"Twelve Angry Men" is currently running at Baltimore Hippodrome Theatre. Heading the cast of this taut ensemble piece are Richard Thomas and George Wendt. Viewers will instantly remember their faces from their mega hit series "Family" and "Cheers". "Twelve Angry Men was originally a piece written for television, then translated into film. Now live audiences experience the tension and frustration and anger as 12 men -- each with his own story -- decides whether the unseen man waiting in a cell nearby lives or dies. Rhea has the opportunity to sit with Richard Thomas and George Wendt to talk about this play which runs at the Hippodrome through November 5.

The Hippodrome Theatre

UMBC's Center for Art and Visual Culture presents the exhibit "Raymond Loewy:Designs for a Consumer Culture" running now through November 25. The exhibit surveys the creatiity of Raymond Loewy, arguably the most prominent industrial designer of the twentieth century. It's safe to say that Raymond Loewy's sense of taste and distinct style is familiar to every person in America, even if one only looks at the corporate logos that he has designed.

Need examples? Coca Cola, Exxon, BP, the John F. Kennedy memorial stamp, the logo for US Air Mail, the Greyhound on the Bus! Loewy became involved in the emerging world of indurtrial design in the 1920's and his long career lasted into the 80's. His modern sleek designs became the new face of the western culture, streamling and modernizing silverware,automobiles, fountain pens, supermarkets, lipticks, locomotives toasters and Skylab.

Professor David Yager, Executive Director of the Center for Art Design and Visual Culture at UMBC takes us on a special tour of this exhibit for this edition of Artworks This Week and into the mind of Raymond Loewy. This is a very easy to visit exhibit full wonderful designs and videos and items that will be immediately familiar to you as you enter. Chances are you'll see things displayed that you remember from your childhood and even some that you are still using today. The exhibit runs through November 25 at UMBC.

UMBC Arts website
Center for Art and Visual Culture

Leslie Goffe, a BBC reporter, was always curious about a mysterious relative his Jamaican-born family referred to as "The Banana King." So he put his reporting skills to work and tracked down the story of his great grandfather Alfred Constantine Goffe and the astounding empire he built in the fruit import/export business in Baltimore. It's a story full of twists and turns, including a Mafia-related attempted dynamite plot against a rival company. Goffe joins us today to talk about his book.

Buy Leslie Goffe's book
Read about Leslie Goffe in the City Paper

On ArtChat This Week, Nate and Rhea discuss a upcoming Bach marathon at the Peabody Institute and the very ambitious organist who is taking on this high caliber performance. There's a new production of an all time musical classic coming to the Olney Theater. It's Cinderella. And it's got some new twist and music in this classic fairytale. And Rhea introduces a new book by a Maryland author that reflects on the wisdom of mothers' evereywhere.

Author Marianne Osburg Schwartz will do a book signing this Saturday, November 4 from 1 to 3 PM at Greetings & Readings at the Hunt Valley Towne Centre.

Buy Marianne Osburg Schwartz's book