Northwestern University Radio Drama unites the old and the new – literally. Utilizing the talents of their cast and crew, the group started in Spring 2003 by reproducing archived radio-drama scripts from the 1940s and ’50s. NURD, which broadcasts every Sunday at 4 p.m. on WNUR, is a blend of student-written and -produced shows and the occasional revival of scripts from decades past.
“Next Monday, I’m going to the archives, sitting in the basement of Deering with big dusty collections of old scripts, and I’ll read through until I find something that I think is funny, something pertinent and not too offensive or misogynistic and put it in the show,” NURD Executive Director Melanie Kahl said.
It’s not just the performance of past scripts that might make NURD seem old-fashioned; it’s certain aspects of the medium itself.
“I think the charm is that it’s old-fashioned, but we’re putting such a twist on it,” said Kahl, a SESP sophomore. “Not only are we historians by bringing back to life archival scripts, but we take today’s technology to write modern scripts that are just as pertinent. It’s a lost art form that is just as pertinent to the acting world as any other art form.”
Unlike most other forms of acting, NURD has no need for the costumes, lighting, set design or many of the other accouterments associated with the visual arts. This contrast allows actors at Northwestern to work in a different environment than they otherwise would.
“With the way Northwestern theater works, people don’t always get a chance to explore a full range of characters, whereas in NURD, it’s a very fun opportunity to explore characters vocally and explore different energies,” said Steve Persch, NURD executive producer.
Actors often engage in specialty voices, play characters of different genders than their own and even voice many different characters all in one broadcast.
“I specialize in loud, chubby, awkward girls who don’t ever plan to take off their training bras,” Communication freshman Sarah Grace Welbourn jokingly said of her role in “The Sleepover Show.” The show was the group’s special project of the quarter – one that was written during a group sleepover party in one of the cast member’s apartments.
Welbourn said working with NURD affords her opportunities that she would not receive elsewhere.
“Most theater students can only get experience on a stage, but this way you can concentrate just on your vocal range because no one can see what you’re doing with your body or your face,” Welbourn said.
Besides performance, NURD provides its members with various other opportunities, like writing or working “behind the glass” on the production side of affairs.
“Most people become sort of renaissance NURDs,” Welbourn said. “There’s lots of ways to branch out, lots of moving around.”
As new technologies come into play, radio drama is being presented in ways that weren’t possible when the archival scripts were originally performed. Students can either listen to the shows on the group’s Web site or subscribe to the group’s podcast. The podcasts allow the show to reach a broader audience and free the writers from some of the constraints placed on live Sunday afternoon broadcasts.
“We’re hoping to explore the podcast medium more in the future,” said Persch, a Communication senior. “We’ll continue podcasting our regular shows, but we’re also looking to do some more experimental stuff.”
Whether performing modern sketches and scripts – the group’s current focus – or reviving archival scripts, Welbourn said there is always something in it for those involved.
“It’s vintage. It’s fun.” she said. “I like to think that when we do the archive scripts, somewhere there’s some cute old couple in Evanston, listening to it, remembering days of yore and crying.”
Reach Sam Bellikoff at [email protected].
