11. 10. 2014 • 5
Viking Radio Theatre takes over the airwaves By C Hayley Halstead After creating and producing an hourlong radio theatre show Viking Radio Theatre Club plans to take over the airwaves on KUGS 89.3 for their second show of the quarter on Sunday, Nov. 23 from 6 to 7 p.m. The club, which meets Tuesdays in Miller Hall 131 from 4 to 6 p.m., was formed at the end of fall quarter 2013 and since then it has aired several episodes on KUGS. Those that aren’t already part of this group are more than welcome to attend a meeting in order to meet the cast and learn more about how to become a part of the show. Viking Radio Theatre Production Director Walter Lutsch urges that the meetings are a creative space to work and grow. “We generally promote a creative atmosphere to write new things, try out interesting stuff, create scripts and work on acting,” Lutsch said. One of the overarching goals is to have an hour-long show produced every other week. KUGS is actively working with the club to accomplish this goal, but as of now, the club is scheduled to provide two shows this quarter followed by three shows winter quarter. Viking Radio Theatre Vice President Shelly Ewell hopes to expand the club’s reach. “One of the things we are looking to do the coming quarter is running a script contest,” Ewell said. “One of our episodes next quarter will consist entirely of contest winners.” The scripts can include anything from comedy to sci-fi to political commentary with the underlining purpose of entertaining the audience and providing thought provoking content. “Every episode is usually a mash-up of different genres put together so that there’s something that everyone can listen to,” Lutsch said. The process for the show beings with the script committee which evaluates scripts are
The second episode of Viking Radio Theatre season two premieres on KUGS 89.3 Sunday, Nov. 23 at 6 p.m. Tune in by radio or online. Photo by Trevor Grimm // AS Review based on how well they follow the guidelines and how many levels of depth and meaning are within the scripts themselves. Following the script committee process, the club then begins rehearsing with its actors. Upon completion of rehearsal, the recording process begins. The process can take hours. Actors record their parts, followed an editing session. “We are here to not only use skills you already have, but to use new ones and become better at whatever you’re interested in,” Ewell said. Most recently, the club has been able to incorporate sound effects into their shows, which includes anything from the sound of a flushing toilet to the sound of a chainsaw. One of the actors, Delaney Rogers, found out about the club at AS Info Fair and has en-
joyed taking part in the club. “It’s different from theatre in a few ways, the most obvious being that it’s just your voice. It provides a new experience,” Rogers said. On the other hand, one of the members of the script committee, Ryan Morrow, has had the unique experience to share his stories to listeners. “Radio theatre as an art performance is specifically designed to let you use your imagination to fill in the visual gaps between our sounds, our voices and our effects,” Lutsch said. “I think there’s a desire now that we’ve been inundated with so much video and graphics, to want to be able to just close your eyes, relax and use your imagination.” Tune in as Viking Radio Theatre takes over the airwaves.