I have been privileged to get a “sneak preview” of THE 39 STEPS new radio show by Okemos High School Theatre Department's "WOHS Radio” performers(available ONLY this Friday and Saturday. 

The hour long show is a fast paced, nostalgic period piece peppered with fun Hitchcock trivia and packed with evocative sound effects — plus many of the original transitional music segues from the movie — as well as a couple of Hitchcock-connected commercials

The leading players taking us on this journey are Miles Nowlin as Hannay and Zara Hertafeld as Pamela. Simon Rebeck is outstanding as the stylized studio announcer. 

“Richard Hannay is visiting 1930s London when he meets Annabella Smith, who is on the run from foreign agents, after a disturbance at a music hall. Later that night, Annabella is murdered and Hannay must then try to break the spy ring and prove his innocence. From an epic train chase to a feisty love interest, Hannay has his work cut out for him as he searches for the truth about The 39 Steps.” 
 
Kudos to Director Chad DeKatch and producer Amanda DeKatch — with technical direction by Matt Ottinger. Not sure who of these three is responsible for the fun commercials and trivia captions, but they are fun enhancements, and give us a little “reading material” in our mostly audio experience.
 
The show will be broadcast online at the below times only, and “tickets” will grant viewers access to the online broadcast. For more information and other inquiries email us at mailto:[email protected].
WOHS Radio: The 39 Steps - Virtual Performances:
February 26-27, 2021
 
TWO DAYS ONLY: Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.OKEMOSTHEATRE.com. $5 per household. A single ticket will allow unlimited viewing of/listening to “The 39 Steps”. The show will open for viewing on Feb 26 at 12:00 am and will close on Feb 27 at 11:59 pm. 

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While you’re in that old time radio mood, you might catch another 30’s Radio Thriller — broadcast on was Valentine’s Day on WLNS Radio, the recording is still available, free of charge, on the Audio Air Force website. https://audioairforce.com

Audio Air Force Valentine’s Day Special- one hour and 15 minutes.
The Bickersons
It Happened One Night- based on the 1939 movie - Starring the talented Jeff Kennedy and Angela Dill in the Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert roles— along with many other Audio Air Force favorites. I recognized the familiar voices of now-in-Chicago Bruce Bennett, and also the fatherly tones of Bob Robinson.

LikeThe 39 Steps, this nostalgic show creates its own reality in your imagination through the voices and sound effects. 

Evolve Theatrics’ “Standing on Ceremony; the Gay Marriage Plays” is another must-see. Get your tickets asap! This two-hour show is only available for online viewing until midnight Sunday, February 14.
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This collection brings refreshing humor and heart and wit and variety. It’s not as fancy as A Doll’s House with its elaborate costumes and set/staging— but it’s well directed so that actors relate to each other and “match” without being in the literal same room. The love and commitment they investigate and celebrate is universal. I think those wedding vows in the last scene could be used for any couple, gay or straight! Kudos to director Helen Hart and the cast and the playwrights.

There are nine different authors: Mo Gaffney, Jordan Harrison, Moisés Kaufman, Neil LaBute, Wendy MacLeod, José Rivera, Paul Rudnick, and Doug Wright) The cast of 11 actors from the greater Lansing area and beyond include: Doak Bloss, David Durham, Phil Franke, Bill Henson, Monica Hiris, Darren Incorvaia, Elizabeth Johnson, Andrew Muylle, Filonna Thomas, Abbie Tykocki, and Cuauhtémoc Vargas

I’m a little frustrated by lack of a “program” that easily links authors and actors and character names. Some folks I recognize and some are new to me. I particularly liked “Strange Fruit” with Doak Bloss and, I think, David Durham?  Abbie Tykocki brought a natural sincerity to both her roles; "My Husband” was a hoot with Jewish mother Elizabeth Johnson and her son Andrew Muylle. Bill Henson’s “London Mosquitoes” was particularly touching.

In keeping with Evolve Theatrics’ commitment to giving back to the community, a portion of the proceeds from this production will be donated to the Salus Center in Lansing. The Salus Center was founded in 2017 to serve Lansing’s LGBTQIA+ communities as a gathering space and information hub. 

Tickets are $15 each, with only a single ticket needed for households watching the performance on the same device.  visit http://www.evolvetheatrics.com, click on 20/21 Season and click on the ticket link. (Due to adult language and sexual references, parental guidance is recommended.)

​Riverwalk Theatre’s A DOLL’S HOUSE is a remarkable amalgam of live theatre and tv/movie production. 

Director Brian Farnham has taken great pains to elevate this classic script above the “conference call” look of its Zoom recording method. Five different locations were set up to represent different areas of the same room; with real “blocking” despite these limited spaces. Some set pieces, notably the Christmas tree, was two different trees, painstakingly united by moving the computer/cameras to line up the popcorn strands. This set-matching and also clever sharing/duplicating of props resulted in an amazing simulation of sharing the same room. 

In the talkback, many lauded Matt Ottinger’s editing and technical magic. His “sepia” tone evened out the look of the different locations, and added a period feel. Kudos to actors’ self-hair styling and Amanda Macomber's period costumes. Amanda Tollstam’s tarantella choreography gave Rachel another chance to shine - and gave us the treat of seeing actual feet touching our much-missed stage at Riverwalk, where that scene only was taped. Thanks to Angie Schwab for the music.

Rachel Daugherty was exceptional as Nora, the wife chafing at her expected role in this groundbreaking feminist play. She reveals many layers as she exploring the process of acquiring personal agency. Though it was written in 1879, Henrik Ibsen raised issues that are still relevant, today. 

The whole cast provided great support for Rachel: Jace Harper as husband Tovald, Kate Dickinson as her friend and confidante, Joe Clark as the problematic Krogstadt, Bob Purosky as the charming but doomed Dr. Rank, and Abbie Tykocki as both Helen the maid and Anne the nurse who makes us worry less about the fate of the Helmer children.

A Doll’s House runs an hour and 55 minutes - not the 2 1/2 hours previously estimated - and it feels even shorter, thanks to the creative staging and a great set of actors with very tight pacing, despite the challenge of computer delays.The cast has been rehearsing since October, and their long, hard work has paid off.

FIVE MORE CHANCES to see this show! There are six show dates and times: Fridays/Saturdays 8 pm, Sundays 2 pm. through February 14. You will ONLY be able to watch the show on the day and time for the ticket you purchased.

Tickets are $20 per device (computer, phone, tablet, etc.) plus handling fees. 
To learn more and purchase tickets, visit, http://riverwalktheatre.com, and click the “buy tickets” button on the main page under the Doll’s House info — or go direct to the ShowTix4U site: https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/45492 Purchase your tickets there and you will get an email with instructions and the link to view the show. Click the link, enter the code on your ticket, wait for the stream to start.