Don’t be scared. Well, maybe a little.
Orson Welles did a pretty good job of fooling gullible listeners 70 years ago when his 1938 Mercury Theatre of the Air radio drama created a nationwide uproar with a special Halloween radio broadcast retelling H.G. Wells’ classic science fiction tale. So realistic was the program that many people believed an actual Martian invasion was in progress.
Nathan Gabriel of New Edgecliff Theatre will re-create the 60-minute War of the Worlds broadcast one time only for a theater audience at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Gabriel created two well-received radio classics last year, and the response was surprisingly strong, encouraging him to do more. He says, “I have a long love affair with radio theater. I was the only kid in high school listening to episodes of The Shadow on my Walkman during my morning school bus ride.”
Gabriel’s approach uses a hybrid of radio theatre with live sound effects created by WMKV’s Mike Martini and traditional theatre with local actors Mike King, Blake Bowden, Bob Allen, Mike Dennis, Michael Hall and Maureen Sullivan. He adds, “I will use various visual storytelling techniques to create something unique and exciting for a live audience.”
A sampling of desserts from area restaurants will follow the performance. Please turn off your cell phones and refrain from calling anyone with warnings of an alien attack. (This event is a benefit with all proceeds supporting New Edgecliff Theatre’s operating fund.) $35.
Get more details here.
