The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society (The MORLS) has transferred their monthly live performances of old time radio scripts from Park Square Theater in St. Paul to the Bryant-Lake Bowl Theater in Uptown Minneapolis. In the wake of the new theater season opening I missed their first performance in September. That was a missed opportunity that I deeply regret as they performed one of my favorite radio scripts from the series, Suspense “The House in Cypress Canyon.” As disappointing as missing that is it’s a nice reminder that one has to seize the moment when it comes to live theater. You cannot binge these things at your own convenience. Theater happens, and then it’s gone. If you’ve never been you are in for a treat.
The MORLS is four performers: Eric Webster, Joshua English Scrimshaw, Shanan Custer, and Tim Uren. Once a month they perform live shows drawing from old time radio scripts. While acting out multiple voice roles, the four also create all of the sound effects and music cues live, creating a theater of the mind. I’ll frequently close my eyes for stretches and just listen and let my imagination create the visuals. These performances are always entertaining. The stories that held audiences glued to their radios in some cases more than 80 years ago frequently still have the same effect. This months program is something a little different as rather than using existing old time radio scripts, the MORLS have written their own scripts and we are getting three stories rather than the usual two. Here’s what is on the program titled Dracula: Principium et Finis
“Dracula’s Guest” from Dead Men’s Tales. Lost in a mysterious cemetery, Jonathan Harker fights for his life against an unknown foe. Eric Webster’s adaptation of the deleted first chapter of Bram Stoker’s Dracula!
“Farewell, My Bloody” from Jimmy Montague, Antiquarian-for-Hire. A madman named Renfield lures Jimmy to an insane asylum where he must confront demons from the past and vampires from the present! Joshua English Scrimshaw continues his hardboiled retellings of supernatural classics with this latest installment in his MORLS original series.
“The Red Six” from Rip Roaring Adventures. Doctor Van Helsing leads a last ditch attack on Castle Dracula! Tim Uren reimagines the climactic final chapters of Dracula as a thrilling radio adventure!
From the Ghoulish Delights website
Sounds appropriately spooky doesn’t it? Aside from the program itself I’m excited about the new venue. I only recently realized after listening to one of their podcast episodes that Bryant-Lake Bowl is where I first encountered these four performers. When my oldest son was just a wee lad he was very into monsters and we would go with my brother and his wife and son to the Bryant-Lake Bowl Theatre and see a serial production called London After Midnight. The four MORLS were all involved in that production, and if I remember right that is where Eric met the others. So I’m kind of looking forward to some waves of nostalgia, and enjoying some tasty food, another perk that the Park Square venue was missing. The show is Sunday Oct 23rd and begins at 7:00, but the doors open at 6:30 and you can bring food and drinks in from the bar area.
For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.ghoulishdelights.com/. Seating is general admission. I’ll be there so if you come make sure to say hi and join us. You can also find information about their podcast at the link above and how to be become a Patreon supporter with all the honors and benefits that entails.
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