OncjjAki n ood evening, ladies and gentlemen! We're on the air!" A mid-winter break from the snow nd sub-zero temperatures ... a time ght back into the 1940's with"On the ii," a re-enactment of a World War II adio show. Sponsored by the Communications :lub and directed by broadcasting inTuctor Jim Leightenheimer, "On the ,ir" took a tongue-in-cheek look at 0th the overdone melodrama and the slapstick humor of radio in its peak. Performed in Alford Auditorium Feb. 17-18,the program included a taste of most things common to radio, whether it be Kate Smith urging the sale of war bonds and bullets to shoot Nazis, or singing commercials with a four-member chorus extolling the virtues of Wheaties and "new Oxydol with Albinolite." Mystery and adventure series were glimpsed, as were the heart-rending romance tales, where, battered and bruised by life's hardships (and probably by tomatoes from the audience) the leading lady bravely and pluckily pulled herself from despair to see that "life can begin at 35." The six-member cast, student-directed by Lynn Butckey,assumed various roles interchangeably, from the tragic to the sepulchral to the comic to the adventure roles, adjusting their voices, dialects and posture to convey each different character. Taking a few liberties with the radio tradition, the cast panfomined sound effects which were flexibly supplied by senior Marty Berrien, who did everything from beating an oatmeal box to make a drumbeat, to breaking branches over his head for jungle noises. Junior Rick Horsfall emceed the show,acting as announcer and transition artist from series to series. Horsfall and Berrien also did a midshow rendition of Abbott and Costello's "Who's On First?" The rest of the cast included sophomore Steve Banning,freshman Melanie Coleman, and senior Jane Owen. The chorus, who not only sung commercials but also soloed on "Your Hit Parade," were directed by Jeff Lyle and accompanied by Judy Walter. They included freshmen Larry Harris and Lisa Tyson, as well as junior Kim Murphy and senior Dan Price. by Jane Owen On The Air 141
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