L.A. theater brings broadcast to stage
Stacy Mossberger
Issue date: 3/4/09 Section: Lifestyles
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The two plays combine for "an entirely new theater-going experience which is highly entertaining, thought-provoking and very unexpected," said Susan Loewenberg, the producing director of the show.
This will be the third time LATW will be performing at the WAC. The company previously performed "The Great Tennessee Monkey Trial" and the "Pentagon Papers," said Jolana Aibangbee, publicity and promotions coordinator for the WAC.
"Theatre Works is a premier radio broadcast company that features multiple Sci-Fi television and film actors, who share microphones on stage," Aibangbee said. "The show also features live sound effects."
While "War of the Worlds" was recently made into a movie starring Tom Cruise, the story has a much longer history. Originally a novel by H.G. Wells, it was first adapted for performance by The Mercury Theatre. The plot focuses on an eyewitness news report about an alien invasion from Mars on the East Coast of the U.S.
When the original 60-minute radio program was broadcast in 1938, it created a panic among listeners who thought they were listening to a newscast. Many of the listeners tried to flee the area, according to a press release.
Excluding the actual fear that listeners felt, LATW hopes to bring the intensity of that radio broadcast to the stage.
Also an adaptation, "The Lost World" evolved from a short story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This sci-fi adventure comedy revolves around a professor who leads an expedition through the Amazon rain forest to discover dinosaurs that have evolved alongside ape-men, according to the press release.
Because both productions are based on highly entertaining and enduringly relevant stories, they work well in tandem, Loewenberg said.
"[Both] utilize the genre of science fiction to tell their respective stories, one highly dramatic, the other witty and very funny," she said. "But both plays have themes which are startlingly relevant to present-day concerns."
A star-studded cast brings these two stories to life. Kenneth Alan Williams, best known for his roles in "ER" and "Will and Grace," is just one of the cast's big-name talents. Popular TV stars Tom Virtue and Diane Adair also join Williams on the stage.
After the performance, audience members may join the company for an open Q&A session.
Founded in 1974, the mission of LATW is to enrich the cultural life of the national community through the use of innovative technologies to produce and preserve significant works of dramatic literature on audio, and to ensure public access to these great works.
LATW has a syndicated radio theater broadcast that airs weekly on National Public Radio. The theater company often works with major actors such as Mark Ruffalo and Paul Giamatti, according to their official Web site.
"This company brings a different element of theater that is unique to Northwest Arkansas, offering our local community the opportunity to experience live radio broadcasting," Aibangbee said.
The productions will be 7 p.m. tomorrow at the Walton Arts Center.
Tickets range from $25 to $35, and student tickets are $10. They can be purchased through the box office at 479-443-5600.
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