SmorgShow Theater (Recreated Radio Dramas from the Golden Age of Radio)

In our 11th installment of SmorgShow Theater, we re-enact ‘Knock at the Door’, which originally aired in 1942 on the ‘Lights Out’ radio drama series that centered around horror and the supernatural.

This tale is narrated by Ella who describes her descent into madness – how she married a nice fellow and mama’s boy Jay who adores his mother to the point of Ella feeling pushed out of the way. Our narrator, after hearing some convincing voices in her head, pushes her poor mother-in-law down a well and seemingly doesn’t have to deal with her anymore. But how wrong she is when the couple hears a knock at the door while eating dinner one night…

The SmorgShow Players are: Ally Bockay (Ella), Chris Bockay (Jay), Kim Bockay (Mrs. Kruger)

We are so excited to finally present our latest radio play that we have been working on since August. Normally the SmorgShow players re-enact classic radio dramas, but in this episode, we aim to deliver something a bit different. This time, we present to you a radio adaptation of “Rope”, a 1948 American psychological crime thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock, based on the 1929 play of the same name by Patrick Hamilton.

In our story, just before hosting a dinner party, Philip Morgan and Brandon Shaw strangle a mutual friend to death with a piece of rope, purely as a Nietzsche-inspired philosophical exercise. Hiding the body in a chest upon which they then arrange a buffet dinner, the pair welcome their guests, including the victim’s oblivious fiancée and the college professor whose lectures inadvertently inspired the killing.

The Cast (In Order of Appearance):

Brandon Shaw – Thomas Larsen

Phillip Morgan – Geoff Wells

Mrs. Wilson – Chris Wells

Kenneth Lawrence – Kip Coon

Janet Walker – Ally Bockay

Mr. Henry Kentley – Jerome Malauskas

Mrs. Anita Atwater – Kim Bockay

Rupert Cadell – Chris Bockay

Man on Street – Baba Gonesh

As we prepare for Christmas and to close out 2016, we present to you the 10th installment of SmorgShow Theater. "Letter from Cynthia" is a re-enactment of an episode from "The Whistler" old-time radio drama series.

Originally aired on 12-25-1949, "Letter from Cynthia" finds a medical intern receiving a letter from a lost love, the love he lost to his best friend. In a strange turn of events, the man who took his love, his best friend, ends up in an accident at the hospital where he is interning. He has to make a decision between getting revenge and doing what's right.

This episode has a different feel to it when compared with our previous radio plays. We hope you take some time out this holiday season to kick back and listen. Turn out your lights, bask in the glow of your fireplace or Christmas tree lights and let our story transport you back to a simpler time when families sat around their radio for entertainment.

The Cast

Narrator - Geoff Wells

Dr. Neil Andrews - Chris Bockay

Patty - Ally Bockay

Dr. Peters - Thomas Larsen

Charlie - Steve Larsen

Police Officer - Anthony Luperini

Intern - Thomas Larsen

Dr. Graham - William Bockay

The SmorgShow players recreate the classic radio drama, "Sorry, Wrong Number" by Lucille Fletcher which originally aired on the Suspense radio program on May 25, 1943.    Mrs. Stevenson is a spoiled, bedridden daughter of a millionaire. The telephone is her sole connection with the outside world. One day, while listening to what seems to be a crossed phone connection, she eavesdrops on two men planning a woman's murder. Mrs. Stevenson calls the phone company and police, only to be ignored. Adding to her dilemma is the fact that her husband is missing.   After a number of phone calls, the terrorized Mrs. Stevenson begins to piece together the mystery.

This episode of the SmorgShow Podcast includes the latest installment of SmorgShow Theater where the SmorgShow Players re-enact Ray Bradbury’s classic short story, ‘The Ravine’. Written around 1936 during Mr. Bradbury’s formative high school years, ‘The Ravine’ emerged as a true story of his childhood fears of a dark, foreboding ravine that existed just a short distance away from his Waukegan, Illinois hometown. The SmorgShow Players:

William Bockay – Narrator

Ally Bockay – Lavinia

Kim Bockay – Francine, Neighbor

Gabriella Vogel – Helen

Geoff Wells – Drugstore Clerk

Baba Gonesh – Mr. Tubbs

Anthony Luperini – Police Officer

Chris Bockay – Frank, The Lonely One

Charlie Snyder – Douglas

This is a segment from episode #74 of the SmorgShow Podcast. This episode originally streamed live at exactly 100 years after the Titanic struck the iceberg. We travel back in time and take a special look at voyage of the RMS Titanic for this special 100th anniversary of that tragic night of April 14-15, 1912.

Our special episode is chock full of facts and statistics about the Titanic: the construction, the launch, the passengers and crew, the food that was served to both first class and third class passengers including the last meal. We discuss the tragic accident, the lifeboats, the sinking, and the wreckage. We get a flavor of what life on the Titanic was like by listening to readings of letters written by some of the passengers. Music was a special part of the voyage and we play a few tracks that were played on board.

SmorgShow Theater is proud to present Frank Capra's classic, "It's a Wonderful Life" on the 65th anniversary of the original release. The main cast includes:

Chris Bockay - George Bailey

Ally Bockay - Narrator, The Bailey Kids, Tilly, Mrs. Hatch

Kim Bockay - Mary Hatch-Bailey

Geoff Wells - Clarence

Dave Jackson - Joseph, Burt the Cop, Nick the Bartender, Bridgekeeper

Jerry Malauskas - Mr. Potter

Daryl Woltman - Mr. Gower, Uncle Billy

Chase Woltman - Young George Bailey

Peet McCain - Harry Bailey

Baba Gonesh - Ernie the Cab Driver

Domenico DeFazio - Martini

Terrylynn DeFazio - Ma Bailey

Larry Coon - Peter Bailey

Joe Personality - Sam Wainwright

This holiday season we present our special production of “A Christmas Carol”, by Charles Dickens.   We brought in a large cast of actors to play the many characters of the classic story.   This was by far our most ambitious production which would not have been possible to pull together if we had not previously done the other old-time radio dramas from our earlier episodes, like “Sorry, Wrong Number”, “On a Country Road”, and “The Sisters”.     We had a great time over the past couple weeks preparing, directing, and producing this show.   We really hope you enjoy the final outcome of it.

We would like to thank all the people who made this recording possible, some of whom even braved the nasty winter weather by making the long journey to our studio to lay down their tracks.

SmorgShow Theater Presents Ray Bradbury’s ‘Zero Hour‘, originally broadcast on April 5, 1955 as a part of the Suspense radio series. Dave Jackson from the original Chris and Dave Smorgasbord radio show narrates this science fiction installment of SmorgShow Theater.

It is a typical day in the New York home of the Morris family, and Mrs. Morris is busy with her usual routine. Her daughter, Mink, as well as all of the other young children, are intensely occupied by new, mysterious game called "Invasion." Mrs. Morris isn't bothered by the game until she gets a call from her friend in Connecticut and finds out that all of the kids are playing it there as well. When she learns that the game's "zero hour" is to be at 5:00 p.m. that day, she does begin to wonder what the kids are really up to. None of the other parents are worried about it, but they should be. The children have learned the game from the Martians that are planning to take over the Earth.

The SmorgShow Players return to the stage to present, “The Sisters” by George Wells."   Originally broadcast in 1944, the story begins with the purchase of a coffin for someone who has not yet died.  Lydia Haskell explains that she has had a premonition of her own death and wants to plan her own funeral arrangements. The mortician and the police don't believe her story and think she is suicidal. It appears, however, that Lydia may have someone else in mind for that coffin. Her sister, Ellie, is a madwoman who lives in the attic of Lydia's house. One of them is going to die, but which one?