Cal Performances Presents Th ursday, February , , pm Friday, February , , pm Zellerbach Hall Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! Photo by Nagelmann Tony Th e Oddly Informative News Quiz from NPR Cal Performances’ – season is sponsored by Wells Fargo. CAL PERFORMANCES 13 About the Artists NPR’s Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! takes a Visit the show’s web site at http://waitwait. fast-paced, irreverent look at the news of the npr.org to take the weekly news quiz, fi nd out world—and the weird. Now in its eighth year, what newsmaker personality you most resemble the show off ers a modern and sometimes rau- or fi nd a local station and broadcast time. cous twist on the old-time radio quiz show, mining NPR news stories for quiz questions. Th e host is Peter Sagal, who is an award-win- The People ning playwright and father of three in his spare time. Legendary NPR newscaster Carl Kasell is In addition to their glamorous roles on NPR, the the show’s offi cial judge and scorekeeper. Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! gang count among Each week, Sagal quizzes the panelists and their ranks popular authors, journalists, actors, listeners to determine just how closely they paid magicians, newscasters and even an extra in a attention to the week’s news. He serves up ques- Michael Jackson video. tions in all forms: lightning rounds, tape from NPR news shows, multiple choice, identify the Peter Sagal (host) has had a varied career in- “fake” story and fi ll-in-the-blank limericks. cluding stints as a stage director, an actor, an Listeners call -wait-wait for a chance to win extra in a Michael Jackson video, a contestant the most coveted prize in all of public radio: a on Jeopardy, a travel writer, an essayist, a ghost custom-recorded greeting by Carl Kasell for writer and a staff writer for a motorcycle maga- their home’s answering machine or voice mail. zine. He is the author of numerous plays that One of the most popular segments is “Who’s have been performed around the country and Carl Th is Time?” in which Mr. Kasell recites abroad. quotes from the week’s newsmakers as contes- tants guess whom he is impersonating. “Th is is Carl Kasell (offi cial judge and scorekeeper) is an the only show where you’ll get to hear NPR’s all-around genius and great guy. He has also most senior newscaster impersonate Britney been a newscaster for NPR’s daily newsmaga- Spears,” the Wait Wait producers say. Another zine Morning Edition since its inception in . signature Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! game, His newscasts on Morning Edition can be heard “Not My Job,” invites well-known celebrities at the top of the hour every weekday morning to answer questions that are out—way out—of on public radio stations nationwide. A veteran their area of expertise. broadcaster, Kasell launched his radio career A rotating trio of witty panelists completes more than years ago. He sometimes moon- the Wait Wait team. Th ey include author and lights as a magician. humorist Roy Blount Jr., Boston Globe writer Charlie Pierce, Washington Post columnist Rod Abid (senior producer) came to NPR Roxanne Roberts, writer/performer Adam Washington in , and began a long stint Felber, BBC contributor Sue Ellicott, author working with Bob Edwards through the night P. J. O’Rourke, comedian Paula Poundstone on Morning Edition. He rose to post of direc- and humorist/pundit Mo Rocca. tor. He also spent months on the road as one Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! is a co-produc- of NPR’s foreign news producers; he’s especially tion of NPR and Chicago Public Radio. Th e proud that he can say he spent three weeks in program, created by the same folks who pro- the former Yugoslavia with Sylvia Poggioli. He duce Car Talk, debuted nationally in and joined Wait, Wait...Don’t Tell Me! as senior pro- quickly established itself as one of public radio’s ducer just two days after the YK fi zzle. He says favorite weekend programs. that working in war zones provided him with 14 CAL PERFORMANCES About the Artists the training he needed to produce Wait, Wait... Tell Me! Robert has served as a recording engi- Don’t Tell Me! By the way, his given name is neer based in NPR’s Chicago Bureau since , Murad, but all call him Rod. but he still moonlights from time to time creat- ing storms and battles for Chicago Shakespeare Doug Berman (executive producer) is the Th eater. Peabody Award-winning producer of NPR’s Car Talk and Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me! For the We can only assume, when Emily Ecton (assis- last years, he’s been on a one-man crusade to tant producer) was standing on the White House get NPR to lighten up. He was a news director lawn, dressed in a six-foot high Arthur (the PBS at NPR member stations WFCR in Amherst, Aardvark) costume helping Lynne Cheney pre- Massachusetts, and WBUR in Boston before side over the Easter Egg roll, she must have said giving up his legitimate career for this stuff . to herself, “Life can get no better than this.” But she was wrong! Soon after, she left the excit- Mike Danforth (producer) joined Wait Wait… ing world of PBS Media Relations and moved Don’t Tell Me! in November , after a dis- herself, her strangely squished-looking car and tinguished tenure at Prairie Home Companion in her dog, Binky, out to Chicago to join Wait his home state of Minnesota. His fi rst week was Wait, where she serves as the Offi cial Reality spent weeding through numerous hanging chad Television Expert. jokes to fi nd the best ones. He also tutors the staff in Foley-like vocal sound eff ects. And does not look like Andy Dick. At all. The Panelists Lorna White (NPR Chicago Bureau engi- Roy Blount Jr. is the author of books, most neer) began working at NPR in . She en- recently, Feet on the Street: Rambles Around gineered most of the NPR network programs, New Orleans. He’s a columnist for Th e Oxford including All Th ings Considered, Performance American and the editor of Roy Blount’s Book of Today and Morning Edition, where she became Southern Humor. Reared in Decatur, Georgia, the fi rst technical director to yell at Rod Abid. he now lives in western Massachusetts. Being hopelessly Midwestern, she moved from Washington to NPR’s bureau in Chicago in Tom Bodett is an author and radio anomaly. He . A year later, a guy named David Greene left a promising career building houses to be- knocked on the door and in a matter of weeks, come a writer and subsequently a commentator Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! was on the air. Two on All Th ings Considered. Bodett lived in Alaska years later, David left to work on a public radio for years, is the author of seven books and has show about cars. Th ankfully, Rod was willing written for Th e New York Times, Th e Los Angeles to work with her, and she hasn’t yelled at him Times, Redbook and, lately, the Dummerston since. When not working on Wait Wait…Don’t Views in Windham County, Vermont. His voice Tell Me!, Lorna’s day job includes managing au- has been heard on Saturday Night Live, National dio production at the NPR bureau. Geographic Explorer and Steven Spielberg’s Animaniacs, and can still be heard in some peo- After many years spent as an award-winning ple’s faulty dental work saying “We’ll leave the theatrical sound designer and audio theater pro- light on for you” about a times a day. ducer, Robert Neuhaus (technical director) went in search of even larger egos than the theater can Amy Dickinson writes the syndicated advice contain and found them at Wait Wait…Don’t column “Ask Amy” for Th e Chicago Tribune, CAL PERFORMANCES 15 About the Artists following in the footsteps of the legendary Ann magazine. She devotes her time to tending an Landers. She has also written for Time, Esquire epileptic -lb. chocolate Lab, supporting a and O magazines. She has contributed radio sto- bad soy latte jones and downloading transgres- ries to NPR programs for the past years, and sive ringtones onto her celly. She is aestheti- was an original “cast member” for the pilot of cally but not morally opposed to the inside-out Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! in ; ultimately Reese’s peanut butter cup. she was off ered a job Roxanne Roberts’s radio stunt double. P. J. O’Rourke is a correspondent for Th e Weekly Standard. He has been a journalist for Sue Ellicott divides her time between the years and has covered news events in more than United States and London, and would love countries. O’Rourke is also a regular contrib- it during the next public radio pledge drive if utor to Th e Atlantic Monthly. He is the author of an airline would agree to upgrade her on every books, including Parliament of Whores, Eat fl ight. Sue is a freelance writer, radio journalist, the Rich and, most recently, Peace Kills. He was and contributor to ABC News, the BBC and editor-in-chief of National Lampoon from other American and British media. She will con- to , and international aff airs correspondent sider working for food. But she’s picky. for Rolling Stone from to .