FAIRFIELD, Conn.―Oscar-nominated actor Chris Sarandon, who appeared in The Princess Bride, Fright Night and Dog Day Afternoon, will record his food-themed podcast, “Cooking by Heart”, April 23 at Sacred Heart University Community Theatre, 1420 Post Road.
Sarandon, who has been recording the podcast at JP’s Diner on campus, will have a live audience for his first guest at the theatre: New York Times best-selling author Adriana Trigiani. The show will begin at 5:30 p.m.; tickets are $20 and may be obtained at shucommunitytheatre.org.
The son of a Greek immigrant who settled in Beckley, WV, Sarandon was raised in restaurants, so he knows his topic well. “As long as I can remember, I was in the restaurant,” Sarandon said. “From the time I was 9 or 10, I was working in the restaurant—dishwasher, cashier, bus boy—you name it. And my mother was a good cook who taught both her boys. She said, ‘You won’t have a woman taking care of you all your life. You have to know how to cook and take care of yourself.’”
The podcast is a talk with friends—both old and new—about food and family. Early guests included comedian Greg Proops from TV’s Whose Line is It Anyway? and Sarandon’s childhood friend, the Honorable Joseph R. Goodwin, a U.S. District Court judge in West Virginia.
During a break from recording at the diner recently, Sarandon said he’s excited to bring the podcast to a live audience at SHU’s theatre. “It’s a marriage made in heaven,” he said.
Known to fans in such varied roles as Jerry Dandridge in Fright Night, Prince Humperdinck in The Princess Bride, Leon Shermer in Dog Day Afternoon and the voice of Jack Skellington in The Nightmare Before Christmas, Sarandon met Trigiani when he starred in the film adaptation of her first book, Big Stone Gap.
Trigiani is the author of 20 other books, including The Shoemaker’s Wife, the children’s book The House of Love and her latest, The Good Left Undone. She is an award-winning playwright, television writer and producer and filmmaker who has made regular, memorable appearances on NBC’s Today Show for more than 20 years.
Matt Oestreicher, theatre director, said Sarandon is an important and accomplished artist in the University’s community. “We are excited to be collaborating on the launch of this podcast with Chris and announcing our live podcast series. Chris’s podcast resonates with our mission of wholesome, connective, uplifting content that entertains, inspires and educates.”
Future scheduled guests for the podcast include actor Ken Page, who has starred in Dreamgirls, All Dogs Go to Heavenand The Nightmare Before Christmas, and LeVar Burton of Star Trek, Reading Rainbow and Roots fame.
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First opened as a vaudeville house in 1920, the Sacred Heart University Community Theatre is a 400-seat cinema and performance space located at 1420 Post Road at the bustling corner of Unquowa and Post roads in Fairfield. In May 2019, Sacred Heart University and Kleban Properties partnered to renovate and reopen the long-shuttered theatre as a contemporary arts and education venue and nonprofit. The SHU Community Theatre is home to a unique blend of film, live concerts and performances, lectures, youth programs and academic endeavors. For tickets and more information, visit shucommunitytheatre.org.
About Sacred Heart University
As the second-largest independent Catholic university in New England, and one of the fastest-growing in the U.S., Sacred Heart University is a national leader in shaping higher education for the 21st century. SHU offers nearly 90 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs on its Fairfield, Conn., campus. Sacred Heart also has satellites in Connecticut, Luxembourg and Ireland and offers online programs. More than 9,000 students attend the University’s nine colleges and schools: Arts & Sciences; Communication, Media & the Arts; Social Work; Computer Science & Engineering; Health Professions; the Isabelle Farrington College of Education & Human Development; the Jack Welch College of Business & Technology; the Dr. Susan L. Davis, R.N., & Richard J. Henley College of Nursing; and St. Vincent’s College. Sacred Heart stands out from other Catholic institutions as it was established and led by laity. The contemporary Catholic university is rooted in the rich Catholic intellectual tradition and the liberal arts, and at the same time cultivates students to be forward thinkers who enact change—in their own lives, professions and in their communities. The Princeton Review includes SHU in its Best 387 Colleges–2022 Edition, “Best Northeastern” and Best Business Schools–2022 Edition. Sacred Heart is home to the award-winning, NPR-affiliated radio station, WSHU, a Division I athletics program and an impressive performing arts program that includes choir, band, dance and theatre. www.sacredheart.edu