<base href='http://64.119.173.247/~otterpro/seriesdiscriptions/ASeries/'></base> A U D I O N T H E A T R E
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1990
First Show: Jul 7, 1990 Last Show: Oct 14, 1990
Number Shows: 15 Audition Show: none
Series Description:
AUDION THEATRE was a series of 30-minute radio plays, both original
and recreations, written, produced and directed by Professor Eli
Segal. The shows aired over WMUK-FM, Kalamazoo, Michigan, the college
radio station of Western Michigan University. Professor Segal also
created FUTURE TENSE (1973) and THE GRIP OF TERROR (1977). Both
series aired over WMUK.
Story teller for the entire series was Charles Fuller. Announcer was
Jim Beedle. Betty McGuire was production assistant.
What makes these shows of interest is that the recreations are based
on some of the best-remembered surviving shows from radio's golden
age. They offer a unique chance to compare what was done then with
what can be done now. Unfortunately, these shows are not readily
available and are virtually unknown to many OTR collectors.
Log Comments:
Two of the broadcasts were "double features", so titles are for each
adaptation is listed on separate lines. In these cases, actual cast
members for the individual shows is not know. Therefore cast listing
is given below both.
Chronological Log:
Date Num Title / Author / Description / Cast / Etc.
-------- --- -------------------------------------------------------
07-07-90 1 "The Pivotal Point"
Script: Original
Adapter: not known
Plot: A mild mannered college professor is hired to
build a microphone that can hear sounds of the
past.
Cast: Mark Spink, Roy Beck, Robert Luscombe, Tom
Small, Naomi Stucki, Marti Cole, Reino Hakala
(scientific advisor).
07-14-90 2 "Fugue in C Minor" by Lucille Fletcher
Script: SUSPENSE: same title, 06-01-44
Plot: The original starred Vincent Price, in a ghost
story about a huge pipe organ that plays
itself.
Cast: Liz Lake (narrator), Tom Small, Bea Beaupre,
Mike Macleod, Cullen Bailey, Richard Niessink
(organist)
Also used on: GRIP OF TERROR, same title, 10-??-77
07-21-90 3 "The Old Die Rich" by H.L. Gold
Script: X MINUS ONE, same title, 07-17-56, 09-12-57
Adapter: Ernest Kinoy
Plot: Old people die from malnutrition after being
forced to travel back in time.
Cast: Mark Spink, Peg Small, Richard Niessink, John
Scott, Robert L. Smith, Martin Gingerich,
Also used on: FUTURE TENSE, same title, 05-07-74
(The Audion Theatre show may be a rebroadcast of
this show.)
07-28-90 4 Two radio plays:
"The Romance Game" by Finn O'Donovan (pseudonym for
Robert Sheckley)
Script: Based on X MINUS ONE: "Grey Flannel Armor",
01-09-58
Plot: Romance services in the big city.
"Third From The Sun" by Richard Matheson
Script: FUTURE TENSE, same title, 07-??-1973
(The Audion Theatre show may be a rebroadcast
of this show.)
Plot: A family must escape the planet before the
people of their world destroy it.
Adapter: John Scott, William Welch
Cast: Mark Spink, Simon Frederick, Roy Beck,
Margaret Small, Gail Emmons, Mary Beth Hart,
Pat Pulano, Cullen Bailey.
08-04-90 5 "The Discovery Of Morniel Mathaway" by William Tenn
Script: X MINUS ONE, same title, 04-17-57
Adapter: Ernest Kinoy
Plot: A time traveling art historian travels back
to meet a renown artist.
Cast: Mark Spink, John Scott, Tom Small, Robert
Luscombe (narrator),
Also used on: FUTURE TENSE, same title, 07-??-76
(The Audion Theatre show may be a rebroadcast of
this show.)
08-11-90 6 "The Search For Henri Lefevre" by Lucille Fletcher
Script: SUSPENSE, same title, 07-06-44
Adapter: Lucille Fletcher
Plot: A man who has just finished writing a
symphony hears it on the radio.
Cast: Mark Spink, Peg Small, Richard Atwell, Robert
Luscombe, Randy Stubbs
Also used on: THE GRIP OF TERROR, same title, 10-??-77
08-18-90 7 "Star Bright" by Mark Clifton
Script: X MINUS ONE, same title, 04-10-56
Adapter: George Lefferts
Plot: A very bright little girl learns to travel
into other dimensions.
Cast: Ethan Segal, Robert Luscombe, Kate Bailey,
Richard Niessink, Margaret Small, Robert
Griffin
Also used on: FUTURE TENSE, same title, 1976 and
THE GRIP OF TERROR, same title, 10-??-77
08-25-90 8 "The Last Of Dr. Bronson" by Richard Kreyke
Script: SUSPENSE: "The Last Letter Of Dr. Bronson",
07-27-43, 08-15-46, 10-14-54.
Adapter: Richard Craig
Plot: A scientist has an interesting theory about
"The Five Checks To Murder."
Cast: Tom Small, Lyda Stillwell, Richard Niessink,
Vern Stillwell, Roy Beck
09-01-90 9 "A Pail Of Air" by Fritz Leiber
Script: X MINUS ONE, same title, 03-28-56
Adapter: George Lefferts
Plot: The story of the last family left on a frozen
Earth.
Cast: Roy Beck, Cullen Bailey, Mark Spink, Pat
Pulano, Peg Small, Rita Gillespie.
Also used on: FUTURE TENSE, same title, 05-06-74
09-08-90 10 "Just A Cardboard Box" by Joe Grensabach
Script: SUSPENSE: "The Pasteboard Box", 01-17-46.
Adapter: not known
Plot: A man kills his twin brother and dismembers
the body but can't dispose of the head.
Cast: Mark Spink, Marty Gold, Mike Daniels, Lyda
Stillwell, Richard Niessink, Roy Beck, Vern
Stillwell, Tom Small, Lucas Daniels, Robert
Luscombe,
09-15-90 11 "Marionettes, Inc." by Ray Bradbury
Script: DIMENSION X, same title, 08-30-51
Adapter: George Lefferts
Plot: A perfect replica of a average guy develops
some all-too-human faults.
Cast: Roy Beck, Mark Spink, Vern Stillwell, Tom
Small, Robert Luscombe, Lyda Stillwell, Marti
Cole, Richard Niessink
Also used on: X MINUS ONE, same title, 12-21-55
09-22-90 12 "Present Tense" by James Poe
Script: ESCAPE, same title, 01-31-50
Adapter: not known
Plot: An ax-murderer manipulates time in order to
kill his wife again and again.
Cast: Roy Beck, Mark Spink, Richard Atwell, Arnold
Johnston, Robert Griffin, Margaret Small, Tom
Small (narrator)
Also used on: SUSPENSE, same title, 03-03-57 and
THE GRIP OF TERROR, same title, 10-??-77
09-29-90 13 Two radio plays:
"Venus Is A Man's World" by William Tenn
Script: X MINUS ONE, same title, 02-06-57
Adapter: Arthur Small
Plot: A battle of the sexes aboard a spaceship to
Venus.
Also used on: FUTURE TENSE, same title, 07-??-76
"Born Of Man and Woman" by Richard Matheson
Script: FUTURE TENSE, same title, 05-30-74
Adapter: John Scott
Plot: Story of a monster, chained in the basement.
Cast: Mark Spink, Peg Small, Todd Arndt, Eleanor
Walton, Tamara Schoffhauser, Deborah
Devries, Gail Emmons, Mary Beth Hart, Betty
Fouch, Cullen Bailey.
10-06-90 14 "Cold Equations" by Tom Godwin
Script: X MINUS ONE, same title, 08-25-55
Adapter: George Lefferts
Plot: A stowaway on a small space craft on the edge
of frontier pays the ultimate price to balance
an equation.
Cast: Mark Spink, Peg Small, Richard Niessink, John
Scott, Richard Atwell
Also used on: FUTURE TENSE, same title, 05-22-74
10-13-90 15 "The Thing On The Fourble Board" Wyllis Cooper
Script: QUIET PLEASE, same title, 08-09-48
Adapter: Willis Cooper
Plot: The classic Willis Cooper horror story of a
creature from deep below the earth's surface.
Cast: Mark Spink, Vern Stillwell, Roy Beck, Richard
Niessink.
References:
* GOLDINdex database, J. David Goldin, Box 542, Newtown, CT 06470
(http://www.radiogoldindex.com)
Last Update: May 20, 2004
This log is informational only. It does not imply that I or my
references have these shows for trade or sale. The shows are still
protected under copyright law and should be obtained only from
authorized dealers.
The log may be freely reproduced and published on a no-profit basis.
Please send error corrections or additional information to Frank M.
Passage, 109 Elmwood Road, Verona, NJ 07044 (email: wb2ntp@arrl.net).