Beowulf Alley Theatre Company’s Old Time Radio Theatre
July and August Performances Offer Classic Radio Shows
(Tucson, AZ) Beowulf Alley Theatre’s Old Time Radio Theatre Company will present classic productions from the golden days of radio, to be presented at the theatre, 11 South 6th Avenue (Downtown between Broadway and Congress). Performances are at 7:00 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 each for the first two children ages 6-12, cash at the door, no reservations required and general seating. For additional information, please go to our website at www.beowulfalley.org or call the box office at (520) 882-0555. Please note: There will be no Old Time Radio Theatre presentation on September 7. We will resume on September 21.
Tuesday, July 6
The Bickersons: The Honeymoon Is Over was first presented on November 30, 1945, starring Don Ameche and Frances Langford. The Bickersons began as a radio sketch comedy that ran as part of other shows until 1946, when it became its own series. After a turn on NBC, it moved to CBS and ran until 1951. John and Blanche Bickerson spent their entire time in a relentless verbal war. Their quick dialogue brought laughter to all.
BLANCHE: “There isn't another woman in the world who'd sacrifice her youth and her looks to live with a man who rattles himself to sleep like a lot of old bones in a bag. What do you think I'm made of, John?”
JOHN: “Old bones.”
Lights Out: Bon Voyage was first presented June 22, 1938. During the day, radio provided listeners with excitement and thrills as well as laughs. Lights Out was one of radio’s strangest, spookiest and most spine-chilling shows dedicated to horror and the supernatural. It was the radio equal of The Twilight Zone and generated a genre that included Inner Sanctum, Suspense and others. Lights Out was first broadcast on WENR in January, 1934, on Wednesday evenings, and continued until 1947. It was run on television from 1949-1952.
Tuesday, July 20
Baby Snooks and Daddy: Looking For a New House was presented on December 16, 1945. Baby Snooks and Daddy starred Fannie Brice as Baby Snooks. The show was based upon a character created by Brice for the Ziegfeld Follies in 1912. In 1936, Baby Snooks became part of the radio version of the Follies. She started her own show in 1944 and it lasted until she died in 1951. At heart, Snooks was a really nice kid, but her impish ways could make Daddy wince. Daddy has just received an eviction notice from their landlady. He must now look for a new place to live. Of course, with Baby Snooks along, it’s not that simple. She could always draw a smile with her,
“Oh, Daaadddiiiee...”
Escape: The Time Machine (H.G. Wells) was presented first presented in 1948 with Jeff Corey and again in 1950, starring John Dehner. Escape was one of radio’s great supernatural series. The Time Machine begins with the Time Traveller returning from his trip, unkempt and in disarray. He relates to his friends of what he has witnessed: wars' horrors first-hand in June, 1940 over London and a nuclear bomb in August, 1966. Travelling to 802,701 A.D., he finds world has settled into a vast garden. He meets the pacifist Eloi, who speak broken English, and have little interest in technology or the past. Their brethren from long ago, the Morlocks, however, have devolved into cannibalistic underground workers. " ... he has all the time in the world."
Tuesday, August 3
The November 30, 1939 presentation of Easy Aces: Betty’s Marital Problems is geared toward all age groups. One of radios’ favorite, long-running shows, this episode is sure to be a hit!
During the day, radio provided listeners with excitement and thrills as well as laughs. One of radio’s strangest, spookiest and spine-chilling shows was Lights Out, dedicated to horror and the supernatural. Our second presentation of the evening, is our first original and new “old time radio show.” Mystery Theatre: I Know Who You Are!,” is written for Beowulf Alley Theatre’s Old Time Radio Theatre Company by Tucson playwright, Richard Chaney. This play is the first collaboration between BATC and Old Pueblo Playwright’s in the new/old radio format. It will entertain and intrigue the audience in the way shows of the 1930’s and 1940’s once did. We will be presenting many more original scripts in upcoming shows.
Tuesday, August 17
Our first presentation of the evening is the March 12, 1940 episode, Fibber McGee and Molly: Fibber’s Closet.
“T’ain’t funny, McGee!!” One of radio’s greatest hits and one of the longest running shows in radio history, Fibber McGee and Molly, starred Jim and Marion Jordan as the beloved couple. The series premiered in 1935 and ran until 1959, long after radio’s golden days had passed. It is considered by many to be the origin of situation comedy itself. In this episode, the infamous closet plays a lead role.
"I gotta get that closet cleaned out one of these days."
One of radio’s first, great western series was Gunsmoke. The very first episode of that long-running series, Start of a Legend was first presented on April 26, 1952. The series aired until June 18, 1961 on CBS. It played on TV from 1955 to 1975. It originally starred William Conrad as Marshall Matt Dillon and Parley Baer as Dillon's assistant Chester Proudfoot. Conrad was one of the last actors who auditioned for the role of Marshal Dillon. With a powerful, distinctive voice, Conrad was already one of radio's busiest actors. Dillon, as portrayed by Conrad, was a lonely, isolated man, toughened by a hard life. Much of the character of Matt Dillon came from Conrad himself. This episode also titled, Billy the Kid, is noticeably absent Miss Kitty.
Directed by Sheldon Metz, the Old Time Radio Theatre Company includes Jacob Brown, Jon Benda, Warren Bodow, Janet Bruce, Joel Charles, Geri Courtney-Austein, Sydney Flynn, Vince Flynn, Audrey Ann Gambach, Barbara Glover, Bill La Point, Steve McKee, Mark McLemore, Joan O'Dwyer, Jeff Scotland, Ina Shivack, Jared Stokes, Pat Timm, John Vornholt, and Brian Wees plus occasional guest performers and the technical genius of Mike Saxon and Samuel De Jesus.
