Noir Dame Blog

Retro-inspired culture and media – audio drama, classic TV and film

Beginning in 2009, Fantasy magazine is bringing audio drama on board via their podcasts. Apparently they will be producing them in-house, while using freelance, outside scripts.

Strange and atmospheric films are the order of the day at this gorgeous May 8th performance at the University of California at San Diego. For more information on the Teeny Tiny Pit Orchestra and its unique blend of silent charm and audience participation – read more here. The tambura, kalimba, and gamelan will be some of the musical instruments highlighted — and yes, the almighty theramin!

Here’s the playbill:

Tit for Tat (dir. unknown, 1900)
A butterfly hunter gets his come-uppance in this titillatingly -titled silent film. There is some fascinating imagery, with certain frames hand-colored, frame by frame, providing some very special effects.

Symphonie Diagonal (dir. Viking Eggeling, 1921)
An abstract film made by the early collaborator of Hans Richter. A very musical filmic etude that requires very little music. The audience will conduct this film with glow-in-the-dark conducting batons (obviously not Mr. Eggeling’s original intention, but we know the audience will enjoy conducting that night).

It’s amazing that Rodney Dangerfield never guested on a soap, to my knowledge, during his long and colorful career. Like Rodney, some of the best storytelling of the past and present doesn’t get no respect. Yep, I’m talking suds, sirreee. Soap opera.

During the 1970s and 80s, soap opera was not only at the height of its popularity, but also a quiet innovator for social issues and troubles of the day. There were great performers of all ages — some of whom crossed over into the mainstream, like Alec Baldwin, Demi Moore, and Meg Ryan. Even today, you’ll find some of the best performers anywhere working on soaps. You have to be good to work on a soap – you can’t last if you can’t get through a half hour or hour of script every day.

The question is, are the scripts, and storylines as fresh and as solid as they could be? If you really love soaps, today, the hottest place to find and enjoy them is online – through podcasts and internet radio… and soon, through indie film and perhaps web “TV”. (more…)

Whatever you have planned for Saturday, March 15th, make the time to squeeze in a listen for the Quicksilver Radio Theater’s Tragedy of Julius Caesar. Adapted from Shakespeare, and originally premiering on New York’s WBAI-FM, this story seems even more relevant in an election year full of messianic language, a controversial war, and the taut switching of allegiances.

“Julius Caesar” has long been considered one of Shakespeare’s most accessible plays, and this adaptation lives up to that tradition. Listeners who are new to the rhythms of iambic pentameter will not need to struggle along with the written text. Nor will this shortened audio play upset regular visitors of Stratford. The audio setting manages to widen the claustrophobic chambers where Casca and the conspirators plot, and also convey the luxury and arrogance of Imperial Rome … without multi-million dollar sets or costumes.

The cast is uniformly strong, led by Craig Wichman as the conflicted Brutus. James Prendergast, as Caesar, is able to move seamlessly between a politician’s oily, careful charm and a dangerous megalomania. Yet we can also hear, and believe, his love for wife Calpurna, and more importantly, for Brutus.

After recently reading Elizabeth Schafer’s “Ms-Directing Shakespeare”, about women’s role in producing and staging the Bard — I appreciated all the more, the strong roles for women in this adaptation. Katie Nutt is both loving and wise as Portia, who, in traditional staging, is the only female role of consequence.

But in the rendering by director Jay Stern and producer Wichman, the soothsayer also gains a pivotal role, more in keeping with the ancient honor given to “sibyls”, women who foretold the future, like the oracle at Delphi who advised pilgrims of their fates.

As the wizened seer, Emma Palzere – who also doubles effectively as Calpurna – helps us move from scene to scene, and acts as the audience’s stand-in, sadly aware of the events which will transpire.

In 2005, I was lucky enough to watch a multi-part BBC documentary entitled “The Theatre Biz”, with insight into the ups and downs of Britain’s theatre world. I was charmed by the talent and trials of two young women who had just left the Guildford School — (the alma mater of actors like Bill Nighy and Brenda Blethyn.)

Unfortunately, those of us in North America, unless we live in a thriving theater community like New York or Toronto, don’t get a chance to see a great variety of performances, especially not the kind that once filled “black box” and “little” theaters.

Now, one of the more intriguing websites devoted to modern audio drama is the recent Wireless Theatre Company. The WTC’s work is available to listeners no matter how close or far they are from the West End or the Great White ‘Way. Based in the United Kingdom, its goal is to share new productions worldwide, featuring a variety of fresh new work. Think of it as a “Fringe Festival” of the Air – with all of its cutting edge performances available as free downloads.