Halloween is coming and Seanchai Library is getting into the spirit of the season, planning to raise some hairs, chill some bones and tingle some spines with a faithful rendition of the 1938 War of the Worlds radio play created by Orson Welles for Mercury Theatre.
Welles created mass hysteria with a production that mixed news reports and radio programming, voiced by skilled actors, to replicate the events H.G. Wells wrote about in his 1898 novel.
"War of the Worlds scared the pants off people back in the '30s, using the power of voice to persuade folks this was real. We plan to generate that same feeling with our production,” said Derry McMahon.
Seanchai's own Caledonia Skytower is directing the production, drawing on the skills of the library's cast of storytellers for a modern-day re-creation, working from the original script by Howard Koch.
“I remember hearing the L.A. Theatreworks production of this script in the 1990s and imagining what it must have been like to have been listening that October evening in 1938. Orson Welles and company presented it in keeping with the spirit of the Halloween season,” said Skytower.
Seanchai's War of the Worlds features the voices of Shandon Loring, Bear Silvershade and Kayden O’Connell. Add in the voices of Crap Mariner, Elder Priestman, Caledonia Skytower, BigRed Coyote and others and this production promises to be a treat for the ears.
“Working with a cast like that, how could you possibly go wrong?” said Silvershade.
Seanchai has scheduled three performances of War of the Worlds:
All Seanchai presentation are read live in voice. Landmarks will also be provided in notices the day of the performance, so join the Seanchai group, or drop by the library and click the subscribo. It promises to be a chilling, thrilling time that you won’t want to miss!
