A group of distinguished scholars and journalists recently entered \u201cCronkite,\u201d a live multimedia performance about legendary journalist Walter Cronkite, in the competition for a 2015 Pulitzer Prize. \u201cCronkite\u201d premiered last June in the Kemper Recital Hall, adjacent to the award-winning Walter Cronkite Memorial inside Spratt Hall at Missouri Western State University.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am humbled that these exceptional individuals, two of whom knew Cronkite personally, felt so strongly about our show that they entered it in the Pulitzer Prize competition,\u201d said Dr. Robert Vartabedian, Missouri Western\u2019s president who conceived and edited \u201cCronkite.\u201d \u201cA couple of them have indicated to me that the biggest problem was probably just that there isn\u2019t a good Pulitzer Prize category for a work like this. Although the show did not win, it was a fun and educational process, and I\u2019m extremely grateful for their support of the show.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCronkite\u201d was entered in the competition for a 2015 Pulitzer Prize by Dr. George Diestel, professor emeritus at California State University, Fresno. Co-nominating \u201cCronkite\u201d were several other drama and journalism professionals, including Walter \u201cChip\u201d Cronkite III, filmmaker and son of Walter Cronkite, and Dr. Craig Smith, director of the Center for First Amendment Studies at California State University, Long Beach, who worked with Cronkite for several years. Here are some highlights from their remarks about the show:<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026you honored my father\u2019s entire career with the memorial, but with your Pulitzer-nominated drama you focused on that one post-9\/11 moment that distilled his faith in the strength of America\u2019s democracy.\u201d \u2013 Chip Cronkite<\/p>\n
\u201cI was lucky enough to work for and with Walter Cronkite on conventions, election nights, and inaugural coverages. Mr. Korinke gestures just as I remember Mr. Cronkite gesturing. He moves his head in the same way Mr. Cronkite did. The voice is not only uncannily like Mr. Cronkite\u2019s, it catches his humility and empathy for others.\u201d \u2013 Dr. Craig Smith<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a professional and university stage director of forty years, I can testify that this was one of the most memorable dramatic experiences I have ever seen.\u201d \u2013 Dr. Edward EmanuEl, professor of theatre arts at California State University, Fresno<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was the most emotionally touching (it is impossible to watch without tears), informative, and educationally valuable documentary drama I have ever viewed\u2026In the current era of massive change and disarray in every area of human endeavor, this rare drama exemplifies a life lived with core values of what it is to be human amid chaos.\u201d \u2013 Dr. Judith Kuipers, chancellor emerita of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and president emerita of Fielding Graduate University<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the moment \u2018Cronkite\u2019 begins \u2026 we find ourselves captivated\u2026Creator, director, actor never stoop to tricks or polemics or easy pride. In its quiet honesty, \u2018Cronkite\u2019 affirms the best of us.\u201d \u2013 Mark Arax, former senior investigative reporter and feature writer for the Los Angeles Times<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2018Cronkite\u2019 will be an on-going dramatic experience of rare acting excellence, dazzling creativity, incredible technical fusion, and of ethical significance for all who attend one of its performances.\u201d \u2013 Dr. George Diestel<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\u201cCronkite\u201d is a one-man show adapted from an appearance by the legendary newsman on CNN\u2019s \u201cLarry King Live\u201d in September 2002. In just 24 minutes, the show evokes memories of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 and other major events Cronkite covered, including World War II, the Vietnam War and the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The show incorporates audio, video and still photographs to bring those historic events to life.<\/p>\n
The part of Cronkite is played by Jim Korinke, a member of the Actors\u2019 Equity Association. The show was conceived and edited by Dr. Robert Vartabedian, Missouri Western\u2019s president, and is directed by Dr. Bob Willenbrink, founding dean of Missouri Western\u2019s School of Fine Arts.<\/p>\n
\u201cCronkite\u201d will next be presented at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 26 in the Kemper Recital Hall. Shows are free and open to the public, but those wanting to attend are asked to call 816-271-4100 to reserve a seat. In addition to the live showing currently scheduled, performances can be arranged for tour groups and field trips by calling 816-271-4100.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s 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 \u201cTravel Treasure\u201d by AAA Midwest Traveler magazine.<\/p>\n
The Walter Cronkite Memorial is open daily except Christmas, New Year\u2019s Day and Easter, and admission is always free. For more information, visit www.waltercronkitememorial.org.<\/p>\n
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 <\/em>www.missouriwestern.edu<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A group of distinguished scholars and journalists recently entered \u201cCronkite,\u201d a live multimedia performance about legendary journalist Walter Cronkite, in the competition for a 2015 Pulitzer Prize. \u201cCronkite\u201d premiered last June in the Kemper Recital Hall, adjacent to the award-winning Walter Cronkite Memorial inside Spratt Hall at Missouri Western State University. \u201cI am humbled that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[48],"tags":[87,323,780],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3071"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3071"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3071\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9315,"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3071\/revisions\/9315"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3071"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3071"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3071"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}