Radio drama earns awards

The Ventura County-based Every Now and Then Theatre's December 2005 radio drama adaptation of Charles Dickens' "Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story," has been awarded a 2006 International Communicator Crystal Award of Distinction. This marks four international awards, the most the troupe has ever received for a single production.

The theater, founded in 1990, has received a total of 12 awards- three national and nine international- since first entering radio drama competitions in 2003.

"Now we begin our countywide search for a new actor to play Ebenezer Scrooge, since Doc Reynolds moved away after our 2006 show," said co-director Linda Stiegler of Thousand Oaks.

The group's next radio drama will be "Sleepy Hollow: The Lost Diaries" with host Malcolm McDowell of Ojai, according to James Wortman of Ventura, theater founder and co-director.

"Our script follows author Washington Irving's headless horseman tale, plus villagers' diary accountings of what really happened to Ichabod Crane. The show will air this Halloween. After that, it's our 18thyear production of Dickens 'Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story' with a new Scrooge and surprise celebrity host," he said.

Both shows are scheduled to air on KVTA-AM.

The radio dramas are performed by a countywide mix of actors, community notables, students and teachers. Cast and crew are allowed only one rehearsal before they perform. Sound effects are both live and studioenhanced.

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