SOUND SUCCESS
KUNM’s long-running Radio Theater ‘a beautiful thing to experience’
Radio remains a powerful medium.
That’s why the KUNM Radio Theater program has been successful for many decades.
In fact, it’s one of the longestrunning radio theater programs in the country. The program was started in 1989 by Tim Forrest.
With social distancing part of our daily lives now, the theater program gives listeners a chance to let their imagination run wild.
“There aren’t very many radio theater programs,” says Linda López McAllister, who has produced the program since 2005. “What’s great about radio theater is that you’re hearing the words and each individual creates the picture
in their mind. It’s a beautiful thing to experience.”
López McAllister and David Hughes have produced the program together for the past 15 years. Recently, Dan Ware and Rhonda Sigler-Ware have been learning the ropes for the past couple of months.
At 6 p.m. Sunday, June 7, KUNM’s Radio Theater program will present “The New Silence: A Poem for the New Climate” and “The Witch of Kansas City.” The two shows are from the National Audio Theatre Festival.
“The New Silence” is written by award-winning playwright Brian Price, who uses humor, theater, childhood memories and edgy jazz to take on the thorny questions of climate change.
Acclaimed actor and narrator Dion Graham, who is best known for his roles in “The Wire” and “The First 48,” teams us with critically recognized actress and narrator Jane Oppenheimer.
The pair join master jazz improvisationist Jason Koa Hwang, on a musical and poetic odyssey through our greatest fears, doubts and fantasies about what’s going to
happen next.
In “The Witch of Kansas City,” Coy Dugger presents a powerful, soulful, unique, loving look at the strange new world to come.
It is an inverse of the classic Frank L. Baum book/movie “The Wizard of Oz,” in which Dorothy from a magical fantasy land suddenly finds herself in modern-day Kansas City. With the help of a local department store clerk, she and her trusty companion, Toto, search for a way back home.
It was first performed before a live audience at the Hear New Festival in Kansas City in June 2019.
López McAllister says the program gets the performances from other organizations.
Though, years ago, Camino Real Productions, used to create the productions.
“With KUNM, we have no more than 57 minutes,” she says of the programming. “There are times I have to edit some stuff out. I’m able to do this all from my home.”