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Home » About
the Series » Behind the Scenes
Behind
the Scenes of
Louisiana: A History
. . .
Host Dr. Stephen E. Ambrose, former Professor of History at University of New Orleans, is a distinguished historian and scholar who has appeared in many historical documentaries. In addition to being a best-selling author ("Undaunted Courage" and "Citizen Soldier"), Dr. Ambrose has been a consultant on both fiction and non-fiction films (Steven Spielberg’s "Saving Private Ryan" and Ken Burns’ "Lewis and Clark"). Narrator Lynn Whitfield, a native of Baton Rouge, brings a strong sense of Louisiana heritage and culture to her role as narrator. She garnered international acclaim and an Emmy for her portrayal of the fascinating Jazz Age entertainer Josephine Baker in HBO’s "The Josephine Baker Story." Feature film credits include "A Thin Line Between Love and Hate" with Martin Lawrence and "Gone Fishin’" with Joe Pesci and Danny Glover. Ms. Whitfield was also featured in "Silverado" and "The Slugger’s Wife". She has appeared in numerous network and cable television productions. Senior Producer & Director Tika Laudun is a Louisiana native and senior staff producer at Louisiana Public Broadcasting. She is responsible for development of documentary projects and educational productions. Her work has been honored by numerous awards including two International CINE Awards for Documentary Production ("Kate Chopin: A Re-Awakening" director/co-producer) and "Frame After Frame: The Images of Herman Leonard" (producer/director). "Frame After Frame" also won The Chicago International Television Competition’s Silver Plaque and The National Educational Telecommunications Association Award for Best Public Television Program of the Year. Both of these programs aired nationally on PBS. Producer Al Godoy is a Louisiana native and producer/writer at Louisiana Public Broadcasting. He wrote the script for the award-winning documentary "Frame After Frame". His screen credits also include co-producer/co-videographer (with Tika Laudun) on LPB’s "The Forest Where We Live, " a documentary about our nation's urban forests and winner of the Arbor Day Foundation’s Media Award in 1999. He was producer, writer and photographer for "Aillet House: A Window to Our Past," a documentary on how one of Louisiana's architectural treasures was saved from destruction. Writer C.E. Richard is a Louisiana native. As a writer, he specializes in the culture and history of this region. His work has appeared in numerous national publications, and he has written several documentaries including the award-winning "Against the Tide: The Story of the Cajun People of Louisiana." Writer Anna Reid-Jhirad is a Washington, DC-based writer who has worked with Louisiana Public Broadcasting on two previous award-winning documentaries. She wrote “Kate Chopin: A Re-Awakening”, which aired nationally on PBS, and “The Forest Where We Live.” Other credits include the high-definition WETA production, “Impressionists on the Seine,” winner of three Emmy Awards, and the Charles Guggenheim production, "A Place in the Land", nominated for an Academy Award. Composer Mike Esneault is a Louisiana native and works extensively as a professional jazz pianist, composer and arranger for film, television and radio. Esneault also works closely with Grammy-nominated film composer Terence Blanchard as an assistant composer and arranger. His recent projects include "The Caveman's Valentine" with Samuel L. Jackson and "Original Sin" starring Antonio Banderas and Angelina Jolie. He has also written arrangements for recording projects with the Prague Symphony Orchestra and the London Symphony. As a pianist, Esneault has recorded with such music notables as Grammy winners Nicholas Peyton, Wynton Marsalis, Pete Fountain, and Terence Blanchard.
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