Traditionally the theater department puts on a fall production. Due to COVID-19, the theater program had to adapt to the current situation. Rather than the fall play, the theater program produced a radio show titled “Radio Hour”.

According to a BBC article, the first aired radio play was a comedy of danger broadcasted in 1924 on BBC. This led to many other radio plays in the golden age of radios, from the 1920s to the 1950s. This is something that Nicole Hudson, the production’s director, took inspiration from.

Something else that Hudson was inspired by for the radio shows was the time of the season. She said, “All of the shows are murder mysteries. It’s a Halloween type of thing.”

Part of cohort B work on recording part of “Radio Hour”. Photo courtesy of Riley Sapiano, junior

The program this year is conveyed auditorily due to restrictions, which makes it unique. This means the tech crew was in charge of making their sound effects to go with the stories as opposed to working the sets and the visual arts. Erik Schwerin, a sophomore in the tech crew, said, “For the sound effects, we just found items from around the theater and used those.”

Due to COVID-19, auditions and rehearsals were done a little differently this year. “So I gave them little pieces from the radio show, they called in on Google Meets, and I told them I don’t want to see them. I only wanted to hear their voices,” Hudson said.

This production included about 57 students who were involved across both cohorts in tech and cast. With about 30 kids in A cohort, and 27 in B cohort, the community was very different. “Cohort A acts differently than cohort B and we can’t intermingle, but we still created a family,” said Hudson.

Sophomore in the B cohort cast, Aidan Wigginton, said, “Though we still have our own little community, it has been harder to connect this year with other cast members. I think it is just because of less leisure time together, but it still affects the energy of the cast.”

Posters made for advertising the radio show, designed by Jordan Miller, junior. Images courtesy of Erik Schwerin

The show premiered on Oct. 27 and can be found on the “BAND” app. The ticket price is $10 and can be purchased through myschoolbucks.com. If you have any questions you can contact Kalley Sadler ([email protected] or 303-387-2749).

Evelyn Wardell, Staff Reporter