Society & Culture

Re-broadcast of UGA’s War of the Worlds to be heard on WUGA

Re-broadcast of UGA’s War of the Worlds to be heard on WUGA

Athens, Ga. – On Saturday, Oct. 13, aliens landed at Ft. Yargo State park and massacred the town of Winder, along with most of the populated earth, leaving a few scattered survivors.

On Halloween night, it’s happening again.

WUGA is presenting a re-airing of the University of Georgia department of theatre and film studies’ production of War of the Worlds, a radio play written and directed by John Kundert-Gibbs and based on H.G. Wells’ classic science fiction novel. The original broadcast-recorded live at the Classic Center on Oct. 13-drew international attention, appearing in newspapers from all over the U.S. to London to Taiwan.

“We’re thrilled at how well this has been received,” says Kundert-Gibbs. “It shows how resonant this story continues to be, even a century after the novel’s release.”

The success of the broadcast also reveals the ongoing effectiveness of radio theatre, an entertainment form that has declined in popularity in the United States since the rise of the television. The re-broadcast on Halloween will give even more listeners the chance to experience this unique performance medium.

Listeners statewide are invited to tune in to WUGA at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 31 for two hours of Halloween fun. To listen online, go to http://www.wuga.org/listen online.html.