Hear Ye? Hear Ye! (Event #26)

It's close to 6pm and I'm about to make my way over to the The Academy Theatre for the Atlanta Radio Theatre Company's final rehearsal of The Call of Cthulhu. I'm going to attempt to live blog the rehearsal if I can to give you the blow by blow behind the scenes action of just how they make all those sound effects.  But hey, there's really no need to rely upon my reporting...  You should come see the show for yourself.

LIVE BLOGGING the Atlanta Radio Theatre Company (ARTC) rehearsal

7:00pm Bill has been here since before 6pm running wires and setting up the equipment.  The rest of the cast & crew are starting to file in, look over the scripts and set up additional equipment. 
Here is a fun bit of  Info: Bill told me that audience members are welcome to take pictures during ARTC's performances and capture those magic moments of radio theater in the making.  Who else is going to let you do that?  Huh?
7:20pm Alton and Bill are sync'ing their computers with sound effect software they use in addition to the made-made sound effects.  Bill explained that they have a sound effects library online with very specific effects like an engine sound of a specific make and model of automobile.
7:30pm Sonya sets up the Sound Effects table (I think she is one of the crazy sound masters)
7:35pm Brad is playing the musical accompaniment... it sounds like big long medieval trumpets right now.
7:45pm Twenty-five company members are here to make this happen and are having a pow-wow right now.

8:25pm rehearsal begins for Night Call by Brian Phillips (a member of the company).
8:35pm This is a short story you can certainly relate to... it's madness you'll recognize!

8:45pm  The WORST Good Woman in the World by Kelley S. Ceccato
8:56pm  10 performers on stage doing the voices, two Foley actors (those are the "Theater Divas" of the company and sound effects extraordinaires for this evening-- Tennile and Sonya).  Foley Actor's are named for the man who created the role--the actor who makes the sound effects.  This is Tennile's first go at it.
8:59pm  WOW... "down a hole" and it sounds great! Clever story and great use of this medium.
9:13pm ohhh... now that's scary. cool voices trick! [yeah, I said that right! voices.]

9:30pm break for the actors, tech getting ready for the next story, its almost time to rehearse  The Call of Cthulhu by H. P. Lovecraft and adapted for audio by Ron N. Butler.
9:35pm ok...lots of gunshots around here... good thing, i guess, given that there is something mightily big roaring nearby.  Make that Hugely, mightily big.  I think it's Cthulhu warming up.
9:51pm Rehearsal begins for the second act, really intricate with lots of overlay, voices, sounds and sound effects.  Lots of sound engineering going on here and Bill is still making adjustments and tweaking the equipment.
10:30pm Cthuhu is a terrifying creature and only being able to see him in your mind's eye given just the sound effects is really cool... and, ohhh yeah, you'll see him.
10:40pm  director's notes.
[Want to know who all of these performers & actors are?  Read the comments section for names provided by Bill.]

There is a lot that goes into a production like this, a lot of timing and a lot of concentration by everyone in the company about the action that is going on--literally and in our collective imagination.  Close your eyes and listen, and the show is totally satisfying.  Open your eyes and watch them do it, and you've got the icing on the cake!  Performances are Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 2:30pm at The Academy Theatre. Tickets are 10 bucks, parking is free.  

Food: Concessions in the theater and lots of options within a block of the theater--discounts at Savage Pizza around the corner, bangers & mash (and a number of brews) at the James Joyce Irish Pub just a block from here past Skip's Vienna Sausages, meat & three at Our Way Cafe and the Avondale Pizza is next door to that along with a Subway.  Across the street is Coyote's Mexican Restaurant and a Waffle House... WAFFLE HOUSE... 24 hours of food.

This is a really going to be an affordable outing and great fun for anyone.  But here is a special message for all you duds and couch potatoes out there--you can redeem yourself to your loved one and still be a cheap-skate.  You can take that special someone out for cheap eats and a unique show and totally wow them.  Put on a nice dress shirt with those flip flops and you'll earn enough brownie points that you may not have to go visit the in-laws at Thanksgiving.  But don't mistake this for a low-brow event... members of the Atlanta Radio Theatre Company are very committed to their craft and they do a first class presentation. Their art-form is very accessible.  So for all you high-brows out there... throw on some flip-flops with that dress shirt, come out to the theater, sit back and enjoy.