Fall of the City
by Archibald MacLeish
October 25th, 2004

Broadcast on WMNF in Tampa, FL, the broadcast was also streamed at their website.

Fall of the City is a seminal piece of radio theater, originally presented in 1937 by the Columbia Workshop, with a cast of 200, including Orson Welles, Burgess Meredith and Paul Stewart. As The Fall of the City begins, a dead woman who has appeared in the town square for 3 days saying nothing finally speaks and she tells of the arrival of a mysterious conqueror, warning “The city of Masterless men will take a master, there will be shouting then, blood after.”

A debate ensues where the people must decide how much of their freedom they are willing to risk for a sense of security from a mysterious conqueror. The Fall of the City is a wonderful radio piece, speaking directly to the issues and political choices we face today. The timeless power of poetry and the spoken word meet in this verse drama written especially for radio by this Pulitzer Prize-winning author.

The timely nature of this story inspired us to re-imagine the piece, using the entire script and a brilliant modern sound design by Marc Rose we feel this is our best work to date. Watch for more MacLeish to follow next year.

Willamette Radio Cast and Credits

Original Music by Marc Rose
Recorded by Robert Kowal

Produced and directed by Sam A. Mowry

Starring:
Sam A. Mowry, Chris Porter, Linda Goertz, William S. Gregory, Holly Spenser, Tim McKennie, Ricardo Delgado, Mark Homayoun, Adam S. Moore and Atticus Welles Mowry

Sound Design and engineering by Marc Rose
Recording by Robert Kowal and Michael Gandsey
Foley conductor Martin Gallagher
Assistant Director William S. Gregory
Produced by Sam A. Mowry, Robert Kowal and Marc Rose
Co-Producer Cynthia McGean

Fall of the City was recorded at PCC Sylvainia in Portland, OR.

Special Thanks to Dan Hayes and Mike Chapman, Mary Kowal, Rob Cannon, Transdemsional Media, T2 Audio, Dry Smoke and Whispers, Dmae Roberts, The McMenamins Empire, XM Satellite Radio, Marge Lunan, Tom and Doris McGean, Margaret Howland and Orson Welles.

In loving memory of Dick Mowry

Fall of the City is a copyrighted work produced with the permission of the Estate of Archibald MacLeish.