KTA Takes on The Shortwave Theatre Festival
From November 1st to November 7th, I had the privilege of attending the Shortwave Theatre Festival, a festival of radio dramas presented by CFRC. While the festival featured six different radio plays, I had the opportunity to listen to and review three. I (virtually) attended Philip & Lucinda, Children of Thomas and Talk To Me. Below are my thoughts and observations from the three plays.
Philip & Lucinda
A sketch comedy show created by Myque Franz and Zita Nyarady, directed by Anthony Mann and sound design by John Sanfilippo, this punny comedy draws on many niche Kingston area jokes for its punchlines. Ironically, Franz and Nyarady are both highly trained in physical theatre, despite the obvious lack of any physical component to this piece. The show itself likely would have resonated best with children due to the enthusiastic nature of the cast and the simple, yet hilarious jokes. Some of the most memorable puns include “Puns Upon a Time” and the “Flea Circus” (literally). I laughed out loud when they mentioned that Flash Photography was discouraged, or that the show was sponsored by Generic Brand Ham. As well, local musician Barry Yuen came and played a song. However, despite my enjoyment of each individual bit, I felt that I would have enjoyed a greater thematic throughline throughout all the skits. Overall, this comedy definitely made me chuckle a few times and I definitely appreciated the light-heartedness and sense of escapism that this piece was able to create !
Children of Thomas
Similar to the multitude of sci-fi/mystery scripted podcasts that have populated the medium in the last few years, Children of Thomas, set in 1958, revolves around Jane (Skylar Jordan) seeking her estranged mother, Darcy (Serena Ferzli). The highlight for me was Skylar Jordan as Jane. Jordan was able to bring a vocally nuanced performance on par with professional voice-over performers. I also thoroughly enjoyed the Sound Design by Sebastian Vaillancourt. Vaillancourt was able to create an environment that was so eerie and mysterious, it was easy for listeners to be fully immersed in the production. I found the first half of the drama to be very engaging, however, as it progressed, while highly enjoyable, slightly cheesy.This production, written by emerging playwright Jack Burnham and co-directed by Kate Seip and Burnham, consisted of so much potential, and I eagerly anticipate future productions from the creative team !
Talk To Me
Easily my favourite part of the festival, Talk To Me is a sex and dating advice show written by Sean Meldrum, directed by Wallis Caldoza and starring both Mariah Horner and Sean Meldrum. Impressively and refreshingly self-aware, this show began with its frank discussion of land acknowledgements, sexual desire, and life in 2020. There was something so engaging about listening to a show tackle intimacy while being at such a great distance, simultaneously creating commentary on sexual pleasure and intimacy in the age of COVID. I especially loved how the show never overtly referenced the pandemic, but the presence of a radio show dealing with intimacy was revealing in itself. The show’s sex positive narrative throughout was so exhilarating and this show was simply such a pleasure to listen to!
Overall, as a format, radio dramas work exceptionally well in the age of COVID. With an effective sound design and cast, they have the ability to transport listeners’ imaginations while still situated within their own homes. I can only assume that we will see many festivals and streams similar to Shortwave in the future!
Presented by The Cellar Door Project and CFRC 101.9, and running until November 7, 2020, The Shortwave Theatre Festival is a free week-long festival of radio drama featuring a series of plays created and featuring Kingston-based artists. Visit https://www.shortwavetheatre.com/the-shows.html to listen to recordings of the plays.
