<p><strong>I</strong>n today’s technology-driven world, the Golden Age of Radio is a quaint artifact of early 20th-century life in America.</p>
<p>But for one evening, audience members will have a chance to relive the rollicking comedy, toe-tapping music and zany ingenuity of a old-time Midwestern radio show.</p>
<p>Twangy roots music, down-home country charm and Franklin-centric humor are the earmarks of “Pappy Wilson’s Spring Thaw.” On the stage at the Historic Arcraft Theatre, actors and musicians will put on a fictional radio program live on stage.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery
<p>The performance will include music, jokes, skits and other unique artistry, all wrapped up with a Franklin flavor.</p>
<p>“Franklin is a very interesting place, and we kind of wanted to create a ‘Prairie Home Companion’ with a Franklin bend,” said Bill Dever, who wrote, produced and directed the show. “I don’t think we try to dilute the fact that we’re talking about this town and people who live here. We pull historical figures from Franklin’s history, and refer to them on stage.”</p>
<p>“Pappy Wilson’s Spring Thaw” is a continuation of a series of live radio broadcast-style performances staged at the Artcraft. The New Mercury Theatre troupe has also done similar shows based around “The War of the Worlds” and “It’s a Wonderful Life.”</p>
<p>The concept is to make the audience feel as if they are watching an old-time radio broadcast, the kinds that used to enthrall listeners around the country.</p>
<p>Radio was the entertainment centerpiece for Americans in the first half of the 20th century. Before television, families would gather together to listen to their favorite radio programs.</p>
<p>The shows were appointment listening, Dever said.</p>
<p>According to a survey conducted in 1947 by the C.E. Hooper Company, 82 percent of people in the U.S. were radio listeners.</p>
<p>“Radio was the Midwest’s lifeline to the outside world. The warm glow of the radio dial brought news — good and bad — as well as bucketloads of solid family friendly entertainment,” Dever said.</p>
<p>But last year was the introduction of Pappy Wilson, a character envisioned by Dever to be the embodiment of small-town hospitality and geniality.</p>
<p>Pappy Wilson owns a cereal business, selling his own Down Home Mush — a dish that he describes as “locally stirred, Midwest preferred.”</p>
<p>The character is symbolic of what Dever feels is unique about Franklin.</p>
<p>“It’s got a lot of characters, it’s got a lot of dynamics, it’s got a lot of heart,” he said. “It’s a really vibrant place, and one that plays by its own rules. So I was looking for a medium that would really express how I feel about the place.”</p>
<p>Thus, Pappy Wilson uses his radio show to take snippets of life in ‘30s and ‘40s and broadcast them to the region.</p>
<p>“Pappy Wilson’s Spring Thaw” will feature a variety of unique acts, all which are fitting for the Depression-era theme. The headliner is the character of Pappy Wilson himself, played by local actor-director-producer Darrin Murrell.</p>
<p>“Pappy is someone that I knew growing up. I knew folks at my church and within the local community who had outsized personalities, and go out of the way to be the most ingratiating person in the room, joke teller and back slapper, all filtered through that rustic, small-town Hoosier sensibility,” Murrell said. “Pappy is equal parts politician and fiery pastor and P.T. Barnum showman.”</p>
<p>Murrell had done other work in radio-revival shows, so he had some expectation of what this performance would be. The challenge of the show is conveying a story through the cadence and musical quality of your voice, rather than relying on acting out scenes, he said.</p>
<p>“I have always admired voice actors — folks who spent most of their time not necessarily in front of audiences but having their voices heard by thousands or millions over the airwaves,” he said. “It’s a different skill set, requiring much focus and concentration on the story.”</p>
<p>Other actors will portray unique characters offering a glimpse of Franklin. Troy King will transform into the projectionist at the Artcraft who does movie reviews.</p>
<p>The humorous farm report will be delivered by the fictional radio station’s janitor, played by Troy King. Judy Crippin, becoming a character known as the poet laureate of Franklin, will perform her poem, “Elegy to a Calf.”</p>
<p>The Wuertz Sisters are a precociously talented pair of musicians performing traditional and more modern songs on acoustic guitar. An orchestra made up of Franklin College musicians will play big-band favorites.</p>
<p>All will come together to paint a robust picture that celebrates the area.</p>
<p>“I think often, Midwest culture is ignored. We deal with the bipolarity of a coastal environment, where if you live in L.A. it’s important or if you live in New York, it’s important,” Dever said. “I tend to feel that Franklin is equally important. We have a culture that’s rich and dynamic and worth celebrating, and that’s why we’re doing this show.”</p>[sc:pullout-title pullout-title="If you go" ][sc:pullout-text-begin]<p>Pappy Wilson’s Spring Thaw</p>
<p>What: An old-time radio broadcast-style performance, featuring music, skits and comedy and focused on a fictional cereal magnate, Pappy Wilson.</p>
<p>When: 7:30 p.m. May 17; doors open at 6:30</p>
<p>Where: Historic Artcraft Theatre, 57 N. Main St., Franklin</p>
<p>Tickets: $10 for adults 13 and older; $6 for children 12 and under, seniors, military personnel and college students.</p>
<p>Information: historicartcrafttheatre.org</p>[sc:pullout-text-end]
