When Isaiah Sheffer died in 2012 at the age of 76, he left behind a significant legacy within New York City's arts and cultural environment. Filmmaker Catherine Tambini provides a loving tribute to Sheffer as a producer, director, and sheer force of energy. Sheffer began in show business as a youth and found steady (if not stellar) work in theater and radio. In 1978, he and his artistic partner Allan Miller organized a marathon concert of Bach's music in an abandoned cinema on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Sheffer used the venue for additional events, including an annual “Bloomsday” reading from James Joyce's Ulysses, as well as the broadcast of the public radio series Selected Shorts. His efforts to acquire and renovate the location, which he renamed Symphony Space, evolved into an 11-year legal battle, which he won. Sheffer also produced and wrote for the NBC series Road to the White House, and earned an Emmy nomination for his work. Art and Heart features a number of stars who worked with Sheffer over the years—including Leonard Nimoy, Morgan Freeman, Stephen Colbert, Jane Curtin, and Stephen Lang—who offer warm anecdotes concerning his indefatigable spirit and seemingly endless enthusiasm. A loving profile of an influential cultural figure, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)
Art and Heart: The World of Isaiah Sheffer
(2016) 52 min. DVD: $24.95. First Run Features (avail. from most distributors). Volume 32, Issue 5
Art and Heart: The World of Isaiah Sheffer
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