Author: Jack (Page 98 of 175)

Born to Teachers and Amateur Audio Enthusiasts in the small rural community of Belwood, Jack's first love was stories- writing, reading, telling, and singing. He developed his acting skills through High School, University, and through film and community theatre.
Jack writes the lion's share of Sonic Cinema Production's (previously Electric Vicuna) Audio Drama scripts and has his own writing site at www.jackjward.com. Jack also is the middle of book writing, screenplay production, and is the CEO of the Mutual Audio Network- where he and the best people in the world Listen & Imagine, Together!.
He's thrilled to co-host the Sonic Society with his wonderful, talented, friend David Ault as they enter their second decade in the medium!

PBS Radio Rocks by Not Rocking

April 22, 2016 / Jack / 0 Comments

PBSwebsize Elijah Hawkins has some pretty cool things to say about radio drama down under:

In a time when most commercial radio stations play (in this writer’s opinion) either mass-produced crap or ‘80s pop, and when even triple j is waning, community radio plays an incredibly important role in the scene.
PBS 106.7FM is one of these stations flying the flag for community radio, and from May 16-29 they’re calling on listeners to ‘Take the Plunge’ and sign up. As a station that remains independent and non-profit, the supporters and volunteers are what keeps PBS on the air.

Fuelled by people with a passion for music and propelled by the record collections of the volunteer broadcasters, the station offers programs focusing on everything, including country, blues and roots, garage, rock, punk, and even electronica, soul, hip-hop, and free jazz.

Folks who sign up or renew their membership will go into the running for a heap of prizes, including a Maton 70th anniversary series semi-acoustic guitar, a restored Thorens turnable, a classic red Vespa PX 150 scooter and plenty more.

So get out there and support PBS 106.7 FM and let the stories rock out!

Epic- The Podcast

April 21, 2016 / Jack / 0 Comments

epic81 The folks from the Epic podcast provide an audio drama episode.
Check them out at Geekloo.com
The Hosts of Epic are:
Marc Cabot (@MarcCabot)
Joel Richard (@JoelARichard)
Richard Gray(@EpicRich1)
Andy McMullen (@AndyLastName)
Nutty (@Nuchtchas)
Adam Williams (@Dr4Physics)
Shane Poole (@cirenshane)

Dietrick Theater Performers

April 20, 2016 / Jack / 0 Comments

web1_ABJ-Radio Headed to Pennsylvania and aching to watch some live radio drama?

Catch Owen Frazier and Rich Ryczak from Dietrich Radio Players performing at the Open Mic this Friday (April 22nd) this evening. Find out all the details from this article at Abington Journal:

Two members of the Dietrich Radio Players, Owen Frazier and Rich Ryczak, will be the featured performers for Open Mic at 7 p.m. Friday, April 22 at the theater. They will bring some comic examples of old time radio to the open mic stage.

Open to audiences and performers of all ages, musicians, comedians and performers of all types are invited to share their talents before Frazier and Ryczak take the stage. The doors open for sign-ups and seating at 6:30 p.m.

With years of experience performing in the Dietrich Radio Players group, Frazier and Ryczak chose scenes from the Jack Benny Show, Charlie McCarthy segments, W.C. Fields comedies and the “Who’s on First,” routine made famous by Abbott and Costello.

For more information about this free event, call the Dietrich at 570-996-1500.

Information provided by the Dietrich Theater.

Best of the Classic Radio Drama?

April 20, 2016 / Jack / 6 Comments

Radios This article on Geekscape was floating around the Internets, and we’re a little upset we didn’t see it sooner.

The author, Witney, provides a list of the top ten old time radio dramas along with links. The shows selected are in order…

10. Brave New World

9. Superman

8. Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar

7. Escape “Three Skeleton Key”

6. The Knox Riots

5. Ruby 4(ZBS)

4. War of the Worlds (Mercury Theatre)

3. Johnny Got His Gun

2. Moon Over Morocco (ZBS)

1. Sorry Wrong Number

So what do you think? Agree? Disagree? Write your own list in the comments! Goodness knows we have a few that would have included!

Episode 468- Martian Fairy Tales

April 19, 2016 / Jack / 0 Comments

Jack brings us two great new family friendly tales with “Rapunzel- Episode 1” from Craig Robotham and Weird World Studios and the triumphant return of Bell’s in the Batfry from John Bell!

Playing with Google

April 18, 2016 / Jack / 0 Comments

Google Play has the Internets all a twitter (pun intended) with the possibility of a new RSS aggregator.

Do you need to have a place to spread your feed? Check out this article from The Verge.

Daley Wishes- More Star Wars Audio Drama

April 16, 2016 / Jack / 1 Comment

I don’t know about you. But the thought that the new Star Wars movies could produce more NPR Star Wars audio drama makes me more excited than even for the release of the next installment- Rogue One.

For many of us who held on to the flame of radio drama in those twilight years, the NPR Star Wars written by Brian Daley set flame to our imaginations exactly what a serialized version of a story could do. Forget, the modern podcast serials. Star Wars the Radio Drama stretched the original tale to tell all the stories that George Lucas couldn’t fit into a two hour feature. As this Hollywood Reporter article clarifies the extended tales tells us much more about the upcoming movie “Rogue One” than the original trilogy let slip.

I admit that I have dreams that I can be part of that team. I get a knock on my door and it’s J.J. Abrams.

“Jack,” he says. “I need you to make forty episodes- ten for each movie.” and we get in the Millennium Falcon and make our way to hidden satellite where they keep a young and rejuvinated Orson Welles, William Conrad, Vincent Price, Jack Benny, and Arch Obeler.

Hey, I’m in audio drama. I have an active fantasy life!

Cold Casting

April 15, 2016 / Jack / 0 Comments

ColdRebootSocialCard-600x320 New casting for Cold Reboot Audio Drama from the Chicago Artists Resource article:

Burning Brigid Media is now casting for a non-union audio drama mini-series “Cold Reboot,” to be distributed through the Synesthesia Theatre podcast. We will be recording in Chicago, approximately 3 days in May. All cast receive credit, and the opportunity to self-promote on the interview/chat episode of the podcast releasing upon completion of the mini-series.

We have roles available for a wide variety of types and ages. We are requesting self-taped voice auditions.Audition sides, breakdowns, and submission instructions are available on our website. Many roles will be doubled, so performers are encouraged to submit for multiple roles.

Submissions are due by Sunday, May 1, 2016.

Blake Sets Sail

April 14, 2016 / Jack / 0 Comments

It was with some sadness that fans of Blake’s 7, the powerful series created first for the BBC by Terry Nation from 78 to 81, heard of the death of Gareth Thomas. His reprisal of the role in The Liberator Chronicles in 2012 created a whole new generation of fans.

The Telegraph has the story:

…Gareth Thomas passed away this morning, 13th April 2016, from heart failure.

“Our thoughts are with his wife Linda, and his family and friends.”
Blake’s 7, which was created by Terry Nation and ran from 1978 to 1981, follows the travails of Blake, a political dissident banished from Earth for his part in a series of uprisings.

Along with other prisoners and a telepathic alien, Blake leads a guerrilla war from his spacecraft, Liberator, against the totalitarian Terran Foundation regime.

Blake was controversially killed off in 1981 but Thomas reprised the role in 2012 for an audio series called The Liberator Chronicles.

Though Thomas will be most fondly remembered for his role as the intergalactic resistance leader, he enjoyed a varied acting career that began in 1965 when he played Benvolio in a TV adaptation of Romeo and Juliet.

Later, he enjoyed long stints playing Ron Radley in the ITV drama Parkin’s Patch, Adam Brake in the ITV drama Children of the Stones, and Charles McCallister in the ITV comedy drama Distant Shores, alongside Peter Davison and Samantha Bond.

Thomas’ last credit came in 2011 when he played Gareth Harper in the BBC hospital drama Holby City.

Sci-fi fans were were quick to pay tribute to Thomas on Twitter.

Safe etheric seas, sweet Prince!

Toodle-oo Downton Who

April 14, 2016 / Jack / 0 Comments

Racontour Radio, the folks who brought mesmerizing re-creations of Dr. Who and War of the Worlds, are at it again with A Fond Farewell to Downton Abbey! “Downton Abbey: A Staged Radio Play Parody”. Friday the 15th. Check out the details from the Morristown Green:

The theatrical troupe returns to the Morristown & Township Library on Friday, April 15, 2016, at 7 pm, for what may be the final gathering of the library’s Downton Abbey Support Group.

‘Downton Abbey’ fans Lorraine Rosenberg (portraying Lady Edith), Kathleen Mandaglio (Lady Mary) and Beverly DeFabiis (Anna, wife of Bates) at Downton Abbey Support Group meeting, at the Morristown & Township Library. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

Although we suspect the need for this group therapy is growing more acute.

Last month marked the end of the popular PBS series, which spent six seasons chronicling the Crawley family’s fictional struggles to preserve its aristocratic lifestyle in post-World War I Britain.

Friday’s parody is free. Period costumes are encouraged. Refreshments will be served –let’s hope the library staff bakes scones, a specialty of the house — and rumors are flying around about some musical surprises.

The library is at One Miller Road in Morristown. Here is the library’s show description:

A Fond Farewell to Downton Abbey! “Downton Abbey: A Staged Radio Play Parody”

Friday April 15, 2016

7 PM

The Library’s long-standing band of Crawley family enthusiasts, the Downton Abbey Support Group (to support the show’s fans during the long breaks between new episodes), is lamenting the fact that come March 2016, the show will have completed its sixth and final season.

The real Downton Abbey–Highclere Castle. The Morristown & Township Library will bring you up to speed on the PBS series, on Dec. 6 at 7 pm.

But to send the show off with the grandeur it deserves, the library will become Highclere Castle as the Downton Abbey Support Group hosts Raconteur Radio’s performance of Downton Abbey: A Staged Radio Play Parody.

Raconteur Radio performs scenes of the show as a radio play but with period costumes, theatrical lighting, golden age radio equipment and extensive sound effects!

Raconteur Radio stages theatrical presentations of vintage radio plays, classic works of literature, and pop-culture parodies for live audiences throughout the Tri-State area.