L.A. THEATRE WORKS: THE PLAY'S THE THING: INVASION FROM MARS; WHEN WELLES COLLIDE (RADIO)

Summary

This program contains two science fiction tales appropriate for the Halloween holiday. The first, "Invasion from Mars," is an adaptation of Orson Welles's infamous rendition of H. G. Wells's "The War of the Worlds." Just like Welles's original 1938 radio production, this story is presented as if the events were actually happening. Following this hour-long program is a fifteen-minute tale titled "When Welles Collide," which depicts the same sort of story as the first but also contains a lesson for modern times. In "Invasion from Mars," the following events occur: a broadcast of a live music program is interrupted by a "news bulletin" that blue gas streams are shooting from Mars; an astronomer from Princeton, Professor Pierson, assures the listening audience that there is no life on Mars and no cause for alarm; a flaming object lands near Princeton which appears to be a meteor; the meteor is discovered to be an alien weapon which shoots out a heat ray that burns everything and everyone in sight; military maneuvers fail to stop the aliens from moving on towards New York City where a radio announcer describes the scene of panic and extermination; Pierson makes his way through New Jersey to New York City thinking that he may be the only man left alive; and Pierson explains at the end how the Martian threat was destroyed by a simple bacteria in the air. In "When Welles Collide," the players in the drama "Invasion from Mars" gather in the greenroom to celebrate their successful broadcast. Suddenly, the ground begins to shake; the Californians assume that it is an earthquake. However, when they step outside of the building, they discover that there is a far more terrible reason for the severe tremors. They also learn a little too late that the human race has changed since Welles's broadcast of "War of the Worlds" and is now far too cynical for its own good.

Details

NETWORK: NPR National Public Radio / KCRW-FM (Santa Monica, CA)
DATE: October 29, 1994
RUNNING TIME: 1:14:26
COLOR/B&W: N/A
CATALOG ID: R:11553
GENRE: Radio - Drama, fantasy/science fiction
SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, fantasy/science fiction
SERIES RUN: KCRW (Santa Monica, CA) - Radio series, 1987-
COMMERCIALS: N/A

CREDITS

Susan Albert Loewenberg … Executive Producer
Robert Robertson … Associate Producer
de Lancie, John … Director, Writer, "When Welles Collide"
Nat Segaloff … Writer, "When Welles Collide"
H. G. Wells … Writer, Based on "The War of the Worlds" by
Howard Koch … Writer, Adapted by, "Invasion from Mars"
Meagen Faye … Cast, the Coast Guard Operator
Jerry Hardin … Cast, Wilmuth, the Secretary of the Interior, the Fisherman, and the Gunner
Gates McFadden … Cast, Carla Phillips and herself
Leonard Nimoy … Cast, Professor Pierson and himself
Dwight Schultz … Cast, the Radio Announcer and the Reporter
Armin Shimmerman … Cast, the Radio Announcer and himself
Brent Spiner … Cast, the Stranger, the Station Manager, the Officer, and himself
Tom Virtue … Cast, the Captain, the Observer, the Brigadier General, and the Talk Show Host
Will Wheaton … Cast, the Commander and Bob Carlson