"Vintage Hitchcock: A Live Radio Play" is an evening of adaptations of three early films directed by Alfred Hitchcock: "The Lodger," "Sabotage" and "The 39 Steps." These stories come to life in the style of a 1940s radio broadcast, with five actors playing dozens of characters, live sound effects and musical underscoring.

To license the play or see where the play is being performed, click here to visit Playscripts.com


Note: The premiere production of "Vintage Hitchcock: A Live Radio Play" included an adaptation of "The Lady Vanishes," which has since been replaced by "Sabotage." For archival purposes, some of the material on this page may refer to "The Lady Vanishes."

As a kid, I discovered the wonderful world of classic movies. While classmates were off at the multiplex, I found myself at The Regency in New York City or New Haven's York Square Cinema feasting on a Marx Brothers triple bill or Vincente Minnelli retrospective. Hitchcock had become one of my favorite directors, and the first films I saw were those from his early years, since those were on 16mm at the public library's film department (my after-school job). With the invention of the VCR (I remember our family's first rental was Hitchcock's Rear Window) and launch of the Turner Classic Movies cable network, a treasure trove of classics became more accessible than ever before. I started my own collection of Hitchcock films, first on VHS, then laserdisc, and now on DVD and Blu-Ray.

As a writer, my first play was an adaptation from another favorite director of mine, Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life. The initial version had twenty actors and full sets, and enjoyed a modest success with high schools and community theatres, but proved unwieldy for potential regional productions. While I was trying to pare the piece down I was also becoming a fan of old-time radio and started thinking that It's a Wonderful Life would be a perfect match for this medium. What intrigues me about the radio play concept is that it brings a whole new level of immediacy to live theatre by engaging the audience's senses. "Radio has wings. It has no stage to keep it within the proscenium arch, no camera to confine to things that may be seen," Jerome Lawrence said in his book Off-Mike. "The imagination of the listener is our most ardent and helpful collaborator. It was the theatre of endless possibilities." Bringing this style of theatrical storytelling, where the audience experiences the magic of a live 1940s radio broadcast, to It's a Wonderful Life really started the ball rolling. Word-of-mouth spread from one production to another, the script was published, and I was delighted to learn that my adaptation was named among the top-ten most produced plays by American Theatre magazine.

Each year I try to visit at least a few productions of It's a Wonderful Life, and last season I was fortunate enough to see the Legacy's beautiful interpretation. In my bio, I had mentioned working on a play inspired by Hitchcock's films. I'd wanted to bring Hitchcock to the stage for years now, but wasn't sure of the approach. I considered a biography or stage documentary, but nothing seemed to jell. Then the success of the radio play structure got me thinking that setting Hitchcock's earlier films would nicely fit into the old-time radio period. I couldn't have been more thrilled than when the Legacy's Mark Smith expressed interest in staging the premiere. This generous invitation really fast-tracked the play, with the majority of the piece coming into place over the past few months.

It's been exciting to be involved with this premiere production of Vintage Hitchcock: A Live Radio Play. Since I live in Connecticut, script meetings have taken place over the phone and rewriting has been through email. Another unique experience in the development of this play has been the ability to listen in on rehearsals via MP3 audio files. As you may imagine, witnessing rehearsals solely through audio has been a great benefit given the nature of the production. I'm grateful to the Legacy for providing me with this amazing opportunity, and couldn't be happier in sharing this premiere with you tonight.

Joe would like to thank many people who have been amazingly supportive during the development of Vintage Hitchcock: A Live Radio Play, including his family (Paul, Mary, Hope and Tom), Colin Eastland, Barbara Meyer, Sidney Gottlieb, Fran Kondziela, Maggie Williams, Achilles Tsakiridis, Music Theatre of Connecticut, Joe Meyers, Robert Osborne, Leonard Maltin, Mark, Bethany, Dustin, Scott, the cast and everyone at the Legacy. And thanks to you, this play's first audience! Joe welcomes your comments at joefairfield@gmail.com


JOE LANDRY (Playwright)
At age 12, Joe's first job was in the film department at the library in his hometown of Fairfield, CT. This was before the dawn of home video, back in the days of 16mm, and their permanent collection included It's a Wonderful Life, The Lady Vanishes and other early Hitchcock films. Joe's other main interest was the theatre. Encouraged by his parents, Joe was introduced to various theatres which he came to call home, including Playwrights Horizons and Roundabout Theatre Company in New York, Westport Country Playhouse and others. In 1995, Joe founded Second Guess Theatre Company, which produced over two dozen new plays, adaptations and revivals to critical-acclaim. In 1997, It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play premiered in Stamford, CT and has since enjoyed productions around the country. Joe's other published plays include an adaptation of the cult classic Reefer Madness. Other projects include Mothers and Sons, a musical co-written with Kevin Connors. joelandry.com

The following interview is between Mark Smith, Artistic Director of the Legacy Theatre...

MARK SMITH. Could you tell us exactly what is a "radio play?" What uniquely separates it from a "regular" play?

JOE LANDRY. What uniquely separates a "radio play" from a "regular" play is the style of theatrical storytelling. In the "radio plays" I've written thus far, (It's a Wonderful Life and Vintage Hitchcock) the audience is invited to experience the magic of a live 1940s radio broadcast. The golden age of old time radio is recreated using a handful of actors who play the dozens of characters in the stories and create sound effects and musical accompaniment to assist in engaging the imagination.

MARK. Why were you drawn to adapting radio plays for the stage? What is it about this medium that inspires you?

JOE. I had originally adapted It's a Wonderful Life as a full-stage version with twenty actors and full sets. While this version enjoyed a modest success with high schools and community theatres, the piece proved too large in scope and budget for most professional producers. While I was trying to pare the piece down I was also becoming a fan of old time radio and started thinking that Wonderful Life would be a perfect match for this medium. It was this new radio play version that really started the ball rolling, and word of mouth spread from one production to another. The blend of simplicity and nostalgia which initially attracted me to the radio play medium continue to inspire me today.

MARK. It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play was named one of the most produced plays in the country in 2007. How did that make you feel?

JOE. I was delighted to learn that American Theatre Magazine named my adaptation of It's a Wonderful Life among the top-ten most produced plays of 2007. And I was flattered to feel that my play had generated this level of interest around the country. While Frank Capra's original continues making new fans every year, I couldn't be happier in helping share the timeless tale of George Bailey through this additional medium.

MARK. Why did you choose the early British films of Alfred Hitchcock to adapt into the radio play?

JOE. Hitchcock is one of my favorite directors, and my first memories of seeing his films were those from his early years. Hitchcock developed a storytelling style and motifs in these early pictures which would follow him throughout his long career. I've chosen to adapt from this period because I don't think as many fans know these films as well as Psycho or The Birds, and, if you're anything like me, there's nothing like discovering a new treasure from a filmmaker you love.

MARK. How will this production be different from It's A Wonderful Life? How will it be similar?

JOE. The biggest change is the number of stories. While It's a Wonderful Life tells that one story, Vintage Hitchcock tells three. The radio play elements in both Wonderful Life and Hitchcock are similar stylistically and each require the same number of actors (two women and thee men) to create the dozens of characters and sound effects over the course of the evening.

MARK. Why did you choose The Legacy Theatre to produce this World Premiere?

JOE. I first became aware of The Legacy Theatre when they chose to produce It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play last season. Every year I try to visit at least a few productions, and I was fortunate enough to see Legacy's production last year. Not only was the production itself amazing, but the theatre was such a beauty (I equate The Legacy to a boutique hotel when telling my friends about the place) and Mark, Bethany and the cast couldn't have been more welcoming. In my bio last year, I mentioned I was working on a radio play based on early Hitchcock, Mark sounded very interested and I was thrilled he was able to include the play's premiere this season!

MARK. What will your involvement be in this very first production?

JOE. I'm expecting to be very involved with developing the script itself, and will do so from my home in Connecticut as well as in residence at the Legacy during rehearsals. Being on site for the opening weekend will provide the opportunity to see how the piece plays in front of an audience, which is always the true test of a play. I'm grateful to the Legacy for providing me with this amazing opportunity, and couldn't be more excited to share in this premiere!

Bottom line: The master of suspense is celebrated in three well-crafted radio plays.

The drag of a boot and a cane across a step suggests the ominous approach of a mysterious Victorian-era boardinghouse tenant. Oh dear, is this the serial killer who has a penchant for pretty blonde hookers? Could it be … (dramatic organ music inserted here) … The Avenger?

Good evening and welcome to “Vintage Hitchcock: A Live Radio Play,” playwright Joe Landry’s delightful evening of radio dramas devised from three early films by that imitable master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock.

Here, through the genius of an old medium, a hard whack on a piece of tin becomes an ominous clap of thunder on a dark London night, and the twinkling of crockery puts us in the mood of a veddy English tea.

Imagined as a real-time 1947 broadcast from Manhattan radio station WBFR, the Legacy Theatre world premiere transforms the Tyrone stage into a well-oiled machine of actors reaching for noise-making props while portraying a nerve-shattering array of characters in varying states of fear, anxiety, panic and murder. (Dave Dorrell plays the urbane airwave wit who narrates this night of horrific nights.)

For his Hitchcock radio hour, Landry —- author of the wildly popular “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” —- pays homage to the famous filmmaker’s “The Lodger” (a silent film from 1927) “The Lady Vanishes” (1938) and “The 39 Steps” (1936).

While “Wonderful Life” has the advantage of being a familiar holiday story, the Hitchcock pieces traffic in labyrinthine plot twists and 11th-hour revelations, which gives this nimble ensemble a vigorous workout and requires the audience to pay rapt attention.

“The Lodger” traces the terror wrought by a ghoulish boardinghouse tenant (played by Legacy artistic director Mark Smith) on a cockney couple (Amy Bridges and Dustin Lewis) and their comely blonde daughter Daisy (Tracy McBurnett).

“The Lady Vanishes” is an espionage tale involving the disappearance of chirpy train traveler Miss Froy (Bridges) and the ingenue who befriends her (McBurnett). “The 39 Steps” is another spy-themed odyssey doubling as a romantic caper; only this time we get a carnival act called “Mr. Memory” and a parade of corpses that refuse to stay dead.

Directed by Smith and featuring musical accompanist Connie Keesal, “Vintage Hitchcock” is a showcase of consistently top-notch performances. Though Smith can be a little too caricaturish at times, Bridges is spot-on, and Lewis is simply magnificent.

However, you may find yourself wishing that the sound effects were a little more vivid and more integrated into the action. (Most of the noise-making gizmos are off to one side of the stage —- why not make them front and center?)

While Hitchcock wouldn’t be Hitchcock without plot puzzlements and subterfuge, some moments feel a little fuzzy, and “Lady Vanishes” and “39 Steps” are so similar as to almost blur.

Nor does Landry get a chance to develop the backstories and public personae of his radio thespians. (Would probably make the show too long.)

Yet as the piece finds its rhythm, these minor quibbles that can be easily tweaked. For now, the 3-year-old Legacy Theatre puts itself on the national map with an exciting premiere that exploits the aural magic of this tingly film auteur.

from Southside ARTS Agenda, October 20, 2008

Vintage Hitchcock: A Live Radio Play is not the usual stage show - it's better! It causes you to use your imagination instead of having every nuance of the performance laid out for you. What's more it's fun!

On Friday evening we attended the World Premier performance of Joe Landry's new play and experienced one of the most enjoyable evenings of theater you can imagine.

Once again The Legacy Theatre demonstrated its ability to bring us something different than the usual fare provided by less professional organizations. Under the expert direction of Mark Smith, who assembled a truly talented cast of actors, Joe Landry's script came to life in different ways to each member of the audience. The stage was set as a typical radio broadcast studio was back in the 40's. As a youngster I had the opportunity to witness a "live" radio broadcast at a major studio. I think it was NBC at New York City's Rockefeller Center. I can't recall the show, but I do remember what fascinated me the most, the way the sound effects were made. Mark Smith scoured the antique shops, used furniture stores, hardware stores and even Publix in order to find the right item to produce the required sound. A rusting wood clamp to simulate the squeak of a hinge, assorted china used for the sound of someone stirring tea, a knife plunged into a head of cabbage for a stabbing. This show is filled with an assortment of sounds; which is why you can literally close your eyes and visualize the "action" on stage.The play is comprised of three different abbreviated versions of Hitchcock's earliest work. Moving from The Lodger to The Lady Vanishes and finally The 39 Steps we see the progression of Mr. Hitchcock and his talents for the unexpected surprise ending his later works are so famous for.

The plays used the five cast members, each assuming several different roles, accents
and voices while attending to the special sound effects. Amy Bridges, Dave Dorrell,
Dustin Lewis, Mark Smith and Tracy McBurnett (who has and used a most effective scream that may become her trademark) performed their roles with the professionalism we have come to expect from every Legacy production. Equal to the sound effects are the music that were crucial to every radio broadcast, in this production expertly done by Connie Keesal.

What we enjoyed the most about this show was the opportunity to experience a genre that virtually disappeared from the entertainment world. Today we expect to have everything played out before us as we mindlessly watch what a director has interpreted the author's meaning and intent.

We hope that Mr. Landry will continue to write Radio Plays and bring them to the Legacy for their premier performance.

Take a step back in time and not only see but visualize in your mind's eye three Alfred Hitchcock early classics. You may find yourself discovering a "brand new" form of entertainment.

Last year, American Theatre magazine named “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” one of the 10 most produced plays in the country. This season, the show will receive more than 40 professional and amateur productions —- including a repeat performance at Atlanta’s Theatrical Outfit.

Last year, Landry came to town to see what local theaters were doing with “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Turned out he was so impressed with the Legacy Theatre’s production that he gave the ensemble permission to stage his latest radio play: an evening of one acts adapted from three early films by Alfred Hitchcock. Directed by Legacy artistic director Mark Smith, “Vintage Hitchcock: A Live Radio Play” opened Friday and runs through Nov. 2. Landry arrived for rehearsals this week. Before that, the Legacy sent him recordings of rehearsals.

Landry —- who at 37 hardly qualifies as a senior citizen —- traces his love of cinema back to his childhood. His first job, at age 12, was sorting and shelving the 16mm movies at the public library in Fairfield, Conn. This was the ’80s, around the time films were being converted to video. But Landry was so captivated by the whir of the projector, the spools of tape, the creaky old audio and the magic of moving pictures that he’s appropriated the media to his devices. (He’s also written an adaptation of the 1936 propaganda flick “Reefer Madness,” to be published soon by Playscripts Inc. But it’s not a radio play.)

We recently chatted with Landry about his Hitchcock project and why imitation radio drama is enjoying an onstage revival.

Q: Hitchcock became famous after going to Hollywood and making “Rear Window, “The Birds” and “Vertigo.” Why did you choose films from the ’30s?

A: It was really the success of “It’s a Wonderful Life” that made me think of putting the Hitchcock films into the radio play format. I basically [made my selections] because of the availability of them and because of their status. They are very early. And public domain status gives me a little more leeway as far as what I can do on my own and how much I can change them… . I never had any interest in doing a radio version of “Psycho.”

Q: And you came up with “The Lodger,” “The Lady Vanishes” and “The 39 Steps.” Talk about them a little bit.

A: “The Lodger” is actually a silent film. So turning a silent film into a radio play, which is basically the complete opposite of a silent film, was a really sort of fun challenge… . Hitchcock had actually directed a radio play version of “The Lodger.” As far as I know, it was the only thing he directed for radio… . The Lodger is a character who may or may not be a serial killer. He comes to stay in this boardinghouse with this older English couple, and they suspect him. [Landry doesn’t want to give the ending away.]

Second is “The Lady Vanishes.” It’s probably the one I know best, yet it was the most challenging to write, because there isn’t a lot of other source material. There’s a novel, but the novel is very different from the film. The other one is “The 39 Steps,” which is the most similar to “North by Northwest” in a way. It’s sort of a 1930s “North by Northwest,” set in Europe instead.

Q: Did you see the Broadway spoof of “The 39 Steps”?

A: I sort of didn’t want to see that. I didn’t want to be too influenced by it. I’m hoping it circulates for a little while and that I’ll be able to see it after this.

Q: Why do you think the radio genre is so popular?

A: It touches the senses in a different way. And it reacts with the audience as a participant and has them connect more and different sorts of dots than they might in a typical evening of theater. I’m sure there’s a percentage of the audience that remembers radio plays and maybe have actually been to live radio plays, but for a lot of other people, it’s completely new.

Q: What did you like about the Legacy’s “Wonderful Life”?

A: I think it was the first time that I had seen a production where I didn’t talk to the director or anyone involved with it. And they went completely off the script, like by itself… . I know that might sound strange. But a lot of time people would get in touch with me and say: “How can we do that sound effect?” Or “Can we do this or can we do that?”

It was [artistic director Mark Smith’s] invitation that made “Vintage Hitchcock” happen there. I thought it would be a great fit… . He was the first to ask about it, so I thought, ‘Oh, that’s cool.’ He definitely has a connection to classic film as well.

THEATER PREVIEW
“Vintage Hitchcock: A Live Radio Play”

Through Nov. 2. $15-$25. Legacy Theatre, 1175 Senoia Road, Tyrone 404-895-1473, thelegacytheatre.org. (To learn more about the play, go to vintagehitchcock.com.)

In recent times Atlanta has been paying ever more attention to the burgeoning Southside arts scene. The latest example of this pertains to the Legacy Theatre, which is located in the Fayette County city of Tyrone and which is owned and run by Mark and Bethany Smith of the Coweta County city of Newnan. And the occasion is the world premiere of Joe Landry's Vintage Hitchcock.

In today's Altanta Journal-Constitition Theatre Reviewer Wendell Brock has high praise both for Landry's play and for its performance by the Legacy. The full review can be read on the Access Atlanta site: http://www.accessatlanta.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/accessatlanta/atlarts/. It concludes with these words: "The 3-year-old Legacy Theatre puts itself on the national map with an exciting premiere that exploits the aural magic of this tingly film auteur."

Information on the Legacy Theatre is found on its website www.thelegacytheatre.org.

High kudos are in order for Mark and Bethany Smith and for Joe Landry and for the cast and other theatrical personnel which have made this great triumph possible, which has brought great honor to the Southside arts scene! If we were living in the Middle Ages we would exult magna cum laude!!