When we started to produce our Living Black & White™ series at the Eisemann Center in Richardson, we began to tap into a new audience, one that had never seen one of our shows in our old Deep Ellum space. And this new audience was hungry for more. We often got questions about when we might be reviving some of our older shows, so that people could catch up on the adventures of Harry, Nigel, and Foster. The challenge is three-fold:
- There are now 21 LBW scripts. Even if we produced nothing but revivals from now on, it would take a long time for people to see all of the old shows.
- Some of the older shows would be extra expensive to produce at the Eisemann, especially those that required more than one set.
- Not everyone wants to see revivals all the time! There is always an upward blip in attendance when we produce a brand new show versus a revival.
And so in 2012, we decided to start a reading series that would feature one or two of our older shows. As a bonus, we would produce them in the order in which Harry, Nigel, and Foster “lived” them, so the audience could follow along on themes that linked the shows (Foster and his wife Bubbles, Nigel’s relationships, Harry’s Uncle Bob).
It’s hard to pinpoint when Kurt got the idea (and name) for expanding the readings to be radio plays. As with many ideas, it likely came out of a casual conversation (“Hey, wouldn’t it be cool if…?”) In 2015, we made it a reality, producing two RadioVizion™ plays that season.
Audiences loved it! The addition of the foley artist making sound effects, the cast moving about between microphones, all gave the readings a much more dynamic feel. Thus a tradition was born.
It’s a tradition we plan to continue as long as our audience supports it! This year we present The Frequency of Death! and A Trifle Dead! in glorious RadioVizion™. We hope you’ll join us!
Experience the magic of RadioVizion™ in The Frequency of Death! running March 25 through April 3, 2016 at the Bath House Cultural Center, with a special encore performance April 4, 2016 at the Eisemann Center in Richardson.
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