The Atlanta Radio Theatre Company. (ARTC) is a

501(c) A 501(c) organization is a nonprofit organization in the Law of the United States#Federal law, federal law of the United States according to Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. § 501(c)) and is one of over 29 types of nonprofit organizations exe ...

(3) non-profit organization dedicated to preserving, promoting, performing, and educating people about the art of audio theatre ( radio drama).

Activities

ARTC performs live audio drama at a wide variety of events, often with a very specific focus on science fiction,

Horror Horror may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres *Horror fiction, a genre of fiction ** Japanese horror, Japanese horror fiction **Korean horror, Korean horror fiction * Horror film, a film genre *Horror comics, comic books focusing o ...

or Fantasy. They have been performing roughly 24 years, and have performed at such notable venues as DragonCon,

Mythic Journeys Mythic Journeys is a performance festival and conference gathering held in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Founded in 2004, it began as a celebration of the works of Joseph Campbell and has expanded into a celebration of the role of myth and storyt ...

, Stone Mountain, and the World Fantasy Convention. Some of their more noteworthy adaptations include several works by H. P. Lovecraft including

The Call of Cthulhu "The Call of Cthulhu" is a short story by American writer H. P. Lovecraft. Written in the summer of 1926, it was first published in the pulp magazine ''Weird Tales'' in February 1928. Inspiration The first seed of the story's first chapter '' ...

, The Dunwich Horror, and At the Mountains of Madness. They have also performed adaptations of works by H. G. Wells including The Invisible Man,

The Island of Dr. Moreau ''The Island of Doctor Moreau'' is an 1896 science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells (1866–1946). The text of the novel is the narration of Edward Prendick who is a shipwrecked man rescued by a passing boat. He is left on the island ...

, and The Time Machine. However, several authors who do not have work in the public domain have also given permission either personally or through their estate, including Robert A. Heinlein for adaptations of

All You Zombies "'—All You Zombies—'" is a science fiction short story by American writer Robert A. Heinlein. It was written in one day, July 11, 1958, and first published in the March 1959 issue of ''Fantasy and Science Fiction'' magazine after being reje ...

The Man Who Traveled in Elephants "The Man Who Traveled in Elephants" is a short story written in 1948 by Robert A. Heinlein. It was first published as "The Elephant Circuit" in the October 1957 issue of '' Saturn Magazine''. It later appeared in two Heinlein anthologies, '' The ...

and

The Menace From Earth "The Menace From Earth" is a science fiction short story by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, first published in the August 1957 issue of ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction''. Plot summary The story is set in the near future, when t ...

; Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman for an adaptation of

Lord Durndrun's Party Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...

; Henry Lee Forest's

Special Order Special or specials may refer to: Policing * Specials, Ulster Special Constabulary, the Northern Ireland police force * Specials, Special Constable, an auxiliary, volunteer, or temporary; police worker or police officer Literature * ''Specia ...

and James P. Hogan's Zap Thy Neighbor. Over the years, various members of ARTC have participated in or taught classes for various workshops, including the MidWest Radio Theatre Workshop and its successor organization

National Audio Theatre Festival {{Short description, American media company The National Audio Theatre Festivals, Inc. (NATF) is a US-based organization sponsoring a yearly, five-day workshop on radio drama, voice-over and the audio arts, as well as other special training. Partici ...

, The

Himan Brown Himan Brown (July 21, 1910 – June 4, 2010Himan Brown obituary.< ...

Workshop at the University of Georgia, and in Macon and Cartersville, Georgia. Their writers continue to teach radio drama writing at science fiction conventions around the country.

History

A brief overview of the history of the Atlanta Radio Theatre Company.

Founding (1984-1992)

ARTC was founded in 1984 by radio personality William L. Brown and actor/director Patrick Stansbury. They procured underwriting from a local bank to sponsor a weekly, one-hour program on WGST-AM. The first shows were produced in Brown's home studio. Atlanta playwright

Thomas E. Fuller The Atlanta Radio Theatre Company. (ARTC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to preserving, promoting, performing, and educating people about the art of audio theatre (radio drama). Activities ARTC performs live audio drama at a wide ...

was enlisted as principal writer, and numerous actors from the local theatrical community were cast in the productions. Soon Henry Howard, owner of Audio Craft, made his facility available to ARTC and came on board as a producer. ARTC produced a full 13-week schedule for WGST in summer of 1984. That fall ARTC moved to WABE-FM, the local Public Radio station, and ran a full season of thirteen shows. Then the next year they produced the ''SouthernAire Workshop'' for Peach State Public Radio (now Georgia Public Broadcasting. Most of the shows were performed "live" or "live-on-tape" in-studio. In the summer of 1987 ARTC began performing live at science fiction conventions. Their first live performance was at the first DragonCon. The play was H. P. Lovecraft's "

" as adapted by Gerald W. Page. Also in 1987 ARTC introduced the ''Centauri Express Audio Magazine''—the first audio magazine. It ran for five issues and contained plays, reviews of other audio products, and news of interest to the SF audience. ''Centauri Express'' was funded with a grant from the 1986

World Science Fiction Convention Worldcon, or more formally the World Science Fiction Convention, the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS), is a science fiction convention. It has been held each year since 1939 (except for the years 1942 to 1945, during ...

, ConFederation, held in Atlanta.

Explosion (1992-2002)

Under Fuller's leadership, ARTC established a troupe of professional and semi-professional actors, writers, directors, and technicians, to create live and in-studio productions of audio drama. In 1993 and 1994, they began performing monthly at a coffee house in the Little Five Points district in Atlanta. This theater experience allowed for the development of new writers, gave the actors more radio experience, and allowed for experimentation with new formats and styles. These coffee house shows created many new stand-alone plays as well as radio series in the style of the programs from the

golden age of radio The Golden Age of Radio, also known as the old-time radio (OTR) era, was an era of radio in the United States where it was the dominant electronic home entertainment, entertainment medium. It began with the birth of commercial radio broadcastin ...

. After the coffee house closed, the live performance troupe continued to find venues for live audio theatre. They performed at a few live music venues, the Decatur Arts Festival, Callanwolde, and several libraries and bookstores. They also expanded the number of science fiction conventions at which they performed. Even during this period ARTC continued to create in-studio audio drama on cassette tape and eventually CDs. Their 1996 production of H.G. Wells' ''

The Island of Doctor Moreau ''The Island of Doctor Moreau'' is an 1896 science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells (1866–1946). The text of the novel is the narration of Edward Prendick who is a shipwrecked man rescued by a passing boat. He is left on the islan ...

'' won a silver Mark Time award for excellence in science fiction audio drama. It was the first of several awards from the Mark-Time award committee to the Atlanta Radio Theatre Company. In 1995, ARTC's first web page was posted. For several years during this period ARTC performed live every Halloween night on Peach State Public Radio - performing and broadcasting from one of the Georgia Public Television studios. Starting in 1996 with permission from Mrs. Virginia Heinlein to adapt her husband's

The Menace from Earth "The Menace From Earth" is a science fiction short story by American writer Robert A. Heinlein, first published in the August 1957 issue of ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction''. Plot summary The story is set in the near future, when t ...

into an audio play, the company has continued to negotiate with contemporary writers for permission to create adaptations of their work. Among the writers whose work has been adapted by ARTC are: Robert A. Heinlein, James P. Hogan,

Brad Linaweaver Bradford Swain Linaweaver (September 1, 1952 – August 29, 2019) was an American science fiction writer, film producer, actor, and magazine publisher. Over a 40-year career, he completed a body of work including novels, short stories, and scree ...

, Gerald W. Page,

John Ringo John Ringo (born March 22, 1963) is an American science fiction and military fiction author. He has had several ''New York Times'' best sellers. His books range from straightforward science fiction to a mix of military and political thrillers ...

Brad Strickland William Bradley Strickland (born October 27, 1947) is an American writer known primarily for fantasy and science fiction. His speculative fiction is published under the name Brad Strickland except for one novel written as Will Bradley. By a wide ...

, and Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.

Post-Fuller (2002-present)

In November 2002 Fuller died from a heart attack. The Atlanta Radio Theatre Company had lost its leader, its head writer, and its voice. ARTC attracted new writers, new actors, and new leaders. It continued to expand the number of places where it performed and new productions. ARTC continued to perform at many science fiction conventions. Additionally it began searching for a permanent stage home for regular performances. From 2002 through 2003 it mounted several productions at

Stone Mountain Park Stone Mountain is a quartz monzonite dome monadnock and the site of Stone Mountain Park, east of Atlanta, Georgia. Outside the park is the small city of Stone Mountain, Georgia. The park is the most visited tourist site in the state of Georgia. ...

. Then in 2006 it began a full theatrical season at Stage Door Players in

Dunwoody, Georgia Dunwoody is a city located in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. As a northern suburb of Atlanta, Dunwoody is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. It was incorporated as a city on December 1, 2008 but its area establishment dates back to t ...

. In 2009 it moved its theatrical home to the Academy Theatre in Avondale Estates, Georgia. In August 2006, ARTC began to podcast programming gathered from previous live performances. The podcasts include new material, old fan favorites, and rare performances.

Studio Recordings

The Dean's List

Stories by Robert A. Heinlein. Adapted with permission of Mrs. Virginia Heinlein. * The Man Who Traveled in Elephants *: by Robert A. Heinlein *: adapted by Brad Linaweaver * The Menace From Earth *: by Robert A. Heinlein *: adapted by William Alan Ritch * Solution Unsatisfactory *: by Robert A. Heinlein *: adapted by Daniel S. Taylor

SF by Gaslight

Classic 19th century literature brought to life. * The Brides of Dracula *: by Thomas E. Fuller *: inspired by ''Dracula'' by Bram Stoker * Hour of the Wolf *: by Thomas E. Fuller * The Island of Doctor Moreau *: by H. G. Wells *: adapted by Thomas E. Fuller * The Passion of Frankenstein *: by Thomas E. Fuller *: inspired by ''Frankenstein'' by Mary Shelley * The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde *: by Robert Louis Stevenson *: adapted by Daniel S. Taylor * The Time Machine *: by H. G. Wells *: adapted by Thomas E. Fuller?

Into the Labyrinth

Original horror and dark fantasy * All Hallows' Moon *: by Thomas E. Fuller * Ghost Dance & Armada Rising *: by Thomas E. Fuller * The Last Dragon to Avondale & Chronos Beach *: by Thomas E. Fuller * Special Order *: by Henry Lee Forest *: adapted by Daniel S. Taylor * A Case of Abuse *: by Ron N. Butler

H. P. Lovecraft

Stories by H. P. Lovecraft. * At the Mountains of Madness *: by H. P. Lovecraft *: adapted by Brad Strickland * The Call of C'thulhu *: by H. P. Lovecraft *: adapted by Ron N. Butler * The Color Out of Space *: by H. P. Lovecraft *: adapted by Ron N. Butler * The Dunwich Horror *: by H. P. Lovecraft *: adapted by Thomas E. Fuller * The Rats in the Walls *: by H. P. Lovecraft *: adapted by Brad Strickland * The Shadow Over Innsmouth *: by H. P. Lovecraft *: adapted by Gregory Nicoll

H. Beam Piper

* He Walked Around the Horses *: by H. Beam Piper *: adapted by Ron N. Butler * Omnilingual *: by H. Beam Piper *: adapted by Ron N. Butler * Time and Time Again *: by H. Beam Piper *: adapted by Ron N. Butler

Centauri Express

The first audio magazine. * Adventures on the Backroads of Time *: Terry Sanders and Clair Whitworth Kiernan * The Happy Man *: by Gerald W. Page * The Competitor *: by Brad Linaweaver *: adapted by William Alan Ritch

An ARTC Christmas

Christmas stories and other seasonal celebrations. * An Atlanta Christmas *: by Thomas E. Fuller *: adapted by Daniel S. Taylor

Aurora

Romance. * The Hoyden *: by Berta Platas * Kissed by a Stranger *: by Fiona Karanina Leonard

Live performances

Conventions

* 221B Con 2015 * AnachroCon 2011, 2013 * Antares 1995 * AtomiCon 1993 * Birmingham Radio Theater Workshop 2001 * Burroughs Dum-Dum 1994 * ConFederation 1986 * Costume-Con 2004 *

DeepSouthCon The DeepSouthCon (DSC) is an annual science fiction convention, which is hosted in different cities in the Southern United States. Site selection is by vote of the membership of a given DSC, for the convention to be held 2 years in the future. DS ...

1994, 1996 * DragonCon 1987-2015 * Friends of Old-Time Radio 1997 *

Gaylaxicon Gaylaxicon is a recurring science fiction, fantasy and horror convention that focused on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender topics. It has taken in various locations in the United States and occasionally Canada, often on the East Coast. Sta ...

2007 (in Atlanta) *

Libertarian Party of Georgia Founded in 1971, The Libertarian Party of Georgia is a state affiliate of the United States Libertarian Party. Executive committee The executive committe in 2017 consisted of four members. Candidates Notable candidates include John Monds's run ...

Convention 2001 * Heinlein Centential 2007 * LibertyCon 2005-2011 * NecronomiCon 1994-1998 * OASIS 1998-1999 * PhoenixCon 1993 *

2006 * Sci-Fi Summer 2001-2006 * Southeast Antique Radio Show 1998 *

TimeGate TimeGate is an Atlanta-based science fiction convention dedicated to ''Doctor Who'' and ''Stargate'' fandom, though general SF/F interests are also represented. History TimeGate began life as a one-day mini-con held March 26, 2005 at a local El ...

2006, 2008 * Under Construction 1994-1995 * World Fantasy Convention 1992 * World Horror Convention 1995, 1999

Theatres

* Cartersville Radio Theater 1994 *

Dad's Garage Theatre Company Dad's Garage Theatre Company, located at 569 Ezzard St. in the Old Fourth Ward in Atlanta, Georgia, was founded in 1995 by Chris Blair, Marc Cram, Sean Daniels, George Faughnan, John Gregorio, David Keeton, Joseph Limbaugh, Matt Stanton, and Matt Yo ...

2002 * Little Five Points Coffeehouse 1993-1994 * Stage Door Players 2006-2007 * Academy Theatre 008–present

Other Venues

* Atlanta Science Fiction Society 2002 * Callanwolde 1993 * Camp Willoway 2006 * Eddie's Attic 1997 *

Gwinnett Gwinnett County ( ) is located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. It forms part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. In 2020, the population was 957,062, making it the second-most populous county in Georgia (after Fulton C ...

History Museum 1999 * Props Restaurant 1994 *

2002–2005, 2007

Bookstores and Libraries

Atlanta Public Library Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 li ...

1995, 1996, 1997 * Barnes & Noble Bookstore 1995-2007 * Tut's Book Emporium 2006-2007

Schools

* DeKalb School of the Arts 2004 *

Parkview High School Parkview may refer to: Geography * Parkview, Indiana, an unincorporated community in Vigo County * Parkview, St. Louis, Missouri, a neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri, United States * Parkview (Edmonton), a neighborhood in Canada * Parkview, Gau ...

2000-2001 * Georgia Tech

DramaTech DramaTech Theatre is Georgia Tech's student-run theater. They are also home to Let's Try This! (the campus improv troupe). History Early history Georgia Tech first had a dramatic organization as early as 1913, when a student troupe later known ...

2000 * University of Georgia, Athens 1994

Special events

* Decatur Arts Festival 1996-2000 * Echo Lounge 2000 * Fellowship of Reason 2003 * Festival of Trees 2001 * Somber Reptile 2000

People

Writers

A list of writers whose work has been adapted for audio by ARTC. * Robert A. Heinlein *

L. Ron Hubbard Lafayette Ronald Hubbard (March 13, 1911 – January 24, 1986) was an American author, primarily of science fiction and fantasy stories, who is best known for having founded the Church of Scientology. In 1950, Hubbard authored '' Dianetic ...

* James P. Hogan * Rudyard Kipling * Katherine Kurtz *

* H. P. Lovecraft * Greg Nicoll * Gerald W. Page *

H. Beam Piper Henry Beam Piper (March 23, 1904 – ) was an American science fiction writer. He wrote many short stories and several novels. He is best known for his extensive Terro-Human Future History series of stories and a shorter series of "Paratime" alt ...

* Terry Pratchett *

* Mary Shelley * Robert Louis Stevenson *

Bram Stoker Abraham Stoker (8 November 1847 – 20 April 1912) was an Irish author who is celebrated for his 1897 Gothic horror novel '' Dracula''. During his lifetime, he was better known as the personal assistant of actor Sir Henry Irving and busine ...

* A. E. van Vogt * Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman * H. G. Wells

Celebrities

Celebrities who have acted on stage or in the studio with ARTC. * Matt Anderson *: DragonCon 2004 - "Rory Rammer, Space Marshal: Slaves of the Zombie-Tron" by Ron N. Butler * Robert Asprin *: LibertyCon 2005 * Michael Brady *: DragonCon (many, many years) *: Sci-Fi Summer * Peter David *: DragonCon 2001 - "Solution Unsatisfactory" by Robert A. Heinlein * John Rhys-Davies *: DragonCon 2001 - "Guards, Guards" by Terry Pratchett *

Harlan Ellison Harlan Jay Ellison (May 27, 1934 – June 28, 2018) was an American writer, known for his prolific and influential work in New Wave speculative fiction and for his outspoken, combative personality. Robert Bloch, the author of '' Psycho'' ...

*: DragonCon 1990 - "The Rats in the Walls" by H. P. Lovecraft *: DragonCon 1998 - "The Man Who Traveled in Elephants" by Robert A. Heinlein *: ... and in the studio production. *: DragonCon 2004 - "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" by H. P. Lovecraft * Lisa Getto *: Sci-Fi Summer, several years * Jonathan Harris *: DragonCon 1998 - "Rory Rammer, Space Marshal: The Cosmic Cycloplex" by Ron N. Butler * Richard Hatch *: DragonCon 2005 - "The Weapons Shop" by A. E. van Vogt * James Charles Leary *: DragonCon 2004 - * Tamara Morton *: DragonCon 2004 - "The Menace from Earth" by Robert A. Heinlein * Ted Raimi *: DragonCon 2000 - "Rory Rammer, Space Marshal: Queen of the Spaceways" by Ron N. Butler * Michael Sinelnikoff *: DragonCon 2000 - "Most Pierced Man" by Ron N. Butler * Jewel Staite *: DragonCon 2004 - "The Menace from Earth" by Robert A. Heinlein *

Claire Stansfield Claire Stansfield is a British-Canadian actress, director, fashion designer and former model who is best known for her recurring role as Alti in several episodes of the TV series '' Xena: Warrior Princess'' and guest-starring roles on ''Cybill'' ...

*: DragonCon 2000 - "Rory Rammer, Space Marshal: Queen of the Spaceways" by Ron N. Butler * Brinke Stevens *: NecronomiCon 1996 - "The Menace from Earth" by Robert A. Heinlein *: DragonCon 1998 - "The Man Who Traveled in Elephants" by Robert A. Heinlein *: The studio production of "A Real Babe" by Brad Linaweaver * Robert Trebor *: DragonCon 1999 - "Rory Rammer, Space Marshal: The Phantom Menace" by Ron N. Butler *

Alexandra Tydings Alexandra Huntingdon Tydings is an American actress, director, writer, producer, and activist, best known for her role as Greek goddess Aphrodite on the television series ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' and its spin-off, '' Xena: Warrior P ...

*: DragonCon 2000 - "Rory Rammer, Space Marshal: Queen of the Spaceways" by Ron N. Butler

Awards

2020 Norman Corwin Award given to The Atlanta Radio Theatre Company by the National Audio Theater Festivals for excellence in audio drama. Awards are given by the American Society For Science Fiction Audio for the best science fiction, fantasy, and horror audio dramas of the year. There are two awards: the Mark Time Awards for the best science fiction and the Ogle Awards for the best fantasy/horror. * 2004 Mark-Time Special Award - Best Adaptation *: "The Menace From Earth" by Robert A. Heinlein, *: adapted by William Alan Ritch * 1998 Ogle Silver Award *: "All Hallows Moon" by Thomas E. Fuller. * 1997 Mark-Time Special Award, Best Horror-Fantasy Production *: "The Brides of Dracula" by Thomas E. Fuller. * 1996 Mark-Time Silver Award *: "The Island of Dr. Moreau" by H. G. Wells *: adapted by Thomas E. Fuller.

External links

WPBA article

by Gary A. Witte
"Sound it out"
by Gary A. Witte

by John C. Snider

References

{{Authority control Theatre companies in Georgia (U.S. state) American radio dramas Performing groups established in 1984