Friday, Aug. 31 – Vintage Hitchcock: A Live Radio Play
various times
through Sept. 17
Breakthrough Theatre of Winter Park
419A W. Fairbanks Ave.
Winter Park
407-920-4034
breakthroughtheatre.com
$10-$18
When The Avengers director Joss Whedon joked at this summer’s San Diego Comic Con that his canceled TV cult favorite, Firefly, could come back to life someday as a radio play, it drew a laugh and a bit of old-timey improv. But increasingly, the concept of radio plays – rapid-fire dialogue accompanied by practical stage effects and live music – is no laughing matter. Comedy team Ben Acker and Ben Blacker’s Los Angeles-based, stage-performed radio play, The Thrilling Adventure Hour, has featured big-name talent like Firefly’s Nathan Fillion, Neil Patrick Harris, J.K. Simmons, Reggie Watts and Patton Oswalt, and a Star Wars radio play by famous voice actors recently lit up YouTube. Playwright Joe Landry is way ahead of the trend, however. In addition to penning a radio play based on It’s a Wonderful Life, Landry also came up with Vintage Hitchcock, a two-hour triple feature – with vintage commercials, of course – covering three classic Alfred Hitchcock productions: The Lodger, Sabotage and The 39 Steps. It’s the kind of thing community theater was made for, so support your local black box with a trip back in time. – Justin Strout