The Martians Are Coming!!!

I’m in a play that opens this week. It’s the first play in which I’ve performed in almost two years. In the last 10 years or so, my performances have been few and far between, mostly due to the fact that I can’t get paid to perform like I can to music direct, direct, sound design, etc. Also, I’m not the greatest actor, so I don’t audition for anything unless I know that I’ll be cast. Unless it’s a project that I absolutely love (ie, A Christmas Carol in ‘04, ‘05, and ‘08) or I’m required to audition for school (Ah, Wilderness!).

This project happened to come about at an interesting time. I had finished work on Willy Wonka, and nothing else was lined up to music direct or direct. I had been itching to perform to the point where I actually considered auditioning for two different shows that I wanted NOTHING to do with, but knew I could most likely be cast.

I was having a man date with my good friend Dave, and he started telling me about a project he was writing and directing. It was a stage adaptation of the 1938 radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds. I was immediately intrigued. I remembered learning about it in high school and even listening to part of it. I have a vague recollection of my grandma telling me about it (I wish so much that I could remember what she had told me). I was fascinated by the idea that a work of art had sparked so much panic.

I spent a few weeks debating whether or not to do the show. The biggest con was that it was going to conflict a bit with things at school. As soon as I found out that school was no more, I didn’t really have much of an excuse not to do it.

So, I took part in the first reading of the show, and Dave counted that as my audition. I still debated a bit before finally committing, and Dave offered me the part of John Houseman.

Back in the day, John had been Orson Welles’s producer. They worked together not only on radio, but also stage projects. If you know me well, you know that I’ve always been fascinated with the story of the musical The Cradle Will Rock, which was originally produced and directed by Houseman and Welles. The thought of playing somebody who played an important part in theatrical history was exciting, to say the least.

If I haven’t lost your attention yet, then you’re probably wondering why the producer is part of a stage adaptation of the radio broadcast he produced. In adapting the broadcast, Dave realized that a straight staged reading would be pretty bland. As monumental as the broadcast was, it lagged quite a bit in places. Especially toward the end. In order to keep it interesting, he added a second plot (which actually took over the show) about Orson, John, and the writer, Howard Koch. Then he added more subplot featuring real people’s reactions to the broadcast. He really did his research, and it shows.

There are some interesting arguments put forth in the show about the responsibility of the media and whether or not people can blame the media for their actions. These arguments are just as valid as ever, and while the show isn’t trying to make any political statements, it definitely will open you up to having some great conversations after you see it.

So, please, come and see the show! I’ve been proud to be a part of it, and I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to work with some friends for the first time in years: Dave Hanson, Justin Kennington, Elwon Bakly, and my BFF forever, Sara Preston.

If you’re interested in attending, a link to purchase tickets can be found to the right.

Thanks in advance.