Plan-B revives radio's heyday with 'Frankenstein' production

What's that sound?

Radio stations have made a game of it for years. But what if you had to do it backward? What if you had to take a familiar sound — say thunder, a barking dog, chirping birds — �and you had to figure out a way to create that sound, as realistically as possible, live on stage, night after night, on cue?

This old-fashioned style of radio storytelling, a long forgotten art of the '30s and '40s, has been the latest challenge as Plan-B Theatre Company prepares for its fourth annual Halloween Radio Hour. This year, "Frankenstein."

"There's quite a few uses of produce because, nothing says broken bones like celery," Jerry Rapier said, producing director of Plan-B. "It's a lot of trial and error."

Sound designer Cory Thorell has been the man in charge of the experiments. "He's trying something new this year for the sound of rain," said Rapier, "which is rice being dumped down a wooden plank."

"I'm really a fan of radio theater," said Doug Fabrizio, who plays Dr. Frankenstein. "It's such a production because you've got all of these sounds. It's a completely aural experience, and it's really a lot of fun."

Fabrizio's involvement might add another interesting element to this year's production. He's best known as the host of the locally produced, award-winning, news/talk program "Radio West" on KUER, as well as "Utah Now" on KUED/Ch. 7.

"He's just great," said Cheryl Ann Cluff, managing director for Plan-B and director of "Radio Hour: Frankenstein." "People will be surprised to hear 'Doug the radio host' versus 'Doug the actor.' It's Doug Fabrizio as you've never heard him before."

"I'm a little terrified about that," said Fabrizio over the phone as he took a break from preparing for his news show. "For a long time I've been playing the role of radio host and interviewer. And Frankenstein is an entirely different thing."

After talking about how much he admires and is impressed by his fellow actors, Fabrizio continued, "these are muscles that you have to exercise, and I haven't in a long time."

Fabrizio studied acting in college, thinking he'd go to New York and "make a name for myself," but he put acting on the back burner when he moved to journalism. "I've always wanted to access it. This has made me really respect, in a deeper way, people who do this for a living."

This version of Frankenstein, written by Plan-B resident playwright, Matthew Ivan Bennett, follows the Mary Shelley novel more closely than most folks are used to. "People are used to the monster just walking around with his stiff arms out," Cluff explains, "but he actually turns out to be quite intelligent and sympathetic."