Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2008 • Susanville Repertoire Company hosts 1940s radio show

Publisher’s note: This story originally appeared in the Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2008, edition of the Lassen County Times.

The Susanville Repertoire Company took its audience back to the days when people relied on the radio, rather than the television, for entertaining shows as the group reproduced a 1940s radio show on WSRC.

The show, held in one of the banquet rooms in the Hotel Mt. Lassen on Friday Oct. 3 and Saturday, Oct. 4 included musical performances and classic radio shows — “Our Miss Brooks,” “Vic and Sade” and “Baby Snooks and Daddy.” All performances were done live on stage. Cast members also wore outfits similar to the 1940s.

Solomon Everta, the radio announcer, opened the evening by welcoming everyone in attendance before introducing the first musical acts like you would hear on a radio station, along with a little information on each performer.

The first set of musical performances featured old time, fun and upbeat country tunes.  Jason Wheeler kicked-off the set singing Hank Williams “Hey Good Lookin.” Christal Miller followed his performance singing, “Your Cheatin’ Heart.” Kendall Brown and Mark Sanders sang “I’ll be Missing You.”

Wheeler and Gaby Barnash sang the upbeat song “On the Wings of a Snow White Dove,” with help from chorus members.

Jon France closed out the music session belting out, “I’ll Fly Away.”

Suzanne Blackwood starred as Connie Brooks, teacher at Madison High. During the performance, Miss Brooks spearheads the effort to get more heating in the school and money for school supplies.

Before taking her proposal to principal Osgood Conklin (Thomas Braun), who thinks more about cutting back than spending, Brooks tries building a claim by talking with other teachers and students. She runs into Harriet, a home economic  student and the principal’s  daughter Harriet, (Kris Szovati), who complains about the chilly temperatures in the domestic science room. Miss Brooks then visits science teacher Philip Boynton (Patrick Shillito) whose classroom is full of cold animals.

Miss Brooks also has a crush on Mr. Boynton, who is oblivious. When Miss Brooks suggests they could keep warm by cuddling up together like Mr. Boynton’s guinea pigs, Mr. Boynton answers, “Now, no we couldn’t. We could never fit into a cage that size.”

Walter, a student and the new basketball team manager (Joe Twilleger) asks for new equipment for the basketball team, especially shorts since the substitutes have to stand behind a blanket and change shorts with whoever they are replacing.

Even though Conklin is stubborn about asking the board for money, in the end, Miss Brooks and the staff win.

Also starring in Our Miss Brooks was Shayla Ashmore, Everta, Linda Braun, Sandy Jonas and Rikki Diamond as the announcer. Linda Braun provided the music in between scenes.

Vic and Sade followed Our Miss Brooks, in which Vic (France) and his son Rush (Joshua Barnard) have fun shocking themselves with Sade’s washing machine that has a split wire.

Sade (Christal Miller) avoids and frowns upon her husband and son’s shenanigans, but they devise a plan so she can experience their “fun,” too. Since the guys are too busy to fix the washing machine, Sade enlists the help of someone else.

After a brief intermission, the music performers took the stage again singing pop songs from the 1940s. Musical performances include “Blue Skies,” and “Cheek to Cheek” featuring Julianne Pepetone, “Anything Goes” sung by Miller, Szovati and Shirley Carlsen and It Don’t Mean a Thing sung by Linda Braun.

Veronica France, Joe Twilliger and Shawna Elder also provided back-up vocals during the pop performance.

The evening ended with the performance of Baby Snooks and Daddy, the Halloween show.

During the show, Dad (Thomas Braun) teaches his daughter (Elder), about playing tricks as he gets back at Mrs. Hopkins (Shirley Carlsen) for punching him.

A funny rivalry ensues after Dad retaliates by throwing a rock through Mrs. Hopkins’ window.

When the play ends, Mrs. Hopkins and Dad have their final say when Dad gets into Mrs. Hopkins’ chimney with a hose to flood her house. When dad gets stuck. Mrs. Hopkins’ starts a fire in the fireplace.

Also starring in Baby Snooks and Daddy were Pepetone, Veronica France, Twilleger, Szovati, and Linda Braun.

Each radio program also featured a commercial heard on the radio during the 1940s, such as the many ways to use Palmolive and a commercial for Jell-O.

The Susanville Repertoire Group formed about two years ago in name only and is best known for producing the local Murder Mystery Theatre productions with the Soroptimist Club the past two years. Now they’re getting serious.

Jon France, who serves as a board member with Tom Gauthier and Jonas, said the group decided last December it was time to try to put shows on year-round. The troupe’s eventual goal is to obtain non-profit status.