Before UCC . . .
Before the internet . . .
Before the television there was . . .

RADIO DRAMA!

For most of the 20th century, radio was one of the most popular forms of entertainment. In addition to music, news, and talk shows there were also dramas and comedies and variety shows. It was a venue for serious works and the best known actors to show off their skills, be inventive, and connect with audiences at home. The popularity of these radio shows declined when television became popular and affordable, and the radio drama almost died.
Thanks to the internet and podcasting though, radio-style dramas are easy to make and put out there for anyone in the world to enjoy. They’re an excellent way to practice your English while enjoying fun programing. New theater companies are forming all the time and putting their work out for you to download, while others are working to preserve and resurrect classic shows.

Here’s a short set of links to get you started!

Classic Radio
Radio Lovers hosts all the best and most famous classic radio shows like, The Shadow, Gunsmoke, Buck Rogers, and Burns and Allen, as well as renowned adaptations of books like Les Miserables.

The Mercury Theater was the most famous radio theater group of the 1930′s. Led by Orson Wells, they made well-crafted dramas using the best talent of the day, including the infamous War of the Worlds.

Dramapod is one of the best resources to find contemporary audio theater programs. They have a very comprehensive listing of works produced by all sorts of companies all over the world.

Audio Theater not only lists American companies doing audio drama productions, but also has an introduction to using podcasting for making audio plays.