Plan-B Theater Company in Salt Lake City, Utah loves to take on classic stories, and present them with interesting new twists. From plays staged and broadcast on radio to exploring controversial political and social themes, Plan-B likes to mix things and shake them up, often cutting close to the edge.
For five years starting in 2004, the
company tied-up with KUER 90.1 FM to perform plays in a live theater that would
also be broadcast on Radio simultaneously. While the concept of Radio Drama is not new,
(actually it’s endangered) not many theater groups invite a live
audience in a theater while the show is being aired. Plan-B in association with
KUER has performed 'Adaptations,' 'Zero Hour,' 'Hitch hiker,' 'Utah Ghost
stories' and 'Frankenstein' for the Radio. The unique idea of performing plays
for a live theater and radio audience simultaneously has caught the imagination
of audience in Utah, making it a very successful format.
In 2009, the KUER-Plan-B production
of Radio Hour finally came to an end with Alice in Wonderland. Anand Rao of Utah Stories met the crew of
Radio Hour and spoke with Playwright Mathew Ivan Bennett, and Executive Director
Jerry Rapier. Bennett who adapted the classic for radio said, "We have
tried to present the popular and ubiquitous children's book differently." Adding
that the listeners can expect more music and a few surprises in the structure
of the narrative. "The story is a dream anyway. We have made it a little
more dream-like by adding more elements to the visualization of the underground
journey."
The executive director of Plan-B,
Jerry Rapier said, "We offer a unique experience that blends studio, stage
and broadcast into one. Audience can close their eyes and listen to the play on
radio or watch the performance in a studio."
Radio Hour offers an interesting
experience for the in-studio audience. "Only those in the studio will get
to know that all the sounds and effects are created by just five people,"
said Rapier who also pointed out that it's a rare opportunity for people to
witness a traditional 'Foley' in action. For the uninitiated; 'Foley' named
after Jack Foley, one of the earliest and best-known Hollywood practitioners of
the art, is the art of producing natural sounds and effects for film using
different types of everyday objects.
In 2010, Plan-B performed “Amerigo”.
Set in purgatory; Christopher Columbus and Amerigo Vespucci sit across each other
and engage in a freewheeling debate on America's discovery. Who was truly
responsible? Is it home to religious visionaries? Is it just a salesman's
paradise? Sexualized commerce? Nature commoditized? And what is it that we
Americans are destined to become?
Niccolo Machiavelli, the father of political
science moderates this interesting dialog, while the Mexican
playwright-poet-lesbian nun Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz delivers her judgment.
In an exclusive interview Director Jerry Rapier said "We at Plan-B do consciously take up issues that can potentially open up
intellectually stimulating debates and bring in unique perspectives."
Camera, sound and editing by Richard Markosian of Utah Stories.
