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130 FLOCKED TO THE THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WHITE PLAINS LIBRARY FOUNDATION CELEBRATING THE FOUNDATION, THE LIBRARY AND “SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE”
SALUTING 50 YEARS OF “SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE” ITS CREATOR LORNE MICHAELS
WITH HIS BIOGRAPHER AND GUEST AUTHOR SUSAN MORRISON
WRITER OF THE BOOK “LORNE: THE MAN WHO CREATED SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE”
WPCNR ON THE TOWN DOWNTOWN By John F. Bailey. October 19, 2025:
It wasn’t a Gala. It was a 30TH Anniversary with 130 of White Plains Who’s Who, Who Supports, Who is, Who Love the White Plains Public Library staged by the White Plains Library Foundation.
The occasion: the recognition of the Foundation’s 30th year since it was suggested by former Library Director, Sandy Miranda.
The Foundation 30th anniversary coincided with the 50th anniversary on October 11, 1975 when that American entertainment institution, Saturday Night Live, the program that was not just comedy but a comedy reality check every week for 5 decades. It has amused America hilariously coast to coast and delivered truths and realities with what Mr.Michaels called “The Big Laugh.”
Ms. Morrison said “Lorne,” was always in search of the big laugh which made the writing and the performance of the a joke or skit “work.” The Big Laugh is still a big star for 50 years after it premiered on NBC and is still on the air.
In my opinion the humor on SNL is most always funny, and laugh-out-loud funny even when silly or actors spell-binding lampoons of the rich and powerful personalities, in spot-on impressions of household known personalities showed the truths behind public figures.
The White Plains Library Foundation frequently honors authors at its events and this year the perfect Guest was Susan Morrison writer of Lorne, The Man Who Created Saturday Night Live.
Her book tells in a clever progression of events uniquely presented with enough inside reveals to satisfy the never-miss-an-SNL fan while portraying a real eye-opening picture of what it takes to make a hit show every week from a man who did it.
Ms.Morrison had the audience glued to her every word as she explained the secrets of how Lorne Michaels started and ran SNL and produced it for 50 years was the natural choice.
Graham Trelstadt, (above) President of the White Plains Library Foundation , after a cocktail hour with very tasty hors d’oeuvres and jazz by the finger-snapping, head bobbing Library Jazz Band in the art gallery, welcomed the festive convivial gathering of believers in reading writing and real intelligence (never artificial) in the auditorium to hear the confidente Susan Morrison of Lorne Michaels whom she worked with for 10 years to write his story and that of the show.
Mr. Trelstadt explained why it is important to support the White Plains Library Foundation:
“The Foundation exists to provide private support to the publicly funded library. We raise funds that leverage the phenomenal support the Library gets from the Common Concil and State sources. The funds we provide to the library allow for innovation and flexibility. They give the Library Director and her staff opportunities to respond to changing needs or brilliant ideas between budget cycles.
Over 30 years the Foundation has been in existence we have served the catalytic seed for exciting new programs (which can be found on the Library website), for innovative equipment like the Igloo, or the 3D printer in The Edge.
We have helped to complete three significant capital projects in the Trove, the Edge, and the Hub.”
With Ms. Morrison at left, White Plains Mayor Thomas Roach thanked the guests for supporting the White Plains Library and reminisced how his mother took him to the library in his home town. Mayor Roach has spearheaded the improvements in the library The Trove, The Edge and the Hub.
Then it was “Saturday Night Live on stage” with the editor turned author for the first time, Susan Morrison (right) in conversation with Foundation Vice President Jessica Rao Lonski, (left) award-winning journalist and media professional with contributor roles at CNBC and Gannett, and communications for Fortune 500 companies.
Ms. Lonski asked short questions that enthused Ms. Morrison and smoothly drew out fascinating Morrison insights into the key structure of the writing of “Lorne” that Ms. Lonski said read like a novel.
Morrison’s secret:
the book is structured around the unfolding of every sequence of the events of a 7-day week of producing one Saturday Night Live program.
Ms. Morrison revealed the show is rigorous, fraught with anxiety of new cast members about being retained after the summer for the fall season.
She revealed the secret of every successful supervisor as Lorne Michaels is– asking the performer or writer to get a real flavor or nuance to deliver the feeling the script or performance of the script intended.
The audience got a good dose of entertainment reality from Ms. Morrison:
Though Saturday Night Lives are fabulous fun to view, Mr. Michaels’ ability to wrangle writers and actors with psychology, sensitivity and precise definition of what he wants to achieve takes patience, rehearsal (and lots of it), doing it until you get it right. It is a tough demanding business.
He also, Ms. Morrison revealed, was terrible on meeting deadlines.
Lorne’s biographer confided this was her first book she had written herself.
When asked by a member of the packed auditorium how she liked being the editee instead of the editor, she shared a penetrating insight into getting the performance you want.
The editor and she had a lot of discussions about portions of the book, and Ms. Morrison found the discussions provided new perspectives she valued and helped the book. She observed that she took from having been edited, her editor gave her a new sensitivity to working with her own authors whom she edits.
Mr. Trelstad saluted highlights over the Library’s and the Foundation the last 30 years.
Sandra Miranda Library Director from 1989 to 2011. Brian Kenney Director from 2011 to 2024 when Mr. Kenney oversaw creation of The Edge for teens and The Hub in 2018 which reorganized services for adults. He welcomed Laura Eckley as new Library Director who started in October.
He recognized Lauren Candela-Katz. Libby Hollahan the first Executive Director of the Foundation from 2010-16.
Mr. Trelstad praised Nancy Rubini recently retired Foundation Executive Director in the 9 years 2016-2025. “We couldn’t be here today without the skills and passion you each brought to your work.”
Mr. Trelstad closed with a look into the Library’s future:
“Now more than ever, as challenges to public funding of libraries and other cultural institutions become more significant and real , we need your continued support to keep the White Plains Library the great community institution that it has become.”
Congressman George Latimer mingling with the White Plains Councilman Richard Payne as Congressman Latimer shared recent highlights in Washington.
The Library Jazz Band was not quite they were in the groove with jazz that was cool and and got the evening off to a rousing start