On Halloween 70 years ago, grown men trembled in fear, people fainted and families headed for the hills; all as a result of the broadcasted radio drama, “War of the Worlds.”  It is estimated that more than a million people believed the radio drama to be a real broadcast of Martians invading Earth.  The Young Actors Co-op will be performing the radio drama this Halloween for your listening and watching pleasure. 

Complete with sound effects and 1930 outfits, the young actors will reenact the broadcast from the Mercury Theater. The Director, Rose McCutchan,  studied theater in New York City, and holds high standards for the child actors and its shows. The troup has played to rave reviews.  One viewer stated after one performance, “That was not just the best kids’ theater, but the best show I ever saw!”

Abraham “Wolf” Cherrix said, “It’s pretty amazing that just a small number of people in the Mercury Theater were able to believably create 24 characters and sound effects enough to scare millions of people across the United States!”  Coriander, one of the Young Actors said, “I was scared just reading the script!”

Coriander Woodruff is in charge of Sound Effects.  “It’s really cool trying to come up with believable sound effects. We have to think, what would a heat ray sound like?” Viewers will get to watch the sound effects being created on stage.  (In case you’re wondering, the burning heat ray is created with a combination of crackling cellophane to create a burning sound, and a marble spinning in a metal bowl to create the “ray” sound.)

Performances will be at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 31 and at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 1  at the Winter Sun Music Hall in Floyd, Va. A special gift will be given out to attendees who come in their Halloween costume on the Oct. 31 performance.

Tickets at the door are $6 for adults and $3 for children 13 and under.  Pre-sale tickets are $1 off at Black Water Loft and from any of the young actors. For more information, call 540.745.LOFT or check out the Young Actors MySpace page.