In September, Circle Circle dot dot did a fundraiser called "Invasion" in which they performed 5 radio dramas. KPBS arts reporter Beth Accomando was so impressed she asked them to come in and record the two Ray Bradbury plays for air. Listen to the full play here and watch a behind the scenes video.
"Zero Hour" first appeared as part of Ray Bradbury's collection of tales for "The Illustrated Man." Circle Circle dot dot performed it on September 9 at Ion Theater as a fundraiser for the theater company and for Jonathan Hammond's film project. Circle Circle dot dot's artistic director Katherine Haroff calls the company a "community based theater" because they produce original plays based on interviews with people from the San Diego area.
Haroff says their mission is to engage "audiences by creating original Theatre devised from the stories of our community. We allow each new development to be entirely collaborative and inclusive with a broad scope of the art world. We do this to bring Theatre back to the root of what has always made it important: the ability to allow the world to see and understand itself through stimulating, informative, and highly entertaining art."
The fundraising event was a rare instance of the company working from previously published works. Hammond, a fan of Bradbury's writing, was pleased to find "Zero Hour" among the public domain works of his favorite author. The story concerns Martians, befuddled parents, and children with imagination.
"I attended the fundraiser," says Accomando,"and was so impressed by the work but saddened by the fact that they were performing it one day and then it was gone. So I asked if they would come in and record the plays for KPBS and they said yes."
Enjoy! And be listening tomorrow for the second radio play, "Mars is Heaven."
"Zero Hour"
By Ray Bradbury and adapted by Anthony Ellis
Produced by Circle Circle dot dot
Director Jonathan Hammond
Produced for radio by Beth Accomando with technical assistance from Kurt Kohnen
CAST
Mary Morris: Sam Ginn
Henry Morris: Joshua Jone
Mink: Sororya Rowley
Anna / Helen / Telephone Operator: Katherine Harroff
Annnouncer: Matt Lescault-Wood
