The Scorched Earth audio drama performed by the Texas Radio
Theatre Company is one that I highly recommend. I found the plot entertaining
and intriguing, the voices genuine, and the production quality outstanding.
The story follows the residents of Makepeace, Texas back in
the 70’s when a mysterious stranger arrives on a night when all the lights go
out. The mystery deepens as a conspiracy unfolds and powerful forces battle for
control of the future of the world.
My preference leans toward using sound effects for
supporting the atmosphere of a show, rather than overwhelming the listener. This
show certainly keeps the balance so well that the effects are not a distraction
from the plot while effectively enhancing the experience.
The show was written by Bruce R. Coleman, who is very active
in the Dallas, Texas area live theatre scene. Bruce wrote the two act comedy
Mythical Beastie which was performed at the Uptown Theatre Pride Festival in
September. He is currently directing A Civil War Christmas (by Paula Vogel) for
Theatre Three, where he is a resident artist, running until December 14th.
Bruce says that he wrote the nine part Scorched Earth two
episodes at a time. With his friends at Texas Radio Theatre Company, they would
record the two episodes in one session, then Rich Frohlich would get the
recordings into shape for publication (no small job) and release them over the
next two weeks while Bruce writes the next two episodes.
That’s not a schedule I would want to keep. My own audio
drama was usually recorded 4-8 episodes ahead of release, and I still felt
pressured. My hat’s off to the fabulous team that brought us this great show.
You can download the show at http://txradiotc.blogspot.com/2012/06/scorched-earth-complete.html.
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