Mercury Theatre Revisited

NAME: Jonny Betz

CONTACT INFORMATION: 718 909 9104, betzj804@newschool.edu

CLASS: WNSR Radio Lab

TITLE: MERCURY THEATRE REVISTED

HOST(S): Someone experienced

GENRE: Feature

LENGTH: 1 hour

FREQUENCY: Weekly

TOTAL NUMBER OF SHOWS: 12

PITCH:

MERCURY THEATRE REVISITED is a weekly feature that celebrates the tradition of on-air storytelling.  Members within the New School community will have their stories presented by a small cast and be followed by an interview of the author.  Amidst the popularity of television, this program would promote the potential of radio as being a source of non-music based entertainment. 

THE SHOW:

In the span of 1 hour, MERCURY THEATRE REVISITED will present one stories, written and edited by New School students and faculty.  Inspired by Orson Welle’s MERCURY THEATRE, we are dedicated to enthralling and capturing the minds of our listener through the medium of radio.  The program will bring drama, mystery, suspense, comedy, and science fiction/fantasy specifically written for the radio or student adaptations of classic stories, restructured as radio-ready narrative. A small and consistent cast of six actors plus a host will present the stories.  This simple casting arrangement allows the listener to get to become familiar with the recurrent cast and at the same time give breadth for the listener’s own imagination of the characters and their interactions within the story.  With the accompaniment of music and live sound effects, MERCURY THEATRE REVISITED will offer an authentic audio-sensory experience.  Following the story the author will be interviewed, elaborating on the writing-process and inspirations of the story, as well as further insight on the author their self.

NEW MERCURY THEATRE will invite you to the subtler worlds outside the visual realm and the deeper galaxies of the imagination.

TIME CLOCK

:00 Opening theme (written by NS student)

:30 Introduction of story and author

2:00 Story

27:00 Intermission/Introduce cast

30:00 Story

45:00 Author Interview

55:00 Closing and upcoming features

59:30 Closing theme

TARGET AUDIENCE:

NEW MERCURY THEATRE is a program aimed for students and faculty within the New School Community.  Though we hope to reach a broader fan base by affiliating with public radio programs not only to promote the program but the works of the author’s.

STAFFING REQUIREMENTS:

·      One or two Engineers to record show and prerecord music track

·      6 voice actors (three male and three female) to perform stories weekly

·      A host to introduce stories and interview author

·      A music composer to write short pieces for each show (this roster is rotational)

·      One “props” master to perform live sound effects on the set