Okotoks actors are turning panic into amusement with their adaptation of a radio show that had Americans convinced they were being invaded by aliens 80 years ago. Dewdney Players Group Theatre is bringing a piece of history to the stage in its two-act play War of the Worlds: The Panic Broadcast, adapted by Joe Lander, at the Rotary Performing Arts Centre. Performances are Oct. 5, 6, 11-13, 18-20 at 7:30 p.m. Seasoned actor Daniel Rose is the voice of more than half a dozen characters in the 1948-based WBFR radio ensemble. The actors recreate the infamous Oct. 30, 1938, Orson Welles’ radio adaptation of War of the Worlds Halloween episode, which listeners mistook for news. “One of the challenges is trying to make sure that you keep each voice distinct, but still something you can remember and do again,” Rose said last week. “We’ve been putting a lot of work into it. I hope people enjoy it as much as we’ve enjoyed making it.” The play-within-a-play is complete with vintage commercials and live sound effects. For experienced community theatre actor Rose, the radio show presented a new set of challenges. “The thing about a radio show is you have to convey everything through voice instead of moving around,” he said. “I’m still moving my arms and such as I’m at the microphone, but you have to try and get everything across through just the voice.” The play’s six actors received pointers from director Sherene Schmidtler, who also directed Dewdney’s radio show It’s a Wonderful Life two years ago. Although Rose wasn’t a part of the previous play, he watched it unfold on stage with great enjoyment. “One thing that I thought was so interesting was the Foley table where they do all the sound effects,” he said. “I just find it amazing and so creative some of the ways they make these interesting sounds - like for a strong wind they’ve got this wheel they turn that rubs against the bottom of a small rug.” While the show has its challenges, Rose said there’s one aspect that provides relief for actors. “One of the nice things about the radio show is we have our script in hand so we don’t have to memorize any lines,” he said. “It took that burden away and let me just focus fully on the characters.” While one might expect the play to rely solely on voices, Rose said there are physical components the audience will enjoy – in addition to the Foley table. “During some of the long monologues people can get bored or drift away,” he said. “What we’ve been doing is because we’re portraying these actors who are playing these roles we’ve been working on little things on the stage like having a little interaction. We’re having this little silent play in the back while whoever is up there is doing the voices. It gives the audience something to look at.” A total of 70 voices will be represented throughout the two-hour performance, said Schmidtler. “The voice talent is quite tremendous,” she said. “We did some intensive voice work. I worked with them on their series of voices and we talk about intimation or where the vowels are formed in the mouth or how high or low or quick or slow that person speaks.” Schmidtler also worked with the actors on the physical components. “When they’re not doing their voice acting they take a seat or move around in the background,” she said. “That’s where you start to see the other layer of those characters in how they interact with each other.” Schmidtler said she jumped on the opportunity to perform the radio show following the success of It’s a Wonderful Life. “It was neat to hear our older guests say, ‘It was just like when I was a kid and I heard the stories on the radio,’” she said. “Sometimes their eyes would be closed and they would just be listening. It was so well received that we decided to do another radio show.” Also captivating for the audience was the Foley artist, a component Schmidtler is excited to bring back. “Imagine in the day sitting in your front parlour, gathered around the radio listening to the story,” she said. “You have the voices of all the characters of the story and you have the soundscape to go along with it that creates a whole other layer of realism for the story. It sounded so real people thought aliens were invading.” Tickets to see War of the Worlds: The Panic Broadcast cost $20 in advance by going to dewdneyplayers.com and $25 at the door.
