Category Archives: 2003 Season

The Ogle Awards 2003

by

WRW’s Murder of Crows Wins Honorable Mention at Ogle Awards

A Murder of Crows featured the original scripts of Cynthia McGean, Bill Gregory and Mary Robinette Kowal and was produced by Sam A. Mowry, Robert Kowal and Marty Gallagher.

Willamette Radio Workshop Cast:

Alyson Ayn Osborn, Janet Penner, Yani Berkshire-Cruse, Tim McKennie, Chris Porter, Mary Robinette Kowal, Carole Dane, Linda Norton, Cynthia McGean and Sam A. Mowry.

Sound Design and Live Foley:

John Martin Gallagher, Atticus Mowry and Rob Kowal.

The Ogle Award is given each year to honor the Best Fantasy Audio Production of the Year. The award is named for Charles Ogle who played the first Frankenstein’s creation in Edison’s silent 1910 film of the famous science fiction horror novel. Fantasy includes magical “high” fantasy, sword and sorcery, horror, modern urban fantasy, and other things that don’t fall under the criteria of Science Fiction. The Mark Time Award, and the Ogle Award, were awarded at CONvergence, July 2-3-4 of 2004.

The Mark Time Awards are the companion award to the Ogle and are given each year to honor the Best Science Fiction Audio Production on the Planet. This year Marc Rose and Jerrel McQuen also received an Honorable Mention for their series Dry Smoke and Whispers — The Shadow Man, also produced in Portland. Several members of both companies traveled to Minnesota to receive the awards, presented by David Ossman of the legendary Firesign Theater. The highlight of the opening ceremonies is an original audio theater piece written by Jerry Sterns and Brian Price called Martian Trombone. Due to an illness in the cast, Sam A. Mowry, WRW Artistic Director, was asked to step in at the last minute and performed with David Ossman and the CONvergence troupe.

The Mark Time Award is given each year to honor the Best Science Fiction Audio Production on the Planet and the Ogle Award for Best Fantasy Audio Production of the Year. Presented by The American Society For Science Fiction Audio (ASFSFA).

Judges for the 2004 Awards are listed below.

  • Henry Howard – Atlanta Radio Theatre Company
  • Kris Markman – National Audio Theatre Festivals
  • Brian Price – Great Northern Audio Theatre
  • Philip Proctor – Firesign Theatre
  • Jerry Stearns – Great Northern Audio Theatre

The Mark Time Awards are sponsored by MISFITS, the Minnesota Society for Interest in Science Fiction and Fantasy. A complete list of winners can be found at:

http://www.greatnorthernaudio.com/MarkTime/MTwinners.html

A Murder of Crows

by

Halloween, 2003
Sponsored by McMenamins Theatres and Pubs

Once again the Willamette Radio Workshop presented a live radio theater event at three of our favorite venues. First a tantalizing preview of our full show, presented by our director Sam A. Mowry, Tuesday, October 28th, 2003 on Stage & Studio, KBOO 90.7�s Arts and Entertainment show hosted by Dmae Roberts and Emily Young. (Stage & Studio and all KBOO�s other fine shows can be found on its webcast by visiting http://www.kboo.fm/index.php.)

Then on Halloween night, Friday, October 31st, 2003 @ 7pm & 8:30pm, we presented an hour of original stories, written especially for the Workshop, at the McMenamins Kennedy School. Saturday November 1st was the anniversary party for the famous White Eagle Saloon and we were there once again. Each show featured a different hour-long combination of stories.

An article featuring Murder of Crows appeared in Horizon Air Magazine.

A Murder of Crows featured the literary talents of Kris Armetta, Carole Dane, Mark Homayoun, William E. Gregory, William S. Gregory, Mary Robinette Kowal, Robert Kowal, Cynthia J. McGean, Chris Porter, Phil Rudolph and Douglas Watson.

John Martin Gallagher was once again doing our sound design and Sam A. Mowry was our producer.

War of the Worlds, 2003

by

WRW joins the 4th annual UFO Festival to produce a live re-creation of radio’s most famous broadcast.

Sponsored by McMenamins Theatres and Pubs

When & Where:
Saturday, May 10th – 1:00pm
Mack Theater in McMinnville, OR

Friday, May 9th – 7:00pm
The historic White Eagle Saloon in Portland, OR.

All performances are free and open to the public.

WRW presents Orson Welles� production of H. G. Wells� War of the Worlds. This is a live recreation of the original 1938 �Panic Broadcast� that shook a nation on the brink of war. The script, a loose adaptation of H.G. Wells’ Sci-Fi classic by Howard Koch (who went on to write Casablanca) tells the story of Martians invading the Earth.

The program was presented as a series of live news feeds that created a touch of realism by breaking into a placid evening of dance music. Although the program clearly stated at the beginning and at the half way point that it was a radio drama, most of the country was tuned into the Chase and Sandborn Hour with Edgar Bergen and Charley Macarthy, the most popular radio tandem in the country. However, Nelson Eddy was the musical guest that night and when he began to sing a couple of not-too-popular songs, the radio audience began to spin those dials, coming into the War of the Worldsbroadcast after the disclaimer. The subsequent panic, from listeners who took the radio play for real, traumatized several cities across the eastern seaboard. It is important to note that no one was killed or killed themselves, but rumors of such activity spread as fast as the rumors of Martian invasion. The ensuing notoriety made Orson Welles a star and showed the devastating power of radio in the new age of mass communication.

WRW�s 12 actors, using live foley sound effects, live music and a plethora of old school analog audio magic reproduce the excitement and drama with a production faithful to the spirit of “live Radio.” Enjoy a look at a vibrant entertainment medium and this opportunity to look back at the best Halloween prank ever pulled on the American Public.

If you haven�t seen live radio, you ain�t heard nothing yet.

The Aliens are Coming!
4th Annual UFO Fest
at McMenamins Hotel Oregon � McMinnville, Oregon
Thursday, May 8, Friday, May 9 and Saturday, May 10

It just may be the most fun-and eye-opening-event you�ll encounter all year! For three days, Thursday, May 8th through Saturday, May 10, hear experts� compelling reports of unexplained, extraterrestrial visitations from the skies, and join the dancing humans dressed head-to-toe in tin foil�

With both a serious eye and a light heart, the UFO Fest explores and celebrates the realities and possibilities of life emanating from beyond Planet Earth. It�s Oregon�s largest annual UFO event and this year�s expanded program promises to be galaxies beyond the last.

The lineup for the 2003 event features a UFO costume parade, keynote presentation by internationally UFO authority Stanton Friedman, theUFOstore.com Video Film Festival at McMinnville�s historic Mack Theater, an Alien Costume Ball, a special reception with the keynote speaker and other presenters, exhibitor booths of UFO literature, art and merchandise, and much more�

All UFO Fest events are free and open to all ages, unless otherwise noted. Details about specific events can be found at their website:
http://www.ufofest.com/McHO/ufo/

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
THURSDAY, MAY 8
Dinner with Stanton Friedman at Hotel Oregon, 7pm
FRIDAY, MAY 9
UFO Exhibits at Hotel Oregon, 4pm to 9pm
Speaker Forum at the Mack Theater, 8pm
Speaker Reception & Book Signing at Hotel Oregon, 9:30pm

SATURDAY, MAY 10
UFO Exhibits at Hotel Oregon, 9am to 5pm
�Orson Welles� War of the Worlds� a live radio theater performance at the Mack Theater, 1pm
2nd Annual UFO Parade, 3pm
theUFOstore.com UFO Film Festival at the Mack Theater, 4pm
Alien Ball at Hotel Oregon, 8pm