Two radio dramas to be presented in Alexander Campbell Auditorium

CANTON, Mo. — The Culver-Stockton College Theatre Department is offering two radio dramas this month that were first presented in the 1940s and 1950s.

The first radio drama is “Carmilla,” one of the early works of vampire fiction coming from a 19th century story by Irish author Sheridan Le Fanu. It was adapted by Lucille Fletcher, perhaps the most accomplished suspense/horror radio writer of her era with “Sorry,” “Wrong Number” and “The Hitchhiker” among her classics. The first broadcast of “Carmilla” was on The Columbia Workshop on July 28, 1940.

The second play is an original script by Richard Thorne called “The Shadow People,” which is about a woman haunted by mysterious people living in the shadows. Loosely based on “The Horla,” Guy De Maupassant’s late 19th century horror story, “The Shadow People” was originally broadcast on the series “The Hall of Fantasy” on Sept. 5, 1952.

To minimize risk and potential exposure of COVID-19, performances will be live streamed on the theatre department’s YouTube page at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 12-13 and at 3 p.m. Feb. 14. A small audience limited to current Culver-Stockton students, faculty and staff will be allowed to attend performances in the Alexander Campbell Auditorium on the Culver-Stockton campus.

The cast consists of:

• Jessica Andrews, a freshman theatre major from Pleasant Plains, Ill.
• Krista Barth, a senior English education major from Bloomington, Ill.;
• Courtney Deeds, a senior theatre major from Springfield, Mo.;
• Emma Hackett, a sophomore theatre major from Buffalo, Mo.;
• Noah Klauser , a freshman English education major from Quincy;
• Alexis Mallon, a freshman arts management major from Wildwood, Mo.
• Trevor Pruitt, a sophomore business administration major from Bowling Green, Mo.
• Morgan Zavoral, a freshman art major from Tinley Park, Ill.
• Spencer Shively, a sophomore marketing and psychology major from St. Louis;
• Cassie Williams, a freshman musical theatre major from Thomas, Okla.

David Lane, lecturer in speech and theatre education, will direct the production. Seth Campbell, an assistant professor of theatre, is in charge of production design.

Kaitlyn Conaway, a senior English education major from Steelville, Mo., is the assistant director.

Bailey McNamar, a senior arts management major from Quincy, Ill., is the stage manager.

Students in the theatre program get opportunities to design mainstage productions and direct full-length shows. Four mainstage productions, including multiple student-directed one-act plays and one musical, are produced each year. For more details about the theatre program, contact the fine arts office at 573-288-6436 or finearts@culver.edu.