Blog: 1940’s Liquid Radio Players: You’ve Never Seen Radio Like This!

The private dick… The gangster’s moll… The mad scientist… The double-crossing femme fatale…These and more are the classic characters the Liquid Radio Players bring to life as they spontaneously enact an entire radio drama before the audience’s eyes.  The October line up of the Sierra Madre Playhouse’s Sunday evening series, 2^nd Stage, will include 2 evenings of this award-winning comedy improv group on the evenings of October 14 and 28.

The audience experiences the show as if they were in a radio studio of the 1940’s.  They choose the genre (detective story, Western, adventure, superhero, horror, or science fiction), provide a title for the story and character names for the actors, and name products they would like advertised during the show. Then, six of L.A.’s finest improvisers take the stage in period costumes, blank “scripts” in hand and, standing in front of vintage microphones, play out the requested show as if it were an actual radio broadcast from the 1940s.  

The action is punctuated with live sound effects from a fully equipped onstage Foley table, while a keyboardist provides live music. The show also includes a rotating roster of variety acts that provide musical and comical tributes to that bygone era of the theatre of the mind. The Liquid Radio Players (“LRP”) debuted their signature radio format – the brainchild of LRP director Stan Morse – to critical and popular acclaim at ACME Comedy Theatre in 2000. Since then, LRP has completed a number of highly successful runs at that popular Hollywood venue, in addition to performances at historic L.A. landmarks like The Derby, The Friar’s Club, The Museum of Television and Radio, the Argyle Hotel, The Comedy Store and, most recently, Bar Fedora.  LRP has also taken its act on the road, appearing at the famed Chicago City Limits Theatre in New York City.

Playhouse board member, Estelle Campbell was asked about the 2^nd Stage roster for this Fall and commented: “The Playhouse is currently developing a winning variety series for Sunday evening entertainment at the Playhouse so that there is always something available when the Main Stage is dark.  I thought of actress Kimberly Lewis’ improv group, Liquid Radio Players; Ms. Lewis is a terrific comedienne who received a Scenie Award this year for Outstanding Performance by a Featured Actress in a Comedy for her role in “Twentieth Century” at the Playhouse earlier this year.  I went to see Liquid Radio Players recently at Bar Fedora and it was like time-traveling to a radio studio in the 1940s.  I knew immediately this was a show that would appeal to the Playhouse patrons and it is G-Rated so all the family can come and join in.”

The two performances are Sunday, October 14 and October 28 at 7:30 p.m.  Tickets are $20 General Admission and $17 for Seniors (Age 65 and up) and Students (21 & under).  For further details go to http://www.sierramadreplayhouse.org or call our box office at (626) 355-4318.