VANCOUVER, Wash. – To commemorate February and Valentine’s Day, Re-Imagined Radio will present two audio dramas by Canadian author, producer and director Jack J. Ward on Feb. 17. The two edgy love stories are told in the style of Golden Age of Radio science fiction.
“Jack J. Ward Anthology: Chaste Kiss & Chrysalis” premieres at 1 p.m. Feb. 17 over KXRW-FM (99.9), Vancouver, and KXRY-FM (91.1 and 107.1), Portland. Subsequent broadcasts and streams will be provided by local, regional and international broadcast partners.
The episode features two audio dramas. “A Chaste Kiss Goodbye” considers love between humans and purpose-built companion robots. “Chrysalis” is Ward’s revisioning of the classic audio drama “The War of the Worlds.” Both come from Ward’s “Retro Rockets Anthology.”
Ward, who has been involved with audio drama for more than 25 years, founded and still directs the Mutual Audio Society and the Sonic Society, both collectors and distributors of audio drama. Re-Imagined Radio has worked with Ward since 2022.
“When Jack called from Nova Scotia saying he had heard Re-Imagined Radio and wanted it for his Sonic Society, we were excited,” said John Barber, producer and host of Re-Imagined Radio and faculty member of the Creative Media and Digital Culture program at WSU Vancouver. “In return, we asked Jack to send samples of his own audio dramas.” The episode is part of Re-Imagined Radio’s new Guest Writer series.
Re-Imagined Radio premieres episodes on the third Monday of the month on community radio stations KXRW-FM and KXRY-FM. Each episode is streamed globally and is then available as a podcast. Information and listening opportunities are available at reimaginedradio.fm.
Community Partners
Re-Imagined Radio draws on community voice actors, Foley artists, musicians, sound artists and engineers. Partners include KXRW-FM, KXRY-FM, the Electronic Literature Lab at WSU Vancouver, Marc Rose of Fuse Audio Design, Rylan Eisenhauer and Holly Slocum Design, with Evan Leyden.
About Re-Imagined Radio
Barber created Re-Imagined Radio in 2013 to explore sound-based storytelling. “We select, produce and perform classic and contemporary stories across a spectrum of genres, from dramas to comedies, from oral to aural histories, from documentaries to fictions, from soundscapes to sonic journeys, from radio to sound art, using a variety of media, including performances, radio broadcasts, streaming, podcasts and social media, especially YouTube,” Barber said.
About WSU Vancouver
As one of six campuses of the WSU system, WSU Vancouver offers big-school resources in a small-school environment. The university provides affordable, high-quality baccalaureate- and graduate-level education to benefit the people and communities it serves. As the only four-year research university in Southwest Washington, WSU Vancouver helps drive economic growth through relationships with local businesses and industries, schools and nonprofit organizations.
WSU Vancouver is located on the homelands of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe and Peoples of the Lower Columbia Valley. We acknowledge their presence here. WSU Vancouver expresses its respect towards these original and current caretakers of the region. We pledge that these relationships will be built on mutual trust and respect.
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MEDIA CONTACT(S)
Brenda Alling, Office of Marketing and Communication, 360-546-9601, brenda_alling@wsu.edu