Hawaii know the full extent of Duke's impact on sports, lifesaving, and combating prejudice. Through Duke's incredible athletic accomplishments, personal doctrine of Aloha, and enduring gift of surfing to the world, the film explores a theme that still resonates today - the role of sports in breaking societal barriers - and celebrates his triumphs and philosophy of inclusion, challenging us all to embrace diversity and incorporate Aloha into our own lives.
Episode 4
Joe Papp In Five Acts
Fri, Jun 3, 2022
JOE PAPP IN FIVE ACTS, a feature-length documentary film tells the story of New York's indomitable, street-wise champion of the arts who introduced interracial casting to the American stage and created free Shakespeare in the Park, Hair, and A Chorus Line.
Episode 5
Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road
Tue, Jun 14, 202293 mins
Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys reminisces about his career with Rolling Stone editor Jason Fine.
Episode 6
Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On
Tue, Nov 22, 2022
Experience the story of the Oscar-winning Indigenous artist from her rise to prominence in New York's Greenwich Village folk music scene through her six-decade groundbreaking career as a singer-songwriter, social activist, educator and artist.
Episode 7
The Adventures of Saul Bellow
Mon, Dec 12, 2022
Explore Nobel Prize winner Saul Bellow's impact on American literature and how he navigated through issues of his time, including race, gender and the Jewish immigrant experience. Featuring interviews with Philip Roth, Salman Rushdie and others.
Episode 8
Groucho & Cavett
Tue, Dec 27, 202283 mins
Discover the enduring friendship between television personality Dick Cavett and his mentor iconic comedian Groucho Marx. Their relationship is chronicled through interviews with Cavett, archival footage and interviews with George Burns and others.
