Louisville Public Media has announced a special broadcast of Kentucky Shakespeare’s recent performance of The War of the Worlds across all three stations simultaneously (89.3 WFPL, 90.5 WUOL, and 91.9 WFPK), tonight at 9:00 p.m.
Originally performed in LPM’s Performance Studio by Jon Huffman, Gregory Maupin, and many Kentucky Shakespeare regulars, alongside 89.3 WFPL’s Laura Ellis, and directed by KY Shakespeare’s associate artistic director (and occasional 89.3 WFPL host) Amy Attaway, this innovative production combines actors, music, and foley artists in creating a new version of this thrilling tale, just in time for Halloween.
Based on the H.G. Wells novel, The War of the Worlds was first performed by The Mercury Theatre, narrated by Orson Welles, and broadcast on air on Sunday October 30, 1938. Believing the alien invasion to be real, panicked listeners flooded emergency call centers and the broadcast has become indelible piece of American history folklore. This new broadcast takes place on the 80th anniversary of Welles rendition.
