Restoration Research - Part 2

Restoration Playwrights

• George Etherege: George Etherege was a restoration playwright in London, he was a huge success and was considered one of the best comedic writers in England before Congreve. His famous piece was The Man of Mode, and was considered one of the best comedic plays of it’s time, he had a child by Elizabeth Barry and after his success retired from literature and lost most of his fortune to gambling. He married a wealth widow, Mary Sheppard Arnold and finally died in Paris, France.
• William Whycherly: Whycherly was a playwright during the restoration period of theatre and was known because of his plays The Country Wife and The Plain Dealer. During his time as a playwright he managed to coin the phrase “nincompoop” , he had previously been a naval officer and used his experiences in his plays making light of everyday situations.
• Aphra Behn: Was a poet, translator and playwright from the restoration era, she was also one of the first women to earn a living by writing and as such broke the social barriers of the time and became a role model for later female authors. She came to the notice of Charles II who took her on a a spy in Antwerp but afterwards beca writing for the stage.
• William Congreve: William Congreve was a playwright and poet who was famous for his work during the restoration period. He wrote the play we are currently studying The Double Dealer and was also known because of his five successful plays but as soon as he rose to fame his career as a writer pretty much vanished and he lived on the money made by his plays, he died in London in January 1729.

Original Patent Theatre Companies and Theatres

• Thomas Killigrew: Was an English dramatist and Theatre Manager in the restoration period of theatre, he was one of twelve children. Before the civil war Killigrew wrote a lot of tragicomedies and was known for his play The Parson’s Wedding, he followed Prince Charles into exile and moved around Europe during the time of exile. After the exile he was appointed as Groom of the Bedchamber and Chamberlain to Queen Catherine, he was also the kings fool and jester and this gave him the power to ridicule the king without any consequences.
• William Davenant: Was an english Playwright and poet during caroline and restoration eras and was writing before and after the Civil War. He was born in February 1606 in oxford, he was baptised on the 3rd of March, his godfather is believed to be William Shakespeare, it was even rumoured that he was Shakespeare’s biological son. He returned to England with Charles II when the king was reinstated, and continued to work in the theatres and re-open them with Thomas Killigrew.
• The Duke’s Company: was one of the two theatre companies that were brought into existence by Charles II at the end of the Civil War, the company was also formed to help open up the theatres that had been closed during the civil war. The Duke’s Company was supported by Prince James the kings younger brother, the Duke of York and of Albany and was managed by Davenant. They had the rights to ten of shakespeare’s plays and were the only company allowed to perform these pieces, many of their plays were recorded by Samuel Pepys.
• The King’s Company:  Was one of the two groups that were granted the permission of the king to perform serious theatre in main playhouses. It was under the direction of Killigrew and was kept as a serious company that would perform for the king and had the more experienced actors in their company, Margaret Hughes and Nell Gwyn were just two of those enlisted and were some of the first female actors allowed onto the stage and to actually make a career out of it.

Samuel Pepys

• Diary: Pepys was known mostly for his diary and how he documented almost everything that happened around him, this diary was kept for almost ten years and was over a million words long, it is seen as one of the most brilliant descriptions of the time and is how we know a lot of what we do of the time. He was celebrated for his frankness in his writings and how nothing was ever sugar coated, it was raw and real. He wrote about the theatre of the time and the major political and social matters of the time, he showed the good and the bad of what happened in his life and this is what was loved by him, it was a window into the complex human soul that was his.
• 17th Century London: This time in England’s history was very important it was where the country had been set free from puritan rule and everything that had been banned was suddenly allowed, this made the country go rather wild hosting parties that would last for days and where people would stay drunk for the entire time. 
• The Great Fire: was a terrible fire that stepped through London at an incredibly fast rate, it started in Pudding Lane at the bakers, the problem of the time was that all of the roof’s of the houses in London were made of thatch and ever since the great fire no house in London is allowed a thatched roof, the only exception has been the reconstruction of the Globe Theatre on the Southbank of London because of the historical significance, even so the sprinkler system is extensive. The difficulty was that the houses were all so packed together that even trying to put the fires out wouldn’t work as the fire was spreading faster than they could put it out, they even resorted to pulling down buildings to block the fire. In total the fire lasted for four days and destroyed most of medieval London.
• The Great Plague:  The plague was the final bout of the bubonic plague to happen in the UK, it was transferred by the rats who carried the fleas that had the disease and bit people and infected them through the bite and blood. An estimated 100,000 people were killed by the disease which equated to approximately 25% of the population at the time, prevention of the spread of the disease was started after the break outs and quarantine was pushed to 40 days in May 1664 because the plague was getting progressively worse. The rat infestation was due to the fact that all the human waste was just dumped into the streets which made the perfect home for the rats to live and thrive in and due to the fact that rats can reproduce at an alarming rate things only worsened. Samuel Pepys recorded the plague in his diary’s talking about how the streets were empty because no one wanted to become infected and how tis made his life easier and actually enjoyed the time during the plague.

Literature of the Era

• Johathan Swift: Was a poet of the time and was known for being able to master two styles of satire, oration and Juvenilian. He was born in Ireland and was the second child in his family, many of his family were within the literary profession and this spurred him to pursue the career he chose. He did his degree at Trinity College in Dublin and then went to England for a while before returning home, he is most known for his work Gulliver’s Travels a story that is still read about today.
• John Wilmot: He was a poet and courtier in Charles II’s Restoration court, he was known for his wits within his poetry and a lot of it was banned during the victorian era as it was seen as too much for anyone. He trained Elizabeth Barry as an actress who went on to become the most successful actress of her generation, he also had a fling with Nell Gwyn when she was a teenager. Wilmot died at the age of 33 from the effects of what is assumed to be Syphilis, Gonorrhoea and other venereal diseases. 

SN: All information was gained from either my own knowledge or Wikipedia's.

Restoration Research - Part 1

The English Civil War

• Cavaliers: They cavaliers were essentially the royalists, the supporters of King Charles I. They were often seen with leather knee high boots, tunics and hats with plumes. In the day the term Cavalier was seen as a way of life and a specific attitude rather than a specific way of dressing, the style of dress was very ostentatious and aimed to show the wealth and standing of those who wore them. Although the Cavaliers were not as devoted to religion as the way the parliamentarians were their faith was still important to them.
• Roundheads: The Roundheads were the Parliamentarians and supporters of a constitutional monarchy instead of an absolutist monarchy that was sought after by the Cavaliers. The Roundheads gained their name because a lot of the puritans wore their hair flat against their head instead of long and wavy like the Cavaliers, it was a very simple style. 
• 1642-1651: The time that the civil war lasted, it took the country nine years to sort things out within the realms of how the country was to be run. Essentially there were three separate civil wars but historically it is considered as one because of the short amount of time between each one. The end result of this war was that the parliamentarians would win, this would cause the country to become a lot more conservative and the fun that was there such as drinking, theatre and parties were banned putting the entire country into a grim time.
• King CharlesI: King Charles I was bork on the 19th of November 1600 and died on the 30th of January 1949, He was the king in power when the English civil war broke out. He was married to Henrietta Maria of France and had seven children. During the civil war Charles was captured by the parliamentarians and was eventually executed, his head was displayed and then sewn back onto his body before being placed in his coffin. 

The Interregnum

• The Puritans: The Puritans were an english group of protestants from he 16th and 17th centuries, they were more widely known during the English civil war because of their support of the parliamentarians and the aim to stop the horrific lives and ungodly lives of the royalists. They lived plain and simple lives trying to live by the book (The Bible). This caused them to live very boring lives and only eat incredibly plain food and wear very plain clothes.
• Oliver Cromwell: Oliver Cromwell was an English Parliamentarian, Cromwell was a military commander in the first English civil war. He was previously a member of parliament but ceased to be one when the civil war broke out, this lead him to choose a side and so became a parliamentarian and a main leader of the cause. He eventually had his way as King Charles I was executed and the Parliamentarians came into power changing the entire country.
• The Protectorate: The Protectorate was a time when England was being ruled by the Lord Protector who at the time was Oliver Cromwell, who passed the title onto his son who was unable to keep control of the parliament and the army and so was taken out of power as the lord protector and so was the end of the protectorate era 
• Richard Cromwell:  Richard Cromwell was the son of Oliver Cromwell who was known for his involvement in the English Civil War, he was the successor to his father as Lord Protector but was unable to proceed in the title as he could not control Parliament of the Armies and so was the end of the Protectorate era.

Charles II

• Exile: Charles went into exile in 1651 after the loss of the battle of Worcester in 1651. H was unable to return to England until 1660 when he would reclaim his throne, and all those who had signed his fathers death warrant were severely punished, this marked the start of something new as all of the previous restrictions had been lifted.
• Restoration: Charles II was proclaimed king on the 8th of may 1660 and took over the country from the Parliamentarians, he was crowned at westminster abbey on 23rd April 1661. Many of the exiled royalists were returned by the king and given rewards for their loyalty towards the king and his father.
• Theatre Licensing: The Patent Theatres were the ones that were licensed to show spoken drama after the restoration of Charles II in 1660, this meant that only specific theatres could show serious drama and the others could only show comedic and pantomime type performances.
• Merry Monarch: Charles II was known as the Merry Monarch because he was a loveable and liable character, he had dinner parties that would last for days, he re introduced theatre which had been a taboo fro the last two decades. 

SN: All information was gained from either my own knowledge or Wikipedia's.

Women On The Stage

• Nell Gwyn: Nell was the long time mistress of Charles II and was nick named pretty, witty Nell by Samuel Pepys, she was famous as a great actress of restoration and as a comic personality on the stage, she bore Charles II two sons who were both proclaimed as Dukes by the king. She never married but was always with a man and known not only as an actress but also as a lady of the night.
• Elizabeth Barry: Elizabeth Barry was the first ever professional stress as the boy’s who played the girls roles in Shakespeare's day had somewhat died out. She was transformed into a successful actress by her lover John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester. Barry worked for the Duke’s Company in her time for several years playing in King Lear and many others until the Kings companies were combined.
• Susanna Mountfort:  whose final name was Susanna Verbruggen was an english actress who worked in London, she married an actor called William Mountfort and after he was murdered in 1692, she married John Verbruggen. She was a leading actress in the United Company but after the company split in two in 1695 she was not offered a share in the actors’ cooperative only a salary. Because of this she went back to the parent company to be back in the standing she and her husband were in before.
• Breeches Roles: The Breeches role was when an actress would wear male clothing and perform the mans role, this was big in opera because the women could hit the higher notes where the men couldn’t and so fulfilled those roles which was only achieved when Charles II was back in power and the rules were relaxed.

The Clockwork Princess Audio Book + Notes

1

A Dreadful Row

Marry on Monday for health,

Tuesday for wealth,

Wednesday is the best day of all,

Thursday for crosses,

Friday for losses, and

Saturday for no luck at all.

– Folk rhyme

“December is a fortuitous time for a marriage,” said the seamstress, speaking around her mouthful of pins with the ease of years of practice. “As they say, ‘When December snows fall fast, marry, and true love will last.’” She placed a final pin in the gown and took a step back. “There. What do you think? It is modeled after one of Worth’s own designs.”

Tessa looked at her reflection in the pier glass in her bedroom. The dress was a deep gold silk, as was the custom for Shadowhunters, who believed white to be the color of mourning, and would not marry in it, despite Queen Victoria herself having set the fashion for doing just that. Duchesse lace edged the tightly fitted bodice and dripped from the sleeves.

“It’s lovely!” Charlotte clapped her hands together and leaned forward. Her brown eyes shone with delight. “Tessa, the color looks so fine on you.”

Tessa turned and twisted in front of the mirror. The gold put some much-needed color into her cheeks. The hourglass corset shaped and curved her everywhere it was supposed to, and the clockwork angel around her throat comforted her with its ticking. Below it dangled the jade pendant that Jem had given her. She had lengthened the chain so she couldvv wear them both at once, not being willing to part with either.

Feedback:

Charlie: Good Pace, it was easy to understand what I was saying, just change how you say it.

Connor: Good narrators voice but change people more clearly such as changing accents.

Abbi: Think about how I feel about it as well as what the characters are thinking as well.

Work on cockney accent !c 

Notes:

Begin this quote as quite sorrowful as it can all be a blessing and a curse, I want to show that through my voice. To do this I will be adding a slight lower pitch to add the sad tone to the quote. 

Monotone to present the author of the quote

Use a Cockney type of accent that is also trying to sound more RP

Sonnet 116 + Notes

Sonnet 116

Intro

Let me not to the marriage of true minds

Admit impediments. Love is not love

Crisis

Which alters when it alteration finds,

Or bends with the remover to remove:

O no! It is an ever-fixèd mark

That looks on tempests and is never shaken;

It is the star to every wandering bark,

Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.

Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks

Within his bending sickle's compass come;

Resolve

Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,

But bears it out even to the edge of doom.

If this be error and upon me proved,

I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

Aim: To establish a differentiation between the three stages of a sonnet the Intro, Crisis and Resolve. These three sections of a sonnet need a clear vocal change to establish the different feelings and emotions that are being displayed within the prose. To do this I will be looking at what the sonnet is saying and then translate that into my voice. Changing the tone and pitch of each section will show the different aspects of the sections and allow the listener to understand the sonnet in a clear and concise way.

Notes:

Lawful (Marriage Vows)

Love cannot be considered true love if it changes.

True love cannot be taken away.

A beacon of hope.

No fear.

North star - A fixed point.

Helps any lost soul.

Unsure of love or the person but diving in.

Time won’t make fun of true love when beauty fades.

True love won’t change when you grow old and grey.

True love endures all untill death.

If what I say is wrong anything i’ve  written is false and on one has ever loved.

Radio Advert + Notes

Radio Advert

Are visions of sugarplums dancing in your head?

Then bring your family to Centennial Hall this Christmas season to experience the splendour of Tchaikovsky’s holiday ballet, “The Nutcracker”, 

featuring the talents of the Royal Dance Academy and the Symphony Orchestra.

Be entertained by the magic and power of this classic holiday ballet for one night only, but keep the memories for a lifetime.

For advance tickets, call 555-5555 to arrange your seating now.

Notes:

Asking a question, make it sound interesting

Answer happily, you need to reassure the person listening to the radio advert that this is what they need.

Adding big names makes the event sound more attractive and so you need to make it sound as big as it is. Using a persuasive voice and excited tones.

This is making the event sound even more attractive by adding that the play is only for one night and is a must see and that it will also create memories this will appeal to almost anyone as it is a classic ballet. So make it sound appealing and something that they need !

Getting down to business by telling the listener that they can book their tickets now and avoid the hastle of getting them on the night and the possible dissapointment of not getting any seats. Make this sound more serious as it is the bit you really want the listener to hear.

War of the Worlds + Notes

War of the Worlds

ORSON WELLES:                                                                                                                                                                       We know now that in the early years of the twentieth century this world was being watched closely by intelligences greater than man's and yet as mortal as his own. We know now that as human beings busied themselves about their various concerns they were studied, perhaps almost as narrowly as a man with a microscope might analyse the small creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water. With infinite Confidence people went to and fro over the earth about their little affairs, serene in the assurance of their control over this little spinning fragment of solar driftwood which by chance or design man has inherited out of the dark mystery of Time and Space. Yet across an immense gulf, minds that to our minds as ours are to the beasts in the jungle, intellects vast, cool and un-sympathetic, looked upon this earth with envious eyes and slowly and surely drew their plans against us. In the thirty-ninth year of the twentieth century came the great disillusionment. It was near the end of October. Business was better.   The war scare was over. More men were back at work and sales were picking up. On this particular evening, October 30, the Crosley service estimated that thirty-two million people were listening in on radios.

ANNOUNCER THREE:                                                                                                                                                              Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. From the Meridian Room in the Park Plaza in New York City, we bring you the music of Ramón Raquello and his orchestra. With a touch of the Spanish.                      Ramón Raquello leads off with "La Cumparsita."

(MUSIC: SPANISH THEME SONG [A TANGO] . . . FADES)

SFX 1 (LA CUMPARISTA)   PLAYS FOR 14 SECONDS 

ANNOUNCHER TWO: Ladies and gentlemen, we interrupt our program of dance music to bring you a special bulletin from the Intercontinental Radio News.    At twenty minutes before eight, central time, Professor Farrell of the Mount Jennings Observatory, Chicago, Illinois, reports observing several explosions of incandescent gas, occurring at regular intervals on the planet Mars. The spectroscope indicates the gas to be hydrogen and moving towards the earth with enormous velocity. Professor Pierson of the Observatory at Princeton confirms Farrell's observation, and describes the phenomenon as (quote) like a jet of blue flame shot from a gun. We now return you to the music of Ramón Raquello, playing for you in the Meridian Room of the Park Plaza Hotel, situated in downtown New York. (Music)

SFX 1 (LA COMPARISTA)  PLAYS FOR 7 SECONDS 

ANNOUNCER THREE: Ladies and gentlemen, following on the news given in our bulletin a moment ago, the Government Meteorological Bureau has requested the large observatories of the country to keep an astronomical watch on any further disturbances occurring on the planet Mars. Due to the unusual nature of this occurrence, we have arranged an interview with noted astronomer. Professor Pierson, who will give us his views on the event. in a few moments we will take you to the Princeton Observatory at Princeton, New Jersey. We return you until then to the music of Ramón Raquello and his orchestra.

SFX 1 (LA CUMPARISTA)  PLAYS FOR A FEW 3 SECONDS THEN SLOWLY FADES 

ANNOUNCER TWO: We are now ready to take you to the Princeton Observatory at Princeton where Carl Phillips, or commentator, will interview Professor Richard Pierson, famous astronomer. We take you now to Princeton, New Jersey.

PHILLIPS: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. This is Carl Phillips, speaking to you from the observatory at Princeton. I am standing in a large semi-circular room, pitch black except for an oblong split in the ceiling. Through this opening I can see a sprinkling of stars that cast a kind of frosty glow over the intricate mechanism of the huge telescope. Professor Pierson stands directly above me on a small platform, peering through a giant lens. I ask you to be patient during any delay that may arise during our interview, Professor Pierson may be interrupted by telephone or other communications. During this period he is in constant touch with the astronomical centres of the world . . . Professor, may I begin our questions?

PIERSON: Of course At any time, Mr. Phillips.

PHILLIPS: Professor, would you please tell our audience exactly what you see as you observe the planet Mars through your telescope?

PIERSON: Nothing unusual at the moment, Mr. Phillips. A red disk swimming in a blue sea.  . Transverse stripes are across the disk. Quite distinct now because Mars happens to be the point nearest the earth, Approximately forty million miles away, in opposition, as we call it.

PHILLIPS: What do these transverse stripes signify, Professor Pierson?

PIERSON: Not canals, I can assure you, Mr. Phillips, although that's the popular conjecture of those who imagine Mars to be inhabited. From a scientific viewpoint the stripes are merely the result of atmospheric conditions peculiar to the planet.                  

 PHILLIPS: Then you're quite convinced that living intelligence as we know it does not exist on Mars?

PIERSON: As a scientist I believe there are no living creatures on mars, I'd say the chances against it are a thousand to one.

PHILLIPS: And yet how do you account for those gas eruptions occurring on the surface of the planet at regular intervals?      

PIERSON: Mr. Phillips, I cannot account for it. 

(slight pause)

(off mike) Thank you     

 PHILLIPS: Just a moment, ladies and gentlemen, someone has just handed Professor Pierson a message. Professor, may I read the message to the listening audience?  

PIERSON: Certainly, Mr. Phillips     

PHILLIPS: Ladies and gentlemen, I shall read you a wire addressed to Professor Pierson from Dr. Gray of the National History Museum, New York. "9:15 P. M. eastern standard time. Seismograph registered shock of almost earthquake intensity occurring within a radius of twenty miles of Princeton. Please investigate. Signed, Lloyd Gray, Chief of Astronomical Division" . . . Professor, could this possibly have something to do with the disturbances on Mars?

PIERSON: Hardly, Mr. Phillips. This is probably a meteorite of unusual size and its arrival at this particular time is merely a coincidence. However, we shall conduct a search, as soon as daylight permits.        

 PHILLIPS: Thank you, Professor. Ladies and gentlemen, we've been speaking to you from the observatory at Princeton, bringing you a special interview with Professor Pierson, noted astronomer, We are returning you now to our New York studio.                             

ANNOUNCER THREE: Ladies and gentlemen, here is the latest bulletin from the Intercontinental Radio News. Toronto, Canada: Professor Morse of McGill University reports observing a total of three explosions on the planet Mars, between the hours of 7:45 P. M. and 9:20 P. M. This confirms earlier reports received from American observatories. Now, nearer home, comes a special announcement from Trenton, New Jersey. It is reported that at 8:50 P. M. a huge, flaming object, believed to be a meteorite, fell on a farm in the neighborhood of Grovers Mill, New Jersey, twenty-two miles from Trenton. The flash in the sky was visible within a radius of several hundred miles and the noise of the impact was heard as far north as Elizabeth. We have dispatched a special mobile unit to the scene, and will have our commentator, Carl Phillips, give you a word description as soon as he can reach there from Princeton. 

SFX 2 (CROWD NOISE AND POLICE SIRENS)   PLAYS FOR 15 SECONDS THEN FADES SLOWLY (CROWD NOISES . . . POLICE SIRENS)

PHILLIPS: Ladies and gentlemen, this is Carl Phillips again, at the Wilmuth farm, Grovers Mill, New Jersey. Professor Pierson and myself made the eleven miles from Princeton in ten minutes. Well, I . . I hardly know where to begin. Well, I just got here. I haven't had a chance to look around yet. I guess that's it. Yes, I guess that's the . . . thing, directly in front of me, half buried in a vast pit. The ground is covered with splinters of a tree it must have struck on its way down. What I can see of the . . . object itself doesn't look very much like a meteor, at least not the meteors I've seen. It looks more like a huge cylinder. It has a diameter of . . . what would you say, Professor Pierson?

PIERSON (OFF-MIKE): What's that?

PHILLIPS: What would you say . . . what is the diameter?

PIERSON: About thirty yards, it must have struck with terrific force, but the metal on the sheath is ... well, I've never seen anything like it.

PHILLIPS: The color is sort of yellowish-white… Curious spectators now are pressing close to the object in spite of the efforts of the police to keep them back. They're getting in front of my line of vision. Would you mind standing to one side, please?                                                                                     / While the policemen are pushing the crowd back, here's Mr. Wilmuth, owner of the farm here. Mr. Wilmuth, would you please tell the radio audience as much as you remember of this rather unusual visitor that dropped in your backyard? Step closer, please. 

WILMUTH: Well, I was listenin' to the radio. 

PHILLIPS: Closer and louder please.

WILMUTH: Pardon me!

PHILLIPS: Louder, please, and closer.

WILMUTH: Yes, sir -- while I was listening to the radio and kinda drowsin', that Professor fellow was talkin' about Mars, so I was half dozin' and half . . .

PHILLIPS: Yes, yes, Mr. Wilmuth. Then what happened?

WILMUTH: As I was sayin', I was listenin' to the radio kinda halfways . . .

PHILLIPS: Yes, Mr. Wilmuth, and then you saw something?

WILMUTH: Not first off. I heard something.

PHILLIPS: And what did you hear?

WILMUTH: A hissing sound. Like this: sssssss . . . kinda like a fourt' of July rocket.

PHILLIPS: Then what?

WILMUTH: Turned my head out the window and would have swore I was to sleep and dreamin.'

PHILLIPS: Yes?

WILMUTH: I seen a kinda greenish streak and then zingo! Somethin' smacked the ground. Knocked me clear out of my chair!

PHILLIPS: Well, were you frightened, Mr. Wilmuth?

WILMUTH: Well, I -- I ain't quite sure. I reckon I -- I was kinda riled.

PHILLIPS: Thank you, Mr. Wilmuth. Thank you.

WILMUTH: Want me to tell you some more?

PHILLIPS: No . . . That's quite all right, that's plenty.  /

PHILLIPS: Ladies and gentlemen, I wish I could convey the atmosphere of this . . . fantastic scene. Police are trying to rope off the roadway leading to the farm. But it's no use. They're breaking right through. Cars' headlights throw an enormous spot on the pit where the object's half buried. Some of the more daring souls are now venturing near the edge. 

(FAINT HUMMING SOUND ) 

One man wants to touch the thing! … Now, there's something I haven't mentioned in all this excitement, but now it's becoming more distinct. Perhaps you've caught it already on your radio, It's a curious humming sound that seems to come from inside the object. I'll move the microphone nearer. (PAUSE) 

SFX 3 (HUMMING/SCRAPING MACHINE NOISE) PLAY FOR 5 SECONDS THEN FADE

Now we're not more then twenty-five feet away. Can you hear it now? Oh, Professor Pierson!

PIERSON: Yes, Mr. Phillips?

PHILLIPS: Can you tell us the meaning of that scraping noise inside the thing?

PIERSON: Possibly the unequal cooling of its surface.

PHILLIPS: Do you still think it's a meteor, Professor?

PIERSON: I don't know what to think. The metal casing is definitely extraterrestrial . . . not found on this earth. Friction with the earth's atmosphere usually tears holes in a meteorite. This thing is smooth and, as you can see, of cylindrical shape.

PHILLIPS: Something's happening! This is terrific! This end of the thing is beginning to flake off! The top is beginning to rotate like a screw! The thing must be hollow!

SFX 4  (HEAVY OBJECT HITTING THE GROUND) (SUDDENLY THE CLANKING SOUND OF A HUGE PIECE OF FALLING METAL)

PHILLIPS: This is the most terrifying thing I have ever witnessed . . . Wait a minute! Someone's crawling out of the hollow top. Someone or . . . something. I can see peering out of that black hole two luminous disks . . are they eyes? It might be a face. It might be . . .

SFX 5 (CROWD SOUND)                                                                                                                                         

(SHOUT OF AWE FROM THE CROWD)

PHILLIPS: Good heavens, something's wriggling out of the shadow like a gray snake. Now it's another one, and another. They look like tentacles to me. There, I can see the thing's body. It's large, large as a bear and it glistens like wet leather. But that face, it . . . Ladies and gentlemen, it's indescribable. I can hardly force myself to keep looking at it. The eyes are black and gleam like a serpent. The mouth is V-shaped with saliva dripping from its rimless lips that seem to quiver and pulsate. The monster or whatever it is can hardly move. It seems weighed down by . . . possibly gravity or something. The thing's raising up. The crowd falls back now. They've seen plenty. This is the most extraordinary experience. I can't find words . . . I'll pull this microphone with me as I talk. I'll have to stop the description until I can take a new position. Hold on, will you please, I'll be right back in a minute.

(pause)

PHILLIPS: Ladies and gentlemen (Am I on?). Ladies and gentlemen, here I am, back of a stone wall that adjoins Mr. Wilmuth's garden. From here I see the whole scene. I'll give you every detail as long as I can talk. About thirty More state police have arrived They're drawing up a cordon in front of the pit, a. No need to push the crowd back they're keeping their distance. The captain is conferring with someone. I believe it's Professor Pierson. Yes, it is. The Professor moves around one side, studying the object, while the captain and two policemen advance with something in their hands. I can see it now. It's a white handkerchief tied to a pole . . . a flag of truce. If those creatures know what that means . . . Wait! Something's happening!

SFX 6 (HISSING SOUND) (HISSING SOUND FOLLOWED BY A HUMMING THAT INCREASES IN INTENSITY)

SFX 3 (HUMMING MACHINE NOISE) CUT SUDDENLY AFTER PHILLIPS SAYS “ TO MY RIGHT”       

PHILLIPS: A humped shape is rising out of the pit. I can make out a small beam of light against a mirror. What's that? There's a jet of flame springing from the mirror, and it leaps right at the advancing men. It strikes them head on! Good Lord, they're turning into flame!

SFX 7 (SCARED CROWD)  CUT SUDENLY AFTER PHILLIPS SAYS “TO MY RIGHT” SAME TIME AS SFX 3   (SCREAMS AND UNEARTHLY SHRIEKS)

PHILLIPS: Now the whole field's caught fire. (EXPLOSION) The woods . . . the barns . . . the gas tanks of automobiles . . . it's spreading everywhere. It's coming this way. About twenty yards to my right . . 

(CRASH OF MICROPHONE ... THEN DEAD SILENCE)

ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, due to circumstances beyond our control, we are unable to continue the broadcast from Grovers Mill. Evidently there's some difficulty with our field transmission. However, we will return to that point at the earliest opportunity. In the meantime, we have a late bulletin from San Diego, California. Professor Indellkoffer, speaking at a dinner of the California Astronomical Society, expressed the opinion that the explosions on Mars are undoubtedly nothing more than severe volcanic disturbances on the surface of the planet. 

(slight pause)   

(of mike)  Thank you 

Ladies and gentlemen, I have just been handed a message that came in from Grovers Mill by telephone… At least forty people, including six state troopers lie dead in a field east of the village of Grovers Mill, their bodies burned and distorted beyond all possible recognition. Another brief statement has been released informing us that the charred body of Carl Phillips has been identified among them. 

 WAR OF THE WORLDS  SFX LOG

SFX1: La Cumparista (tango music)

SFX2: crowd noise and police siren

SFX3: humming, machine like sound

SFX4: a thud, heavy object hitting the ground

SFX5:  crowd sound; shouting/gasping in horror/awe

SFX6: hissing sound (like steam)

SFX7:  scared crowd /screams 

Notes:

Not just reading, acting !

More upper class vocal tone.

Use a Jazz type radio voice to get the tone of the piece set.