What is Twilight Radio Theatre?

In a time before computers, cell phones and wifi…before the concept of television had even been born; the ringleader of the nation’s imagination was a little box, the centerpiece of every home – the wireless radio. And at the end of every day, just as twilight approached, families would settle in their chairs and listen in awe as fiction came to life on programs like Suspense, Escape and The Shadow. This was the Golden Age of Radio.

The mind’s eye was all that was needed, as the listeners were magically transported – absolutely anywhere – simply by using props and shoes to create the right background sound effects. This painting with sound – the reproduction of breaking glass, footsteps and creaking doors – came to be named the Art of Foley (named after its pioneer, Jack Foley.) It was this inventive artistry that inspired the audience members to be drawn in, to create their own unique experience and to become an integral part of the show.

Now…imagine that you are a fly on the wall, in a live radio sound stage of yesteryear, not only listening as the actors perform multiple voices but also bearing witness as the cast, dressed in period costume, simultaneously slam doors, crumple tissue and create footsteps, setting a grand stage for your imagination. This, Ladies and Gentlemen, is Twilight Radio Theatre!