Milton Presents: An Evening of Classic Entertainment
February 18, 2021 by
In February 2021, Milton’s middle school players made history as they returned to an old art form — radio theater— but with a digital twist.
Middle school students had worked tirelessly to produce, act, write, create sound effects, and record short radio segments for our production. The show premiered on Thursday, February 11 as families, friends, faculty and staff were invited to be part of the Zoomcast. Milton community members from near and far gathered for a screen-free night filled with mystery, drama, comedy, sci-fi, and news from the frontlines of the middle school. Audience members are asked to join the Zoom event but turn off their cameras to replicate the feeling of an old time radio program.
The radio play offered listeners a wonderful opportunity to engage the imagination and experience the immediacy and power of audio storytelling. Taking inspiration from classic radio programs, our intrepid directors and actors created a show with comedy sketches that hark to Burns & Allen, the Jack Benny Show, and Abbot & Costello; 1940’s-style 5-Minute Mysteries; melodramatic soap operas; news satire; and not-to-be-missed messages from the sponsors. The show combined original scripts and refreshed classics to great effect.
Bravo/brava to our troupe and for an unforgettable night of creativity, community, and classic entertainment. And thank you to Sarah Gershman, Sarah Shapiro, Steven Magenheim, Miriam Szubin, K.J. Moran, Ariel Wolf, and Nahanni Rous for sharing their vision, talent, time, and dedication in support of the students and this creative endeavor.
