Alright, here it is, folks – three days before Halloween and the height of scary story season. My inbox has been bombarded with new stuff all this month which I’ve been dying to get out there to you, and there is just so much happening that if I had my way, I would clone off five or six of myselves to check out all of the cool Halloween events.
That not being possible, you’ll find me in Portland, Maine putting on a two-hour Halloween radio drama with 5 original plays. Yikes. But no matter where you are in country (or the world, for that matter), if you want blood-curdling audio, there’s stuff out there for you.
After putting out my feelers the audio community, digging around on my own, and just collecting all of the awesome stuff people like you have been sending my way, I’m going to share what I’ve come up with for awesome haunting horror audio.
Starting, first, with the LIVE Halloween shows – these are events where you can show, participate, and be spooked in an audience with real people! Follow-up post coming soon with recorded programming
Live Halloween Radio Shows
Portland, Maine – 7-9PM EDT on Sat, Oct 31
What is It? – My own show. I’ve talked about that already. Five plays by writers Roger Gregg, Mark LaFlamme, Kevin Anderson and yours truly.
How Do I Hear It? – Show up!!! Or, barring that, audio stream at wmpg.org and video stream at finalrune.com
Memphis, Tenneessee – 7-9PM CST on Sat, Oct 31
What is it? For the second year in a row, Chatterbox will perform a live Halloween Show over the airwaves on 91.1 WKNO-FM Memphis / 90.1 WKNP-FM Jackson.
Just to outdo me, Chatterbox is doing SEVEN short tales of horror, suspense, and the macabre. Expect to encounter the undead, creative murderers, tentacled monsters, hungry demons, unseen beasts, and other horrors that will keep you awake well into the night. A talented team of actors, musicians, sound effects artists, and producers will create these stories while you listen — just like in the Golden Age of radio.
How Do I Hear It? 91.1 WKNO-FM Memphis / 90.1 WKNP-FM Jackson. If you don’t live in the Memphis area, you can listen live through the WKNO website.
Boston, Massachusetts – 8PM on Oct 29, 30, 31, and 2PM on Oct 31
What is it? The Post-Meridian Radio Players bring us “The Big Broadcast of October 30th, 1938″ – the latest iteration of their annual Halloween tribute to the Golden Age of Radio. This year they present two plays – “The Frank Cyrano Byfar Hour” and a special production of Orson Welles’ infamous “War of the Worlds” radio play, adapted to follow events in Boston during the ”Martian invasion.”
PMRP does amazing stuff, as you can grok from my raving of their New Year’s radio show.
How Do I Hear It? Check out Somerville Theater, next to the Davis Square T Station. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Further information about the show, ticket reservations, and PMRP in general may be found on their website at http://www.pmrp.org
Portland, Oregon – 4PM and 6PM PST on Oct 31
What is it? Over in our sister city of Portland, Oregon, the Willamette Radio Workshop presents their 7th annual Halloween audio theater extravaganza at McMenamins Kennedy School. This year’s presentation is an original compilation of stories based on “The St. James Infirmary Blues,” featuring live music and foley, and streaming in real time on the internet. “Tales from St. James Infirmary” is a cross between ER, The X Files and EC Comics, featuring stories of zombies, lost loves, murder and revenge – in other words the perfect Halloween confection. You’ll never be unsatisfied with your HMO again.
There will be two programs with eleven stories split between the two. There were even MORE stories (including my own) that filled up their full roster… my but they do a lot of shows!
How Do I Hear It? All shows are free and open to everyone (who has the guts, that is). Streaming Mix for Radio 23. Listen in at http://radio23.org/#listen
New York City – 3PM EDT on Oct 31
What is it? It’s thrilling to hear from groups you’ve never encountered before, and when I put my call to action from the community I found out about a Frankenstein Halloween Special by the appropriately named “RadioTheatre” presented by Horse Trade Theater Group (separated at birth from Mad Horse Theater Company? The world will never know).
These guys look like they’ve been around for a while and have gotten some high accolades. Here’s what they say about their show:
The critically-acclaimed, award-winning RADIOTHEATRE pulls out all the stops for this one, folks…a grand, aural spectacular! From the company that brought you KING KONG, THE WAR OF THE WORLDS, THE TIME MACHINE, DRACULA and more…now comes FRANKENSTEIN!
In concert, LIVE, on stage…with a great cast of story tellers, an original symphonic score and a plethora of sound effects! Just bring your imagination!
Good to see the city that never sleeps is in the game. Go out and get spooked!
Topeka, Kansas – 8PM CST on Oct 31
What Is It? The WTCT Players are scheduled to perform Oct 30 at Topeka’s Oldfather Theatre. Admission $6. No clue what they’re doing but they usually perform three vintage half hour plays. Last year, they did one each from Suspense, Inner Sanctum and The Witch’s Tale.
Let the theatre be your radio and take you on a trip back to a simpler time. The WTCT Players perform in the newly renovated Oldfather Theatre, complete with improved air conditioning, wheelchair access, and comfortably padded seats!
How Do I Hear It? I think you have to show up, no details if a stream or podcast version will be available.
4. In Washington, The Midnight Mystery Players announced they’d be doing a version of “The Bride of Frankenstein” on Oct 31 but there have been no further details on their website:
Bellingham, Washington – Sat, Oct 31
What Is It? The Midnight Mystery Players announced they’d be doing a version of “The Bride of Frankenstein” on Oct 31 but there have been no further details on their website.
How Do I Hear It? Few details of the show published. Try contacting them!
Cayman Island – 8PM EDT (?) on Sat, Oct 31
What is it?This is fun. The Cayman Drama Society will stage three Agatha Christie radio plays on Halloween. Um, that’s about it for info, though.
How Do I Hear It? There’s no too much detail, but check out Radio Cayman’s website, also, look there for a live stream link.
Norman, Oklahoma – 7PM CST on Fri, Oct 30
What Is It? Three episodes of “Suspense” (“Zero Hour,” “The Hitchhiker” and “The House in Cypress Canyon”) performed by Second Stage Players in Norman, OK on October 30. Formed in 2005, Second Stage Players perform various types of readers’ theatre, including live radio scripts, one-act plays and interpretive readings.
How Do I Hear It? Tickets for the performance are available at PAS’s home in the Depot during regular business hours, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $7 in advance and $10 at the door. All senior tickets are $7; admission for children age 12 and under is $3.
Unclear if there will be a podcast, contact the PAS at 307-9320 or see this article for more details.
Miscellania
And there are always plenty of “War of the Worlds” recreations scheduled for this time of year. Here are two:
Not Quite Halloween Live Radio Shows
These are not quite on Halloween, but are spooky, so why not enjoy?
Minneapolis, Minnesota – 9:30-10:30 CST on Nov 1
Sound Affects aired an Icebox Radio Halloween Special this past Sunday night, which is available on the station archives at: http://www.kfai.org/soundaffectsaradioplayground/ for two weeks after air date.
On November 1 Sound Affects will air “The Evil At Shady Lake”, a comic suspense tale made here at KFAI by the Deadbeats on the Air players. Written by Britt Aamodt. Appropriate for the day After Halloween.
How Do I Hear It? Tune into the live stream, or available in the KFAI archives after the broadcast.
Glen Allen, Virginia – 7:30PM EDT on Nov 3 and 4
What Is It? The On the Air Radio Players are doing something called “Fright Night Double Feature: Dracula and Frankenstein,” an original old time radio show! The hour-long event will be taped and offered later for podcast and features live music and sound effects.
Offered by the County of Henrico Division of Recreation and Parks.
How Do I Hear It? Looks like you can show up in Virginia, or look for a podcast down the line. Their website: http://www.otarp.com/upcoming_shows.htm
Georgetown, Delaware – 2PM EDT on Nov 1
What Is It? The Possum Point Players’ Ad Hoc Touring Company are scheduled to perform Nov 1 at Possum Hall. For $5, you get vintage versions of “The Maltese Falcon” and the Jack the Ripper thriller, “The Lodger” according to this article in the Sussex Countian.
How Do I Hear It? Unclear if the event will be podcast. You could try calling the box office: 302-856-4560.
Thanks, People
Thanks be to emruf7 over on the Audio Drama Talk board for contributing a number of stories to this release… and of course, all of the individual artists who sent me stuff. Keep it up!
Today we continue our focus on UK alternatives to the BBC with the aptly titled