Interview with Jerry Argetsinger, Monday, March 14, 2022
Item
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Title
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Interview with Jerry Argetsinger, Monday, March 14, 2022
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Description
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Jerry Argetsinger was a longtime theater professor at RIT who joined the Hill Cumorah Pageant directing team in 1988, when the “New Pageant” was introduced, and he later directed the Pageant from 1990 to 1997. Argetsinger is a longtime friend of Orson Scott Card, who wrote the new script in 1988. During this interview, Argetsinger discusses the process of casting individuals through divine inspiration, bringing Hollywood-quality special effects to the Pageant, developing relationships with the Pageant’s non-LDS neighbors, and creating religious entertainment that would appeal to LDS and non-LDS audiences alike. Argetsinger argues that the 1990s Pageant triumphed because it was accessible, professional-grade theater. In his opinion, the Pageant declined in quality during the 2000s, when he felt it shifted to being an event primarily for LDS audiences. Argetsinger regrets the ending of the Pageant, but he expresses a strong appreciation for the experience.
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Oral History Interview Audio
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Contributor
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Daniel Gorman Jr.
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Creator
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Jerry Argetsinger and Daniel Gorman Jr.
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Date
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Monday, March 14, 2022
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Format
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M4A (audio), PDF (transcript)
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Identifier
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Gorman_JerryArgetsingerInterview_03-14-2022_audio_1076872813.m4a
Gorman_JerryArgetsingerTranscript_03-14-2022.pdf
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Language
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English
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Rights
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Produced under an oral history collaborative deed of gift agreement with no restrictions and nonexclusive license.
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Source
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Hill Cumorah Legacy Project
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Subject
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Hill Cumorah Project, Argetsinger Family, Theater, Twentieth Century, Twenty-First Century, Direct Revelation
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interviewer
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Daniel Gorman Jr.
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interviewee
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Gerald (Jerry) Argetsinger
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Duration
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45:01