What We're Seeing: SITI Company’s “War of the Worlds-The Radio Play”
“More SNL than Cixin Liu, SITI’s 'War of the Worlds' is a class act in tight ensemble clockwork and quirk.”
(Photo of the cast by Eric Bondo)
On the foggy, fall evening of October 30, 1938, America tuned in to hear the now famous fake news: a war with Mars had begun. Adapted for radio by Howard Koch and starring Orson Welles, War of the Worlds was presented as a Halloween thriller, or as Welles put it: “The Mercury Theatre’s own radio version of dressing up in a sheet and jumping out of a bush and saying ‘boo!!’” But for those who tuned in late, “normal” programming appeared to be interrupted by the startling news that there were “explosions occurring on Planet Mars!” With no verified blue check marks or crowd-sourced fact disclaimers invented yet to steer through the muddled interplay between media and entertainment, thousands of Americans, well, fell for it, believing the radio play to be factual journalism. The Mercury’s desperate attempts to make their hokey sci-fi script seem halfway believable succeeded, almost by accident, far beyond even their wildest expectations.
In this SITI Company staged dramatization of the original Orson Welles & Mercury Theater on the Air broadcast, it’s the ruse itself that merits examination and recognition. The faux extraterrestrial invasion being colorfully iterated aloud falls secondary to the “behind-the-scenes” action being enacted; tensions, foibles, and dynamics play out via stolen glances, pointed concentration, and eager scurrying by the cast of seven pulling it all off in silent, sharply choreographed chaos. More SNL than Cixin Liu, SITI’s “War of the Worlds” is a class act in tight ensemble clockwork and quirk, spearheaded with crisp direction from Anne Bogart & Darron L West that keeps the play clipping at a tight sixty minutes of mayhem and theater magic.
The original U.S. tour of SITI’s “War of the Worlds” began weeks after 9/11, becoming a touchstone for audiences to talk about the shifting role of media narratives in shaping popular or persuasive opinion. In the twenty years since (and needless to say, the eighty years since the original radio play), substantial alterations in news transmission, technology innovation, telecommunications networks, disaster preparedness, personal privacy, digital inequity, and security levels (just to name a few) have obviously changed how today’s audiences perceive and interact with a play interested in journalistic tongue-in-cheek tomfoolery. In the shadow of a precarious U.S. midterm election and social media conglomerates’ rise or demise, this 2022 “War of the Worlds” staged radio play reads as an ironically peaceful distraction, curiously soothing in its bow-tied predictability.
The crux of the production lies in the dichotomy between what we’re seeing versus hearing, and by placing the production in essentially a dinner theater, attention can wane depending on which sense you feel more inclined to focus on. A sightline dotted with waitstaff dipping in and out invites a Brechtian distance and softening of focus to hone in on the auditory. Sound design by Darron L West is immaculate, ricocheting and reverberating the dulcet transformations of the cast’s voices with the passion and precision of painting a vocal landscape that could easily stand on its own. Which is good, considering the aforementioned sightline interruptions exacerbated my awareness of the contemporary urge to phone-check or multitask while listening to media that can stand alone as auditory. I found myself drawn to this heightened awareness of spectatorship, and rather than berate myself, accept an attention-split experience as an invitation to explore the multiple avenues into storytelling the piece invites. The minimalist stage design, with snug period costumes by James Schuette, encourage this passivity over scrutiny; there is no trick in sight, just the treat of exactly what you already know and expect from “War of the Worlds.” Lighting design by Brian H. Scott is perhaps the exquisite exception, taking the lighting from rich blues to emeralds, pairing flashes of Martian and artillery bombs with the warm hues of the house lights in a cozy concoction that works.
The visual component of watching the characters scramble to assemble this radio fiction almost on the fly, lends dynamic and comedic gravitas for those looking up from their dinners. Watching the chameleon cast assume their performative perfunctory obedience to Welles’ auteurship is as magnetic and puzzlingly addictive as watching the filmed session of a podcast; there truly is an extra layer of meaning gleaned in watching humans behave, especially when it’s contrary to what they’re saying (in this sense, perhaps The Three-Body Problem is influential).
Propelling this ensemble clockwork is Stephen Duff Webber. His Orson Welles is the quiet puppeteer in a frenzy of artistic command; in the zone, he is the orchestrator of controlled chaos rushing to get his ideas from brain to paper to mouth to ears, and his sonorous tones reverberate through the dining room amidst the Brechtian clatter of silverware blending the moment with the the Beechman.
Following a decision to divest away from being an institution and in favor of individual artistry, this show marked SITI Company's final performances in New York City, ever. While the production itself rambles more than rivets, intellectually it lends itself to further discussions on auditory performance and investment in artistry and accessibility through intentionally sensory blending show choices.
Production credits
“War of the Worlds-The Radio Play”
Radio Play by Howard Koch
Based on the novel by HG Wells
Directed by Anne Bogart & Darron L West
Performed by SITI Company
Creative team features Brian H. Scott (Lighting Designer), James Schuette (Costume Designer), Darron L West (Sound Designer), Kelly Maurer (Assistant Director), Ellen M. Lavaia (Production Stage Manager), Michelle Preston (Executive Director), Megan E Carter (Producing Director).
Cast features Jeffrey Fracé, Gian-Murray Gianino, Leon Ingulsrud, Ellen Lauren, Barney O’Hanlon, Violeta Picayo, Stephen Duff Webber.
“War of the Worlds-The Radio Play” ran October 27 – November 5, 2022, at The Laurie Beechman Theatre at the West Bank Café. The performance runs approximately 1 hour with no intermission. For more information visit https://siti.org/.