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How on earth could a dramatic radio interpretation of a science fiction book possibly cause mass hysteria?  Were the Americans of 1939 so gullible and naïve as to think Martians were actually invading New Jersey?  After seeing, hearing and feeling the re-enactment of H.G. Wells and Howard Kochs' The War of the Worlds as presented by the uber-talented L.A. Theatre Works, I'm no longer surprised by the infamous impact of The War of the Worlds.

Originally produced in America by Orson Wells, The War of the Worlds fooled the audience by cutting away from the relaxing sounds of an ordinary evening music show with "this just in..." announcements of an alien invasion. 

Reproduced Friday night at Yardley Hall, the L.A. Theater Works handily performed this iconic radio play. The professionalism of the on-air announcer, played by Kenneth Alan Williams, belied the fact that he is actually an actor.  All of the characters sound authentic as the producer calls forth witnesses, experts and an array of significant political figures to verify the event. 

The genius of the play is in this juxtaposition of soft and serious, hometown voices intermingle with scientific postulations.  The action happens quickly and in less than one hour, New Jersey is under alien authority and New York City has been invaded.

It is only in the last scene, when the professor thinks he is the last man alive, that the play feels like a play.  Josh Clark's soothing yet intense voice cools the action. The only other aspect that should have caused radio audiences to question the authenticity of a Martian invasion (besides that it was a Martian invasion) was the speed with which the experts and authority figures were dispatched and delivered well thought out and efficiently executed testimony.

One couldn't help feeling the parallel between this invasion and 9/11.  Radio plays beautifully-drawn scenes in language for the listeners.   Sights are described in detail and the sound effects only add a heightened sense of reality no matter how silly the objects are that create those sounds.

The second play of the evening was the highly entertaining The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  Whether it was originally conceived as a comedy or morphed into one at the hands of the clever cast I do not know.  It was, however, a refreshing change from the high drama. 

Tour manager, foley artist, actress and writer, Diane Adair prepped the audience for their role as... the audience.  Cheering, booing and roaring and speaking gorilla were practiced and the play began.  The attractive young actress Kate Steele had a chance to shine as the intrepid, feminist paleontologist.  Wearing heels and a fashionable hat, she paddled the Amazon with aplomb.  Multi-cast as the newspaper boy, the effeminate head of the zoological society, the Indian guide, king of the Gorillas, a noble Incan savage, and a French Waiter, Kyle Colerider-Krugh pulled out all of the stops.  His death scenes were particularly funny with much spinning and windmill arm movement. Good stuff.

The plays were directed by John De Lancie who not only played the infamous "Q" in the series Star Trek the Next Generation, but also has a music degree from Julliard and recently conducted Tosca with the Atlanta Opera Company. For the skilled cast of L.A. Theatre Works, speaking voices, not singing voices, and sound effects were their instruments drawing the same emotional result as if they were making music. 

Carlsen Center at JCCC
L.A. Theatre Works Radio Plays
October 2 & 3, 2009 (Reviewed 9/2/09)
Johnson Country Community College
12345 College Blvd., Overland Park, KS
For tickets call 913-469-4445 or online at http://purchase.tickets.com/buy/TicketPurchase

Top Photo:
Cast members Peter McDonald and Diane Adair

By Megan Browne Helm

Classical, Vocal and Theatre Contributor

Megan Browne Helm grew up singing, dancing and acting.  Inspired by Emma Kirkby as a high school student in St. Louis she went on to study voice and sing with the Collegium Musicum at the Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio where she also had a radio show of contemporary classical music on WOBC.  At the University of Kansas she had the pleasure of working with former Kings’ Singer, Simon Carrington in his Collegium Musicum and Oread consort. Years later, she was a choral fellow at the Yale School of Music’s  Norfolk Chamber Music Festival.  She is currently singing with the Kansas City Symphony Chorus under the direction of Charles Bruffy. 

 As a freelance music and culture writer her work can be found on KCMetropolis.org, presentmagazine.com, the Lawrence Journal World, Shawnee Magazine, Leawood Lifestyle Magazine and KC Parent.  She was one of 26 journalists in the country chosen as a NEA Institute Fellow for Classical Music and Opera at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. 

Her current interest is how classical music remains relevant through active collaborations with artists in different fields, including science.  She also sees a connection between classical music, travel and food as a way to engage all of the senses in a 360 degree cultural experience.  She blogs at raworganum.wordpress.com.