Mike Russell writes and draws one of the best columns in the Oregonian newspaper, Culture Pulp. It is a comic and man on the street style column that chronicles the arts and events in Portland that make us one of the most livable cities. Well Mike ran into us at McMenamins Kennedy School doing our annual Hobbit reading and we made the cut and so, the funny papers. This fulfills a life long dream of mine and several other members of the Workshop. Mike was kind enough to let us post a portion of it on our site, but do check out his site and find his cartoons as well as excellent movie reviews (We are number 57). There is a wonderful Pan’s Labyrinth piece, not to be missed, that is both. Thanks Mike and see you next year!
Author Archives: Jamie
Writers On-the-air Workshop 2006
This July, WRW’s Writers On-the-Air Workshop (WOW), returns for its third year developing and showcasing new, original works for audio theater by writers from around the country. Funded in part by the Regional Arts and Culture Council, this year’s WOW focuses on “Voice and Viewpoint.â€
WOW participants meet two to three times a week to discuss and revise their scripts through a peer-driven, collaborative process led by WRW dramaturge and published playwright Cynthia McGean. The three-week workshop begins Saturday, July 8, with an introduction for those new to audio theater, and culminates July 29th in recorded readings of the scripts with actors chosen by WRW Director Sam A. Mowry.
Three pieces from WOW will be selected for full production and broadcast. WOW is free and open to those interested in exploring their writing craft through the medium of audio theater. For an application, contact Cynthia McGean at cjmcgean@aol.com.
Past WOW productions include Gold Ogle Award Winner Next Year’s Girl, by Heather Breeden and National Audio Theatre Festival Grand Prize Winner Pandora’s Box, by Cynthia McGean. WRW is proud to present WOW productions on local radio station KBOO, as well as community radio stations around the country.
Four Hours From Omaha
Four Hours from Omaha
by Craig Kenworthy
The Willamette Radio Workshop’s production of Four Hours From Omaha by Craig Kenworthy is a play developed by the Writers on the Air Workshop, Cynthia J. McGean Director. We were happy to have our initial broadcast of Stage and Studio on KBOO 90.7 FM April 18th, 2006. Craig Kenworthy is a writer who resides in Montana. His works have been seen and heard in many venues across the country. The script has gone through a couple of reading and re-write sessions to get to today’s finished product. We were actually lucky enough to have Craig visit us at WRW’s studio for the final reading before we went into the studio. WRW is always happy to work with writers on both adaptaions and original projects, but there is always a special spark when we help usher a new work into the world, especially one as fine as Four Hours From Omaha.
The production was directed by Sam A. Mowry and starred Kate Hawkes, Brian Bartley, Carole Dane, Jane Bennett and Cindy McGean. Original music was composed by Martin John Gallagher. This is the first in a series of new works sponsored in part by the Regional Arts and Culture Council of Oregon. Our special thanks to Dmae Roberts and Stage & Studio for premiering this work.
Fall of the City Receives Communicator Award
The Willamette Radio Workshop is excited to announce that they have been honored with the Crystal Communicator Award of Excellence for our production of The Fall of the City by Archibald MacLeish. 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.
Cast and Credits
Original Music by Marc Rose
Recorded by Robert Kowal
Produced and directed by Sam A. Mowry
The production featured: Sam A. Mowry, Chris Porter, Linda Goertz, William S. Gregory, Holly Spencer, 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
Produced by Sam A. Mowry, Robert Kowal and Marc Rose
Co-Producer and dramaturgy by Cynthia McGean
The Fall of the City was recorded at PCC Sylvania in Portland, OR.
Special Thanks to Richard McAdoo of the Estate of Archibald Macleish and Margaret Howland from the Archibald MacLeish Collection at the Greenfield Community College Library.
The Fall of the City is a copyrighted work produced with the permission of the Estate of Archibald MacLeish.
Ogle Awards 2004 WRW Wins Twice!
Well it’s that time of year again.
The Workshop has scored two Ogle Awards at this years CONvergence Convention. Last year we won an Honorable mention for A Murder of Crows. This year we won the Gold for Heather Breeden’s Next Year’s Girl and a Special Award for best Adaptation for Cynthia McGean’s Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, recorded live at McMenamins Kennedy School last Halloween.
We are busting our buttons to receive this honor and to be in the company of such wonderful audio producers is a great compliment. The full list of awards follows and the judges are listed at the end. Congratulations to Heather and Cindy especially for their wonderful scripts. I can’t wait to see what comes out of this years Writer’s on the Air Workshop.
MARK TIME AND OGLE AWARDS FOR BEST SCIENCE FICTION AUDIO AWARDS
The Ninth Annual Mark Time Awards for the Best Audio Science Fiction of the Year were presented at the CONvergence Science Fiction Convention at the Sheraton Hotel South in Bloomington, MN on July 1st, 2005.
The Mark Time Award is named after the character created by the Firesign Theatre in the 1970s. The Ogle Award is named for Charles Ogle, who played the Frankenstein monster in Thomas Edison’s 1910 film of the Mary Shelley novel. The Mark Time/Ogle Awards are the only awards given in this country that are solely for audio theater.
The winners of the Ogle Fantasy Audio Awards and Mark Time Science Fiction Audio Awards for the production year 2004:
GOLD OGLE AWARD
Next Years Girl By Heather Breeden
Willamette Radio Workshop, Portland, OR. Sam A. Mowry and Cynthia McGean, producers.
SILVER OGLE AWARD
No Award given
SPECIAL AWARD – BEST ADAPTATION
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein By Cynthia McGean
Willamette Radio Workshop, Portland, OR. Sam A. Mowry and Cynthia McGean, producers.
HONORABLE MENTION
“Three Skeleton Key”
One Act Players, San Mateo, CA. Glenn Carlson, producer.
GOLD MARK TIME AWARD
No Award given
SILVER MARK TIME AWARD (Tie)
“Paradox”
Strange Interludes, Fort Worth, TX. Stephen Couch , writer/producer.
“Snowbank”
Icebox Radio Theater, International Falls, MN. Jeffrey Adams, writer/producer.
HONORABLE MENTION
“Rod Renegade: Chaos for Hire”
Texas Radio Theatre, Arlington, TX. Shannan and Rich Frohlich, producers
SPECIAL AWARD – BEST ADAPTATION
The Menace From Earth
Atlanta Radio Theater Company, Atlanta, GA. William Alan Ritch, producer. Story by Robert Heinlein.
David Ossman described the genre at the first Mark Time Awards ceremony this way: “The best special effects are the ones inside your head. The best aliens are the ones that only you can see, and you only see them in your own mind. Science fiction is one of the largest genres in the whole world of audio publishing anyway, mostly because people love to listen to it. It’s movies in your mind.”
You can find more information about the CONvergence convention on-line at http://www.convergence-con.org/.
CONvergence is a project of MISFITS, the Minnesota Society For Interest in Science Fiction and Fantasy.
Judges for the 2004 Mark Time and Ogle Awards were:
- Simon Jones – “Arthur Dent” in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
- Kris Markman – National Audio Theatre Festivals
- Brian Price – Great Northern Audio Theatre
- Philip Proctor – The Firesign Theatre
- Jerry Stearns – Great Northern Audio Theatre
WRW at the UFO Festival! Dry Smoke & Whispers/Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
Who/What: Willamette Radio Workshop at McMenamins “6th Annual UFO Festival”
When: Saturday, May 14, 2005
Where: At the Mack Theatre across from McMenamins Hotel Oregon, McMinnville, Oregon
How Much: All events are free, open to all ages
Contact: Sam A. Mowry 503-730-7155. samowry@aol.com
The Willamette Radio Workshop is happy to announce its continuing participation in the McMenamins Hotel Oregon’s UFO Fest in McMinnville Oregon. This year we present another installment in the award winning Dry Smoke and Whispers series, “The Brand of the Gryphon Hawk” by Jerrel McQuen. We will also present a classic Old Time Radio Sci-Fi staple, “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.” The premiere radio episode, with special guest, Popsicle Pete! The show is free and follows the UFO Parade right down the center of town to the Mack Theater, across the street from the Hotel Oregon.
“The Brand of the Gryphon Hawk” is a comic adventure that follows the adventures of Emille Song, special detective, telepath, outcast and warrior for justice; who works the crime riddled planet of Quaymet where he matches wits with a collection of extra-terrestrial villains as they attempt to take over the world. Well, their world. Quaymet I mean. Anyway join Emille as he takes on Marcori Deedwik and his henchmen with the most insidious plan for world domination you’d ever imagine. It could be happening today! It’s that timely.
Dry Smoke and Whispers has been on the public airwaves for 25 years and has won numerous national awards. Currently airing on XM Satellite radio Sonic Theater channel 163, you can find out more about the dynamic duo that created the sensation at www.drysmoke.com.
The Willamette Radio Workshop is proud to collaborate once again with DSW and present this strange amalgam of 30’s Gangsters, Victorian England and vaguely Middle Eastern motifs that are the planet Quaymet. Buck Rogers is a classic presentation of OTR with live Foley and prehistoric product placement that WRW does so well that it too is award winning.
The cast and crew of this years light hearted epics are: Tim McKennie, Eric Newsome, Greg Alexander, Suzan Zeitlin, Cynthia McGean, David Ian and Sam A. Mowry.
Sound Design and Music is by Marc Rose.
Foley by David Ian
Live sound by Robert Kowal
Special Thanks to Martin John Gallagher, Liz Robbins and Claudine Hemmingway.
Produced by Sam A. Mowry and TransDimensional Media
Directed by Sam A. Mowry
Cast and Crew Credits for Dr. Moreau!
Hello All,
I can’t seem to get the Moreau credits on line from its page so here are the credits for our wildly successful 7 minutes of radio theater insanity, presented live on OPB’s LiveWire and soon to be a minor TV masterpiece (details to follow). Complete bios on everyone here can be found on our “Who We Are” page.
The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells
Adapted for radio by Cynthia J. McGean
“The Final Chapter: The Manimals Revolt and Prendrick’s Escape”
CAST:
Dr. Moreau: Greg Alexander
Prendrick: Tim McKennie
Sayer of the Law: Sam A. Mowry
Leopard Man: David Ian
Manimal: Atticus Welles Mowry
CREW:
Sound Design: Marc Rose, Martin John Gallagher, David Ian, Robert Kowal, Atticus Mowry, Sam Mowry.
Foley: David Ian & Atticus Welles Mowry.
Abelton & Sound Op: Marc Rose
Percussion: Martin John Gallagher
Live Sound Engineer: Robert Kowal
WRW Theme Music: Martin John Gallagher & Marc Rose
Produced and Directed by: Sam A. Mowry
Cindy McGean Wins NATF Award!
The Willamette Radio Workshop is proud to announce that Cynthia McGean, the director of our Writers On the air Workshop, was awarded first place in the National Audio Theatre Festival 2004 Script contest for her piece Pandora’s Box. Set in a battered women’s shelter, Pandora’s Box explores a veteran shelter worker’s crisis of hope. First place includes the publication of the Script in NATF Script Book 2004, a scholarship to the NATF Audio Theatre Workshop in West Plains, Missouri and a cash award.
Ms. McGean’s adaptations and original scripts have frequently been featured in WRW’s season. A selection from Ms. McGean’s adaptation of The Island of Dr. Moreau will be highlighted during the April 22nd recording of OPB’s LiveWire radio show. The program is in conjunction with Wordstock and will be taped for broadcast on OPB TV.
Ms. McGean is a published writer whose work has been performed throughout the country. She has also worked onstage and backstage at a number of local theaters, is a longtime advocate for children’s rights and teaches third grade at Lot Whitcomb Elementary School in Milwaukie.
Details of the 2004 National Audio Theatre Festival Script Contest
First Place: Pandora’s Box, by Cynthia J. McGean
Second Place: Partakers, by D.C. Smith
Third Place: Sorry, You’ve Got My Wrong Number, by Rich Orloff
The following plays receive an Honorable Mention:
Lost in a Radio Studio, by Joy Jackson and Paul Feavel
Golden Dreams, Golden Nightmares, by Tony Palermo
Trial by Fire, by Joel Pierson
Seeing Mirrors, by Al Sjoerdsma
Winning scripts will be published in the annual NATF scriptbook, and may be considered for future production by NATF. The judges for this year’s contest were Jeffrey Adams, Icebox Radio Theater; Janine Preston, WKNH Radio Theatre, and Randy Story, NATF.
Marty Gallagher Wins International Award
Willamette Radio Workshop is proud to announce that our resident Sound Designer, Marty Gallagher, has been awarded the Silver Medal for Sound Design for Mt. Hood Repertory Theater’s Fahrenheit 451 at this years World Stage Design competition in Toronto Canada. Check out the link for complete details about a very amazing competition.
More about Marty. Martin John Gallagher is an award-winning national musical director, computerized musical arranger and sound designer based in Portland, Oregon. He is a three-time Drammy winner, and a five-time nominee. He works in five Western states, and he’s worked with every significant theatre company in Portland. He designed the synthesizer programming for the Portland Opera’s recent production of View From a Bridge. This summer he musical directed Rogers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella for the City of Portland at Washington Park Rose Garden using computerized sequencing to simulate the pit band (and stay within budget). He is a featured presenter and writer for The United States Institute of Theatre Technology. He was a judge and keynote speaker for first ever Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival sound design competition last year. Also, he has just released an interactive CD-ROM Wireless Microphones In the Theatre for Sound, Costume, Wig and Makeup Designers, and Production Coordinators. It is available directly from Mr. Gallagher. His educational web site about theatrical sound design is http://www.home.earthlink.net/~mjgallag.
Go and check this site out for a lot of good info concerning the business and mechanics of sound.
Fall of the City
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.