Prologue: Pete Lutz talks about his memories of Sonic! The idea in most science fiction is that it’s not science fiction. That is to say, the stories may be set in the near or distant future, but they are about us as people today. Even if the people are future people, their sentiments, their concerns, their lives reflect our sentiments, our concerns, and our lives. Whether the characters are aliens or robots, they represent humanity and all our foibles and hopes. Great Northern Audio’s “Martian Trombones” takes a page from the classic view of martians as folks just like us. While we recognise this may be entirely flights of fantasy and humour, it is also important to see that no matter what planet you’re from, the same issues remain. After, an interview with Dr. Kerric Harvey on writing and creating radio drama.
The Narada Radio Company, a significant contributor to Sonic Summerstock Playhouse over the past decade, is back again this year with a major effort. Producer Pete Lutz is proud to bring you his adaptation of the Orson Welles film, THE STRANGER! Loosely attributed to the lost Old-Time Radio series, “This is Hollywood”, from the late 1940s, Narada presents a re-imagining of what their radio adaptation of the tense, thrilling film, about a Nazi hunter and his prey, might have been like. With a huge cast of Narada favorites!
Sonic Summerstock returns with another prominent performer to the stage! The incredible Rachel Pulliam brings her full cast of Pete Lutz, Les Marsden, Sharon Grunwald, Sally Swift, and Dean T. Moody to perform a Lucille Fletcher play from Suspense! Tonight, The Fantastic 16th Season of the Best of Audio Drama Recreationst’s feature? “The Search for Henri LeFevre”!
Retro Rockets returns with an original tale of the execution of a man whose only crime is he can’t fit in with the rest of the town, and the woman who loved him until the end! Starring Mel Rose, Pete Lutz and Lothar Tuppan. Produced by John Bell and written and directed by Jack J. Ward!
On our final show of 2023 we present the second annual edition of “The Chilling Tales of Yuletide“, with a full-length adaptation of the 19th century short story, “The Screaming Skull”. After the death of his friends, Dr and Mrs Pratt, Captain Braddock takes up residence in their former home. Yet he soon becomes convinced that the skull he found in the upstairs bedroom screams every night, haunting him, and that it was the cause of Dr Pratt’s death. When investigators Miller and Shaughnessy (a believer and sceptic respectively) arrive to learn more about the situation on the night before Christmas Eve, Captain Braddock explains the haunting, as well as his theory that the skull belonged to Mrs Pratt and that her husband killed her. A half-tormented man himself, Captain Braddock is erratic in his explanations and retellings, and even Shaughnessy’s scepticism is slowly put to the test as the haunting of the skull begins to drag them into the tale of murder and betrayal and guilty consciences. Based on the story by Frances Marion Crawford and adapted by Lana O’Kell.
David Ault closes the Summerstock Playhouse with the first act of our two feature finale from Sonic Cinema Productions and the Amigos Collective beginning with the taut thriller from SUSPENSE- “The Long Night” starring Lothar Tuppan, Jeffrey Billard, Pete Lutz, Rachel Pulliam, Richard Summers, Austin Beach, introducing Jason Fella and produced by John Bell of Bell’s in the Batfry!
Summerstock Playhouse presents a special double-feature to kick off our midpoint of entertainment! Beginning Act One with our second grand evening of Pete Lutz and his Narada Radio Company Players. This week they present “You Can’t Take it With You” first performed on the Lux Radio Theatre broadcast, October 2nd, 1939 from the Pulitzer prize winning play.
As Jack J. Ward basks in one of his finest moments- that being in the very chair that Robert E. Howard wrote not only Conan- The Barbarian, but all his great works… He was asked recently to provide a list of all the scripts he has written for all his various incarnations and basic times. As we’re coming close to the 20th anniversary of The Sonic Society (Put it on your calendar folks- it’s September 1st, 2024, Jack has provided the list so far with some tantalizing suggestions of what you can expect now that he’s completed his masters’ degree:
The Sonic Society Collection:
The Sonic Society-The World’s Largest and Longest-Running showcase of modern audio drama
Pre-Mutual Audio Network Feed (The Radio Memories Network 2005-2019): https://sonic.libsyn.com/sonicsociety/2008/06
The Mutual Audio Network Feeds (2019 and Onwards): The Broadcast Feed (on Sundays and Mondays) https://feeds.megaphone.fm/mani Monday Matinee weekly (2015 onwards replays) https://feeds.megaphone.fm/MUTUAL5370851038 Sunday Showcase weekly (Current releases from 2019 onwards) https://feeds.megaphone.fm/MUTUAL9188504915
Sonic Echo– Conversations with Lothar Tuppan and Jeffrey Billard – The Amigos! with guests looking at the very best of old time radio.
Sonic Speaks– Jack interviews the makers and shapers of the audio drama world
Sonic Summerstock Playhouse– The summer season of the Sonic Society where producers from the modern audio drama community recreate old time radio scripts for fun with their contemporary acting troops!
Sonic Retrospectives– Our tribute summer series for those who have left the modern audio drama community too soon (SADLY ONGOING) Bill Hollweg Mark Bruzee
The Sonic Cinema Production Classic Series: 2003-2005 The Shadowlands– Shadowlands Theatre was the premiere original anthology series from Jack J. Ward. Combining Suspense and Dark Fantasy, this exciting series became the basis for the Deadly Sins Series and other compelling tales of mystery, and horror.
The Seven Deadly Sins- A seven-part series of original tales from dark comedy to darker horror, plays of the past to terror of the future exploring the turning parts of the soul. Six parts completed: (Pride: And Low, Thou I Walk, Envy: Completion, Greed: Ghosts of the Present, Gluttony: Soul Survivor (Ogile Award Honorable Mention), Lust: Spin, Spin, Spin, Wrath: The Hitchhiker)
Graves’ Shift Starring Phillipa Graves– “Open for Business” The pilot first audio drama script written by Jack Ward from his time in university exploring the noir tales of his female detective
Biff Straker and the Spaceways(Old World)– The one-shot pilot episode of Jack’s parody of Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon with his own pulp hero, Biff!
Remotely Possible– A single Shadowlands episode exploring remote viewing and the depths of fear
Hill Manors- “More Action than a Burma Railroad” A live tribute to the great “Fawlty Towers” series by John Cleese & Connie Booth
Firefly- Old Wounds– The Internet’s first fan fiction of the science-fiction classic “Firefly”.
The Dead Line Anthology- Tales of crime drama inspired by Alfred Hitchcock Presents (Initial run included: Goth Girl, Jeremiah Crandal- Funeral Detective, Messages, Right Number Wrong Party, The Replacement Show, Rule of Three)
The Dead Line Shorts Anthology- less than a half hour presentations of this series (Initial run included: Anniversary, Choice, Deathbed Confessions, Duel, Fiend to the Old, John, Lighter, Night Driving and Sherry)
Electric Vicuna Productions: 2006-2021
Firefly- Old Wounds “Wedding Day” – The much demanded follow up to the Internet’s first fan fiction of the science-fiction classic “Firefly”.
The Wave Front Anthology- a science fiction collection that explores futuristic societies, distopic nightmares, technological travesties and bleak tomorrows. (Initial run includes: Borrowed Time, Black Knight, Alone in the Night (Mark Time Silver award winner), Voting is Anonymous
The Wave Front Shorts Anthology- less than a half hour presentation of this series (Initial run includes: Acquisitions, Alien Invasion Cancelled, Distant Voice, Galaxy Master versus the Varn, Name Please, Nanites, Pets, Reservations, Spring, Trans-Humanity, Voices)
The Dead Line Anthology- (Continued run includes: “Faith” also as the final Deadly Sins Script for “Sloth”, Daybreak, Coach #6, Clay Pigeon Shooting)
The Dead Line Shorts Anthology- (Continued run includes: I’m Home)
Darker Musings Anthology Series- an anthology series of fantastical mystery and terror. Inspired by Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone, Darker Musings always includes an air of another world that may be an alternate universe, or a terrifying nightmare, one in which the characters can not wake up.(Initial run includes: Breathing Space (one-man show), Muse of Madness, One by One, and Phil Morris~ Celestial Lawyer
The Darker Musings Shorts Anthology- less than a half hour presentation of this series (Initial run includes original and original adaptations of: Barney, Bravery. Plague Studies, The Chaser, The Monkey’s Paw, and Tulpa)
Gate, a coming of age fantasy series in 10 parts; Gate McNeil, a young girl, discovers she is the one person in the world who can challenge the darkness and demons threatening to take over the world
The Jack and Shannon Show- in an homage to great sit-coms of old, two hosts of the Sonic Society fictionalize their life and friends (3 Seasons)
Spaceways Starring Biff Straker (New World)– imaginary pulp hero Stephen “Biff” Straker takes part in a secret experiment to prove Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relative Time. The experiment goes wrong and Straker is thrown from the 1990s into the 31st Century! – STILL IN PRODUCTION The reboot fun action series, no longer a straight parody. (Initial 5 episode run: Year Zero: The Future is Now, The Haunted World, The Fallen Angel, The Pool of Death, The Man Called Methuselah – STILL IN PRODUCTION
Consortium Comics Anthology- is a collective series of superhero shorts by Jack J. Ward (Initial run includes: Blue Defender, Any Man) – STILL IN PRODUCTION
Action Adventure Audio Theatre, pulp-pounding adventures inspired by the OldTime Radio series Escape (Initial episode: The Most Dangerous Game) – STILL IN PRODUCTION
The Sonic Cinema Production Returns Series: 2022-
Retro Rockets Anthology- From the far-flung silver age of science fiction, comes a new anthology. (Initial episode: Spirit Drive) – STILL IN PRODUCTION
The Wave Front Anthology- (Series continues with: Market Crash) – STILL IN PRODUCTION
The Christmas Wreath- Seasonal stories to touch the heart and delight the ear (Initial release: The Gift of the Magi) – STILL IN PRODUCTION
Jack Ward adaptation Scripts Produced for Colonial Radio Theatre:
Dead Ahead– On a restless ocean, a group of weary survivors contemplate their grim fortune: What had started out as a fun little fishing trip soon turns into a nightmare of damnation, trapped on a floating prison.
Vincent Price Presents Volume 3– “The Best in the Universe” Dramatized by Jack J. Ward, from a story by Paul J. Salamoff. Assignments on frontier planets always irritate intergalactic mob hitman Randall Stiles and his partner Jake Mackey, and this mission would soon prove why.
New Series Currently in Production (Unreleased):
Prairie Fire- an audio drama Weird Western 10 part series
Flight of the Airmen- At the turn of the 20th century who are the protectors of the skies for this strange modern age? Canada’s The Airmen!
Wingman– Ripped from the archives of the fictional radio theatre of the 1930’s. Wingman and Fly Boy save the world from Nazis infiltrators and evil criminals in America!
Adventures by North!- In the early 20’s in Canada, a group of adventurers found their way exploring every mystery this vast country concealed!
The Fates of Mace Windu- By mass request this audio Star Wars fan fiction six-part series explores what happened to Mace Windu at the end of George Lucas’ prequel
John Carter- A Princess of Mars- The original Science Romance of the first of the pulp space heroes is explored through the first full-audio drama adaptation of the best-selling novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs!
Proximity– A Third Age (First Person) account of humanity’s attempt to reach the Proxima star system.
Other things to look for. Script collection books on many of these series, and upcoming work through The Mutual Audio Network.
Special Thanks to Lothar Tuppan (The Ninth Tower Productions) and Jeffrey Billard (Audio Groove Cats Productions)- THE AMIGOS!, David Ault co-host and the “Kevin Bacon” of 6-Degrees of separation in Audio Drama (David Ault Actor, Narrator, and Science Communicator), and the rest of the United Artists of Audio from Mutual- Pete Lutz (Narada Radio Company), John Bell (Bell’s in the Batfry), JV Torres (The Rise of King Asilas), Scott Mosher (CNY Table Reads). Joshua Price and the Queen of Audio Drama herself Tanja Milojevic (LightningBolt Theater of the Mind), Richard Frohlich (Texas Radio Theatre), Richard Summers (aka Captain Radio!) and Austin Beach (Broken Bard Studios) who constantly and eternally inspire, collaborate, and support his work!
David returns to the Sonic Summerstock stage to present the final performance for 2022 with “Here Comes Mr. Jordan” a Lux Radio Theater recreation from Sonic Cinema Productions.
For our second Act, Pete Lutz and Jeff Billard show up on stage to provide “More Bob and Ray”! Hilarity and fun for your Sunday Showcase followed by John Bell with “Danse Macabre”!
