Although it is a scripted show, Radio is a very different experience for the performers than the other major productions – plays and musicals — we do. The format of the show is tailor-made for a time of year when people are busy with holiday plans and preparations and to provide opportunities for a large group with a broad range of skills and experience.

One major difference between other shows and Radio is the rehearsal schedule. The time commitment for each performer depends on which bits and songs they are in. A solo singer, for example, may only be needed at a couple of rehearsals to work with the band, whereas the jingle singers may rehearse a couple of times a week to work out harmonies and polish them to pefection. An actor in a vaudeville duo may rehearse only a few times with their partner, whereas the actors in a major sketch like “Joe Tanner” will rehearse more often to “dial in” the timing and work in the sound effects. A couple of times during the rehearsal process the whole cast comes together to run through big sections of the show together. This gives them a chance to perform in front of a friendly audience, get feedback, see what others are doing, and build camaraderie. I always look forward to those runthroughs. I get excited about how the show is going to be when we put it all together.

Another major difference is that there isn’t a lot of blocked or choreographed movement and some performers don’t even have to memorize their scripts. This opens up the cast to people who don’t have a lot of time to prepare on their own or who are newer to acting and nervous about whether they can handle “acting”. It also simplifies the rehearsal process. Which is not to say the end result is visually uninteresting for the audience. Costumes, the sound effects ladies, and the “choreography” it takes for actors to share mics add visual elements that are often very entertaining indeed.

Radio is a homegrown effort from start to finish. The show you see has never been performed by any other group at any other time. The list of writers, directors, and other contributors is often as long as the list of cast and crew. In fact, at some point in the process every cast and crew member has made some contribution to the final product, be it a suggestion for how to arrange a song, a funny spin on a line in a script, or an entire script or jingle.

We start in about March by calling together a small group of volunteers to brainstorm ideas for that year’s show. The group is generally made up of people who have been heavily involved in the show in a previous year. They come to the meetings with concepts, song suggestions, script plots, and names for crazy products for the jingle singers to sell. We always have far more great ideas than there is time for in the show. Our most difficult task is to pick a dozen or so songs and four or five script ideas to work on in more detail.

Our second greatest challenge is to come up with something a little different each year to keep the concept fresh. One year we had ballroom dancers on stage with us. A couple of years ago we added commercial jingles. Another year we sent the audience to a sister station in Wheeless Oklahoma for the second half of the show to bring in a country influence. We never want the show to be completely formulaic.

Over the summer, our music director tracks down arrangements and our writers develop the scripts so we have nearly final drafts ready to go in time for auditions in September. Nothing is final until the show is cast, and even then nothing is ever really final. One of the best things about writing the show ourselves is that we can make changes to take advantage of talents that emerge in rehearsals. One of my favorite Radio bits was the twin sisters in the first episode of Marshall Barnett. Originally, the script called for one young girl, but we had two talented young actresses and couldn’t decide which to cast. The director cast them both and had them say the lines together. They were absolutely delightful. Another year the actress we had cast as Peaches’ sister Honey in an episode of “Joe Tanner” had to leave the show partway into rehearsals. We considered bringing a new actress into the cast, but instead we had the actress playing Peaches play Honey as well. It was great fun for us and for the audience to see her switch back and forth between two voices, sometimes conversing with herself. We couldn’t have planned those moments any better.

Do you have ideas for this year’s show?

We’re interested in your song suggestions and original sketches. For more information about how you can be a part of creating ”Radio VII”, read the call for scripts/music at http://www.fcponline.org/radio_call_for_scripts.htm. Deadline for submissions: May 31, 2010.

Every Sparkle Weekend since 2004, Freeport Players has staged some version of the show we call simply Radio. The original Radio led to Radio II, then Radio III: Dreams of the Good Old Days, and finally The WFCP Home Time Radio Hour 2007, 2008 and 2009. But what is Radio? What makes it so popular with performers and audiences year after year?

We can start off by stating two things it isn’t: It isn’t a talent show and it isn’t a concert. Unlike a talent show, in which people prepare pieces of their own choosing and come together for a performance “sight unseen”, Radio is a scripted show with “bits” written and songs selected to create a cohesive presentation. We hold auditions in the fall to cast the singers and actors, and they rehearse for several weeks before they hit the FPAC stage to perform for hundreds of fans. Unlike a concert, Radio includes much more than performances by singers and musicians. Our creative team writes sketches in the style of shows from the Golden Age of Radio, which are performed by actors and sound effects people. In recent years we have merged music with song in commercial jingles performed by singer-actors. All of these elements combine for a show that is part play and part variety show.

So, it’s not a talent show and it’s not a concert. But what is it? To begin with, it is a tribute to the Golden Age of Radio. It is similar to Pairie Home Companion in its format, but with the Players’ unique spin. We don’t simply draw our inspiration from the era; we aim to transport the audience back to the 1930s, 40s and 50s. Sure, anachronisms find their way into the script now and then, but you won’t hear us do a jingle with a hip hop beat or build a sketch around current events. We let the audience into our “studio” and show them glimpses of the controlled “behind-the-mic” chaos. We’ve moved the stage crew out of the anonymity of the theater wings and put them under the lights. Our sound effects team has been prominently featured since the first show, and people come year after year just to see what they will do.

Our aim is to give audiences a variety show filled with laughter, fun, great music, and surprises. We want you to leave the FPAC feeling good, with a grin on your face and a lift in your step.

Radio is also Freeport Players major fundraising event each season. The cost to produce this show is substantially smaller than for our other major productions and is almost entirely covered by the generous businesses who sponsor us. As a result, most of the cost of every ticket sold for Radio goes to support the Players’ productions and activities during the rest of the season.

WRITERS: We are now accepting scripts for possible inclusion in the 2010 edition of Radio. Visit http://www.fcponline.org/radio_call_for_scripts.htm for more information.

Coming soon: 

• How do we create Radio?
• What’s it like to be in Radio?
• The Radio magic