When you think of Ira Glass, there is no obvious image that comes to mind. Rather, the award-winning radio host is known for his distinct voice and easy bedside manner. About 2.2 million listeners tune in to his show "This American Life" each week.
Glass has become famous while rarely showing his face to audiences. But over the past two years, that has changed. In "Three Acts, Two Dancers, One Radio Host," Glass blends his talents onstage with two dancers, Monica Bill Barnes and Anna Bass, to create an audiovisual storytelling program that is filling theaters around the country.
The show began after Glass saw Barnes and Bass perform in 2011. "I really liked their work," Glass said in a recent interview with Play, "but I also thought it had the same feeling to it that we try to create on the radio show.
(Note: Glass never calls "This American Life" by its name, instead referring to it as "the radio show.")
"Their work was funny, very personal, and had a narrative quality to it, but wasn't corny," Glass said. "My first impulse was that our audience would really be into these dancers, so I wanted to bring them to our audience. But it was Monica's idea to combine what they do and what I do." And the new show was born.
Unlike "This American Life," though, Glass is not the final decision maker for "Two Dancers." "I'm not the boss," Glass said. "Monica's the boss. She's the creative director. It's like the radio show, but she's me."
When they first began collaborating, Glass, Barnes and Bass made a list of pieces that had been on "This American Life" and tried to add dance to them. "Some didn't work, and some worked beautifully," Glass said. But they had their first breakthrough when Glass decided to interview each of the dancers.
"Anna talked about what's going on between her and Monica onstage that the audience doesn't know, the thoughts in their head, the competitiveness we don't see because it looks like they are just dancing in a coordinated way," Glass said. "And when we stage it, when the music plays and the two of them are dancing this tightly coordinated duet, you hear Anna talking on top of the music, and she is revealing all of the things that are going through her head. It's very funny, very real, very personal."
They first performed together at a fundraiser in Carnegie Hall in 2013. Then "we took it on the road and adjusted it as we performed it," Glass said. Over the past two years, Glass, Barnes and Bass have refined their routine to a precise script. "Now, there are a couple of spots in the show where I can ad-lib, but it's otherwise mostly tightly choreographed," Glass added. "Literally choreographed. But also with hundreds of lighting cues, costume changes and props. It's definitely gotten better. Oh, I think you can let me out here, I'll walk the rest of the way."
(Note: Glass participated in this interview while riding in a New York City taxi, and then while attempting, and failing, to navigate his way to the Brooklyn office of former "This American Life" reporter Alex Blumberg, producer of popular podcasts "Startup" and "Reply All." Public radio alumni find time to stay in touch despite their busy schedules.)
Glass performs with Barnes and Bass often, but continues to host "This American Life" and has no plans to quit his day job. "Yes, I'm going to keep doing the show. I have no other skills," Glass said.
It remains to be seen whether Anchorage audience members agree; Glass's ever-improving dance skills will be on display in Anchorage on Saturday, March 14.
Glass kindly answered a few more questions.
Play: Millions of people listen to "This American Life." What's the secret to keeping it fresh?
Glass: I don't know what to say. The show is fresh to us. It's curious to us. Anything is better if you are out for your own amusement, and we are constantly out for our own amusement.
Play: Do you coach your interview subjects on "This American Life"?
Glass: Not at all. We sometimes ask for them to repeat themselves, but no, we never coach them about what to say.
Play: What is the secret to their eloquence?
Glass: We have the luxury of working in a medium that we can edit. An interview that is eight minutes long on the air is often an hour and a half in real time. People do seem super articulate. They hit all of their plot points perfectly because we have edited them so they say everything in the perfect order, with no weird digressions or pointless rambling.
Play: Why do you think "Serial," a spinoff podcast of "This American Life," became so popular, even eclipsing your show as the most downloaded podcast during its run?
Glass: They just did such an amazing job telling that story. "Serial" did a very delicate thing with great robustness. ("Serial" host and producer) Sarah (Koenig) communicated what is so intriguing to her about the story in such an amazing way. What's interesting about that story is that it is very old fashioned; you want to find out who did it, and you want to figure out what to think about Adnan. Those are Sarah's questions; she creates the stakes of the story and completely fulfills the mission of bringing us along with her.
Play: Is there any competition in the office between the "This American Life" and "Serial" teams?
Glass: No. We like each other, and work together. But it is hard not to feel sobered by, and a little competitive with, the fantastic success of "Serial."
Play: Did Adnan do it?
Glass: I don't know more than anybody else. I wasn't deep inside the reporting process. My role was to hear it like a listener would and then react to it, and edit it. I don't actually know more than the listening audience.
Play: Speaking of "Serial," many former "This American Life" reporters have gone on to start their own podcasts. Do you feel a duty to nurture the next generation of public radio personalities?
Glass: It's not a duty, no. But in a well-run business, people should naturally grow and get to the point where they are ready to start their own processes, their own shows. Like Alex Blumberg starting "Startup," or Sarah and Julie (Snyder) starting "Serial." When I started "This American Life," there weren't people with these skills, people who knew how to do these sorts of stories. Anybody I hired, I had to train for a few years before they could do it on their own. Now there is an army of people like that. It's exciting to see.
Play: Rumors abound that you have been invited to various social events during your short trip to Anchorage -- house parties, foosball tournaments, poker games. Which have you accepted?
Glass: Sadly, none of those invitations have reached me.
Three Acts, Two Dancers, One Radio Host
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 14
Where: Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, Atwood Concert Hall
Tickets: $48-$105.25; myalaskacenter.com