Sense of Place' Radio Variety Show Planned

Step back in time as the Fairmont State School of Fine Arts and Masquers present "A Sense of Place: An Old Time Radio Variety Show" in the Studio Theatre, Room 314 Wallman Hall. The show will run Feb. 22-24 and March 1-3 at 7:30 p.m. and February 25 at 2 p.m. For tickets, contact the box office at (304) 367-4240.

"A Sense of Place" recreates the world of an old-time radio variety show produced at the fictitious WFSC in 1943 Fairmont. The production includes the work of 12 student actors and features the familiar voice of Blair Montgomery, the President of Pierpont Community & Technical College of Fairmont State University. In "A Sense of Place," the audience will be transported to another time as Montgomery plays the role of Frank Morrison, the host of the radio variety show, Middletown Moments," the show with more "news, views and ways to amuse."

"Middletown Moments" is performed before a live studio audience, and the audience plays a very important role in the show. During the course of the evening, the audience will cheer as superhero Captain Justice battles his nemesis, Doctor Nazi; laugh at the antics of Pierre, the bumbling French waiter; and snoop out the evil-doer with Jones, P.I. They can also compete for valuable prizes in "Are You with It?" which is the quiz segment of the show about 1940s era slang.

Many of the lines used in the production come from actual events as reported in local news publications from 1942 and 1943. The information used a segment known as the "College Corner" is from editions of the Fairmont State newspaper, The Columns, and the yearbook, The Mound. Advertising jingles for such well known Fairmont businesses as Hartley's Department Store are set to popular tunes of the period.

Join Crystal Conner, Kimmy Higginbotham, Nicole Jenkins, Steven M. McElroy, Morgan Messenger, Blair Montgomery, Amy Napierkowski, Celi Oliveto, Matthew Wilson, Jason Vanfosson, Michael Vozniak, Dana Sayre and Dylan Callery as they create a sense of place at WFSC.