News Staff Reporter
Frank Runyeon, a Princeton graduate, TV actor, Comedian, and speaker delivered a powerful, eloquent, and though-provoking message entitled “Hollywood vs. Faith” to the student body during the Tuesday night special program on January 15th. The talk centered around today’s conflict between media and individual faith.
Selecting examples from his own 25 years of career in the media, Runyeon gave those attending a clear description of how mass media works. He offered a unique and humorous perspective of American news and entertainment. “The main point was how we can keep our faith, when we are bombarded by media images,” said Reverend Trister, the head of Spears Endowment, “and this is not restricted to just Christians, but all of us.”
This program was presented and arranged by Spears Endowment for Moral and Spiritual Education, which Trister directs. “One of the things I learned,” he said, “was that Frank has been a guest speaker at every major independent school except Choate!” Although new to Choate, Runyeon has spoke at many of its peer schools such as Exeter, St. Paul’s, Westminster, Taft, Westover, and Blair Academy, as well as Princeton University. Rev Trister, after listening to other schools’ reviews, was very eager to arrange an invitation. Mr. Trister explained how he was flooded with words of praise, from students and faculty who described Mr. Runyeon’s speech as “humorous, insightful and honest”.
Mr. Frank Runyeon has had a remarkable career as actor and scholar. After his graduation from the Hill School where he gave the speech, he went on to Princeton University and earned a degree in religion, composing his senior thesis on mass media. After studying acting in New York and Los Angeles for 15 years, he attended Fuller Seminary in preparation for the writing and performance of his first one-man play, AFRAID!: The Gospel of Mark. He then went on to Yale Divinity School and received his M.A. with honors in 1994, from General Theological Seminary.
Runyeon has been best known for his work on TV over the past 25 years, appearing in over 1,000 television programs. He starred 7 years opposite Meg Ryan on As the World Turns and won two Emmys as a cast member of Santa Barbara. He was also in the Feature film Dark Streets and played recurring characters on Falcon Crest, General Hospital, Another World, and L.A. LAW. His most recent work is entitled Melrose Place.
Being To his youth audiences, he presents 3 Big Lies, The Great American Treasure Hunt (OR: Life After Prep School--What They Don’t Tell You), in addition to Hollywood vs. Faith.
Before this program in the evening, Mr. Runyeon had met with some other Choate students and faculty. He visited several Choate classes, including Religion 200 and various sections of Acting. He also joined couple of students from the Christian Fellowship for dinner.
“I think many people at Choate are people of faith. They might not practice their religion, but they are definitely peoples of faith,” said Rev Trister.
When asked what the students could gain from the speech, Trister commented: “I think it’s a valuable opportunity for all of us... an opportunity for the community to really think about this important issue between the media and our faith.”
Trister hopes that the issue Runyeon presented will continue to be discussed among the students as it remains an important part of both politics and spirituality in the world outside of Choate.
