A Visit to the Golden Age of Radio
(April 2005)

WRITTEN BY: various people
PERFORMED AT: Samuel Clemens Center- Elmira, NY
PERFORMED ON: April 8-9 (3 shows)
DIRECTED BY: Gary Yoggy (also host), David Siskin (Abbott) & Arthur Anderson (Cinderella)
SPONSORED BY: Elmira Little Theater, Elmira
CAST:
"X Minus One: Tunnel Under The World":
* NARRATOR- Jody Davis
* GUY BURKHARDT- Dave Pal
* MARY BURKHARDT- Ann Blood-Smith
* HENRY SWANSON- Bill Young
* MISS HORN- Judy Mordue
* DORCHIN- Bob Boell
* ANNOUNCER/VOICE OF ELEVATOR- David A. Scott
"Abbott & Costello: Income Tax Time":
* BUD ABBOTT- Carl Proper
* LOU COSTELLO- David Siskin
* ANNOUNCER- Ken Corey
* DRUNK/MR. NILES- Jim Hare
* MRS. NILES/BESAME MUCHO- Kathy Wilcox
* UNCLE ARTIE STEBBINS- Cy Leveen
* OPERATOR/LADY- Barbara Griswold
* MELONHEAD- Greg Fusare
* LOAN OFFICER- Don Lerario
"Suspense: Sorry, Wrong Number":
* CHIEF OPERATOR- Ellen Boyd
* GEORGE- Stu Luther
* HOSPITAL RECEPTIONIST- Jane Daum
* MAN IN BLACK- Jim Barrett
* MRS. STEVENSON- Jane Fastiggi
* MURDER AGENT- Cy Leveen
* OPERATOR- Betty Olson
* SGT. MARTIN- Barnie Parker
* WESTERN UNION AGENT- Mark Troia
"Superman: Batman's Great Mystery":
* ANNOUNCER- Norm Stull
* BATMAN- Greg Fusare
* ROBIN- Jim Hare
* MR. JONES- Denis Kingsley
* ED-Norm Stull
* SUPERMAN/CLARK KENT- Jerry Holleran
* LOIS LANE- Christine Gill
* BROADCAST ANNOUNCER/POLICE OFFICER- Mark Troia (April 8 @ 7pm, April 9 @ 2pm)
* BROADCAST ANNOUNCER/POLICE OFFICER- David A. Scott (April 9 @ 7pm)
"Let's Pretend: Cinderella":
* CINDERELLA- Marlo Del Toro
* COACHMAN- Arthur Anderson
* CREAM OF WHEAT GIRL/FOOTMAN- Mallory Davis
* CREAM OF WHEAT GIRL/FOOTMAN- Meghan Rockwell
* FLORA- Jane Daum
* FAIRY GODMOTHER- Judy Born
* FOOTMAN- Doug Born
* FOOTMAN- Patrick Poppleton
* FOOTMAN- Cassandra Grzybowski
* PAGE- Ben Poppleton
* PRINCE- Andy Parker
* STEPMOTHER- Barbara Griswold
* UNCLE BILL- Ken Corey

PLOT: Various plots, all from comedy and drama programs originally broadcast over radio and television in the 1940's/early 1950's.

HISTORY: This was ELT's eighteenth annual edition of Gary Yoggy's "Golden Age of Radio" productions, but the second for me to appear in. This time around, I was the announcer for the science fiction segment, "X Minus One".
Each of the stories and sketches in this show were performed like a radio show, with the actors simply reading their lines into a microphone, while Bart Curtis added sound effects, and Ed Clute added music.
Guest starring in this show was Arthur Anderson (former Orson Welles and "Mercury Theater" co-star) who hosts and directs a "Let's Pretend" recreation of "Cinderella". In addition to the original "Let's Pretend" radio program, Anderson also appeared on broadway ("1776"), film ("Green Card"), and TV ("Law & Order"). He also played Lucky Leprechaun in twenty-nine years' worth of Lucky Charms cereal commercials, as well as Eustace the farmer on all four seasons of Cartoon Network's "Courage the Cowardly Dog". My fiancee Cindy and I, familiar with his voiceover work, jumped (however slowly and nervously) at the chance to mingle him during the cast's after party.
The list of segments for this show is as follows: "X Minus One", a sing-along of jingles, "Abbott & Costello", "Suspense: Sorry, Wrong Number", "Superman", and "Let's Pretend: Cinderella".
Other notable performers included Carl Proper (a news anchor at NBC-TV affiliate WETM), Jim Barrett (who I worked with at ABC-TV affiliate WENY from 2000-2002), Jody Davis (news anchor for WENY), and several people that I had co-starred with in previous plays, including Christine Gill ("Funny Girl") and Anne Blood-Smith ("Bells are Ringing").
For the third and final performance, I got to appear as an announcer and cop in an additional segment, a "Superman" episode featuring Batman and Robin. The show was performed on April 8 at 7pm, and April 9 at 2pm and 7pm.
During the rehearsal period, I received special thanks for putting together (via my job at the local Fox-TV station) a PSA for the show. The ad was aired on the local Fox, NBC, and ABC affiliates. The PSA was compiled using new publicity photos (taken for the 2005 show) and old footage (from my VHS tapes of the 1998 show), and was written and voiced by me as well.
The most personally important thing to me about this production was that after five years of disillusionment, distractions, hesitation, and false starts, I had finally (and successfully) returned to doing live theater.

PHOTOS:
* none yet