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The Imperial Theatre Mohawk Alliance is delighted to present Kat Reynolds’ Anti-Pestilence League (APL) for a live reading of two historic radio dramas to get Cincinnati in the mood for a spooky Halloween season! As the Alliance fundraises to revitalize the Imperial Theatre and build the Mohawk Performing Arts and Education Annex, The Imperial Presents is an opportunity for Cincinnati audiences to witness the vision of “A Stage for All Reasons” in action and to play a starring role in its realization.After the roaring success of their first live reading at the Imperial Presents Salon Series last month, the APL will be performing a spooktacular double feature with two classic radio play episodes: LIGHTS OUT*: Poltergeist and SUSPENSE**: The House in Cypress Canyon. Both episodes have consistently been named two of the most terrifying programs to be broadcast during radio’s Golden Age (an era also know as the old-time radio or OTR era in the United States where it was the dominant electronic home entertainment medium from the 1920s to the 1950s).
Poltergeist takes the listener along on a hike through a snow-covered graveyard which leads to the rise of a poltergeist…and possibly murder.
The House in Cypress Canyon tells the story of a happy young couple who realize their new house has creaks and noises which make it difficult, to say the least, to live there.
Join us for The Imperial Presents: Fall Performance Series featuring “Kat Reynolds’ Anti-Pestilence League” on Wednesday, October 2nd, at OTR StillHouse. Doors open at 7:00pm, show starts at 7:30pm. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance at imperialmohawk.org/events or at the door. Your attendance supports both local artists and the catalytic project to create the Imperial Theatre-Mohawk Performing Arts and Education Center.
The Anti-Pestilence League (The APL) Biography: The APL was born out of artistic frustration during the beginning stages of COVID-19. Harley Quinn Studios decided to gather a group of voice artists to perform old-timey radio dramas (and comedies!) as a way to entertain themselves while keeping a safe distance from one another. While the group began with recordings, the goal was always to incorporate live performances when the world was safe enough to accommodate them.
APL Commissioner and Founder of Harley Quinn Studios Katrina "Kat" Reynolds, a life-long fan of radio shows, has always enjoyed using her voice for both good and evil; therefore, she and this COVID baby were the perfect match. Featuring the talents of regular company members such as Jeremiah Plessinger, Karolina Prokop, and Evan Koons as well as some warmly welcomed guest artists, the APL lives up to Harley Quinn Studios’ mantra in providing a space "where the voices in your head come to play".
*LIGHTS OUT originated on NBC but aired on several networks during its 1934 to 1947 run, pre-dating such notable serials as SUSPENSE and INNER SANCTUM. Known for its experimentation with “stream of consciousness” and first-person narration (a technique also used and made popular by Orson Welles’ radio programs), LIGHTS OUT went on to be a television series from 1949 to 1952. Notable names to have performed its radio plays are Peter Lorre, Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, and Boris Karloff.
**SUSPENSE was a radio drama broadcast which aired on CBS from 1940 through 1962 and is considered one of the premiere drama programs of the Golden Age of Radio. Subtitled “radio’s outstanding theatre of thrills”, its formula plot devices were followed for all but a handful of episodes and evildoers were usually punished in the end. Like LIGHTS OUT, it also boasted some impressive and familiar talent: Alfred Hitchcock, Rosalind Russell, Lucille Ball, and two of Kat’s personal favorites, Bela Lugosi and Vincent Price.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Knox Joseph Distillery at the OTR StillHouse, 2015 Branch St, Cincinnati, OH 45214-2301, United States,Cincinnati
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