Transcript for the Piece Audio version of 2003 National Audio Theatre Festivals' Live Performance

I?m Lindsay Ellison. For close to 25 years members of the National Audio Theatre Festivals' staff have been hosting week-long audio drama workshops that culminates in a live performance of new audio plays. Often these plays come from NATF's annual script writing competition. In June 2003 the audio theatre workshop produced one award winning audio play from the script competition and one new audio play commissioned by NATF for the workshop.

Up first, The Wind At Our Backs, written by R.G. Rader and directed by Jeffrey Hedquist and Elaine Bankston Speer. For Dottie and Raney Cahill taking a trip into town was usually a uneventful experience, except on this day when an unexpected heavy wind changed their direction.

(The Play)

That was The Wind At Our Backs, written by R.G. Rader and directed by Jeffrey Hedquist and Elaine Bankston Speer with Assistant Director T.C. West. The Wind At Our Backs features the voices of Mac Chamblin, Marssie Mencotti, David Moon, Brett Osborne, and Pete Pollack.

Sound Effects were created by Tony Brewer, Andrew Parrella, Erin Oakley, Stuart Barkley, and Ralph Duren. Special keyboard effects by Brad Smith and special thanks to George Zarr.

The June 2003 audio theatre workshop also included the produced of Mark Twain's short story The Mysterious Stranger adapted for audio and directed by Roger Gregg. It features Simon Jones as the Devil. Thirteen year old Theo meets Philip Traum, The Devil, by a tranquil river near the little homesteads where be lives, it was a community not used to meeting strangers.

(The Play)

That was The Mysterous Stranger based on a short story by Mark Twain and adapted, dramatized for radio, and directed by Roger Gregg. Mr. Gregg appeared at the Audio Theatre Workshop courtesy of the Arts Council of Ireland. The Assistant Directorwas Edward Lehmann and it Stared Simon Jones as the Devil. The Mysterious Stranger also Featured.the voice s of Nancy Camp, Lucien Dodge, Richard Fish, Monk Frommel, Philip Gonzalez, Teresa Gunnell, Chris Johnson, David Owens, Emily Schweitz, and Ellen Stewart
Sound Effects were created by Tony Brewer, Helen Engelhardt, Bob Hoffman, and Alex Primm with Satanic steel guitar effects by Tony Palermo.

We hope you've enjoyed these two new audio plays from The National Audio Theatre Festivals 2003 Audio Theatre Workshop. From June 5- June 13, 2004, audio dramatists from all over the world will once again meet on the campus of Southwest Missouri State University in West Plains for a week of hands-on audio theatre training. Among this year's special guests will be audiobook narrator and Broadway actress Barbara Rosenblat teaching dialects and voice acting for the audio medium and Tom Lopez, creator and producer of both the Ruby and Jack Flanders series for the ZBS Foundation teaching audio playwriting and location sound effects recording.

For complete information on this year's workshop week visit our website at www.natf.org or contact our Executive Director Sue Zizza at (516) 483-8321.

The Audio Theatre Workshop is a project of the National Audio Theatre Festivals. Our Executive Director is Sue Zizza. Assistant Executive Director for the Audio Theatre Workshop was Heather Hitson and the Administrative Assistant was Butch D?Ambrosio

The President of the NATF is Charles Potter who was also the Executive Producer of the 2003 performance . Assistant Producers for this performance were Nancy Camp and Kate Pollack. The Technical Director and Master Mixer was Antonio Oliart-Ros with Recording and Mixing by Rene Pringle and Ben Taylor. The Musical Director was Jeffrey Ruckma. Post Production was provided by Rima Snyder. Pre-recorded Effects were created by
Ben Taylor, Henry Howard, Brad Smith, Rima Snyder, and Patrick Keleher. CD Playback was Andrew Parrella The Live Sound Effects Director was Tony Brewer with Assistant Sound Effects Director Bob Hoffman and Sample Artist Brad Smith.The Stage Communications Engineer was Steve Donofrio. Live Sound Reinforcement by Kyle W. Harris. Special thanks to Mackie for the house sound system.
Location Recording Leaders were Dwight Frizzell, Jim Metzner, and Renee Pringle. The Show Caller was Bill Oakley and the Stage Manager was David Shinn. David O?Meara was the Quartermaster

Original music composed, arranged, and performed by Jeffrey Ruckma, Patrick Conway, Bill McKemy, Steve Morse, and the Reverend Dwight Frizzell.

Our webmaster is Henry Howard.

The 2003 Audio Theatre Workshop was funded in part by The National Endowment for the Arts, The Missouri Arts Council and The Missouri Humanities Council.

Special thanks to:
The Arts Council of Ireland, The Irish Consulate of New York, the Missouri Department of Conservation; National Public Radio and Robert Nock, WGBH and John Voci and Marita Rivera, SueMedia, KBAQ Production Studios, KKDY-Radio, KSMU-Radio, Hedquist Productions, LodesTone Media, Metro Mobile Recording and Tim Powell, Mike Konopka, and Mike Sazowitz (saz-O-witz), Omni Classical Recording, Pro Productions, Jim Metzner, Pulse of the Planet, ZBS, Sonic Foundry, Networks Music and Sound Effects, Ozark Pro Audio, Paul Andres and Dave Nutzell, AudioFile Magazine, Community First National Bank, Dr. Mark Beckerman, SMSU-West Plains Community Programs, Karl Johnson, Brenda Malkowski, Kathleen Morrissey, and the rest of the West Plains Civic Center and Community Programs staff, Oakley Construction, Michael Wilson, Randy Story, and the rest of the Eye Hear Voices volunteers; Pepsi Cola Bottling of West Plains, Jeremy Robinette, of SMSU Residental Life, the West Plains Public Library, and The Yellow House Community Arts Center.