Soundstage in the news

Weekly Planet, 12/04/02

NEWS | ORBITALS 12.04.02

Local Show, National Prestige

On Nov. 20, local radio-production renaissance man Matthew Cowley won an Award of Distinction for Writing in the nationwide Communicator Awards competition for his Sixty Second Radio Hour series.The brief, unpredictable show has aired courtesy of WMNF-88.5 FM's Soundstage audio theater program for about a year now. Cowley was also presented with a Gold World Medal for Best Comedy Series this year from the International Radio Awards. "It's kind of a series of unrelated short stories or slam plays," says Cowley. "Very quick audio movies, in a way." Cowley writes, produces, acts in and creates music for the series, which, like most of the 4-year-old Soundstage's programming, also features other members of the project, local actors and students. Luminaries such as Firesign Theatre's David Ossman and Second City's Dick Schaal have made appearances too.

While most radio-theater programs rely on either a connective story arc or multi-scene "sketch comedy" format, Sixty Second Radio Hour episodes need not relate to one another in the least. "It's both easier and harder," Cowley says. "I don't have a continuing story to rest on. But on the other hand, I can try all sorts of things and don't have to support any kind of long story ideas. If it will hold up for a minute, that's all I need." The writer credits some of the program's success to WMNF's willingness to let him screw around with the conventions of an entertainment form many see as dated at best, and a one-trick pony at worst. "WMNF is kind of rare in showing a commitment to radio theater -- most people think of the old-time stuff, The Shadow, genre spoofs. But they've been really supportive of contemporary audio theater of all kinds. I think it shows the viability of it, that it gets a response for folks." Sixty Second Radio Hour airs on WMNF on Tuesdays at 8:10 a.m. and 5:10 p.m., and on Saturdays at 3 p.m. For more information on it and the station's Soundstage project in general, check out http://www.wmnf.org/soundstage.shtml.--Scott Harrell