In commemoration of the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Missouri Western State University will present a free live showing of the live multimedia performance “Cronkite” at 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 12, in the Kemper Recital Hall inside Spratt Hall. The performance is open to the public.
“Cronkite” is a one-man show adapted from an appearance by the legendary newsman Walter Cronkite on CNN’s “Larry King Live” 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’ Equity Association. The show was conceived and edited by Dr. Robert Vartabedian, Missouri Western’s president, and is directed by Dr. Bob Willenbrink, founding dean of Missouri Western’s School of Fine Arts.
“Cronkite” is part of a trilogy of shows developed by Dr. Vartabedian to complement the Walter Cronkite Memorial on Missouri Western’s campus. The other shows include “Harry & Walter: Missouri’s Native Sons,” exploring the parallel lives of Cronkite and fellow Missourian Harry Truman, and “King & Cronkite,” 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 Missouri 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’s life and the many historic events he covered as a journalist. In 2014, the Missouri Division of Tourism honored Dr. Vartabedian and Missouri Western with the Spotlight Award, which recognizes significant contributions in promoting tourism in Missouri by an individual, business or organization that is not normally considered to be part of the tourism industry. It was also recognized as a “Travel Treasure” by AAA Midwest Traveler magazine.
Missouri Western State University 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. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.