Whether he's reciting Shakespeare or commanding his crew to "Engage" on board the Starship Enterprise, actor Sir Patrick Stewart understands the power that the arts can play in people's lives. That theme runs through the film "Coda," released in the U.S. in Feburary and now streaming on various platforms, in which he portrays an accomplished pianist struggling to return to the stage years after a personal tragedy. Katie Holmes co-stars as a music critic who encourages him along the way.
It's been a busy year for Stewart, whose career has taken him from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre to the edges of the galaxy as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the Star Trek franchise, as well as portraying Professor Charles Xavier on the X-Men movie series. He reprised his role as Picard for the latest Star Trek series "Picard" that launched in January. And in March, shut in like the rest of us because of the Covid-19 outbreak, he turned to Shakespeare's sonnets, reciting one each day and posting the video on social media as he revisits old favorites and discovers less familiar sonnets.
This Saturday on A Tempo (9/5 at 7 pm), host Rachel Katz speaks with Stewart about "Coda," Shakespeare's sonnets, and the role music and the arts have played in his life.
