One of the projects I have alluded to on this blog but haven't much spoken about is geared toward the interest of the old-style radio show format of dramatic presentation. I have always been fascinated by the in-the-ear only form of telling a story. It is most like the classic origins of storytelling, without the campfire smoke watering your eyes while you listen. I always thought it was a shame that just as the medium of radio drama was coming into its own, finding its unique voice, the rush of war and competition from films and especially television did it in as an art form. There have been, here and there, attempts at revivals of the old stories and story telling and whenever I would find an example my inner audience would smile a bit more wondering, "What if?"

Lamenting this untimely demise in a medium of expression recently at a group of screenwriters meeting I somewhat regularly attend I was struck by how popular that aural art form was amongst the others at the table. With a little more inquiry I found quite a few people from all walks of life that have found enjoyment from whenever they stumbled across a rebroadcast or re-enactment of an old radio show. There is still life in the medium yet.

So, I set about to create a venue to explore just how precious and unique the aural only medium can be. But this effort would not be one to dredge up old radio plays with their quaint, but, out-dated settings and dilemmas and try to re-stage them. No, I wanted to try to tell new stories using the radio-like form but using all of the modern techniques and technologies that are at our disposal to really explore the medium's potential.

I feel the time is ripe. With the advent of MP3 players dangling from nearly every ear, the popularity of books-on-tape and the ubiquity of the internet as a delivery medium, the limitations and cost prohibitions of the old forms of radio communication can be avoided and new ideas can take flight. Theater of the mind,  the world's most expensive special effects, the absense of limitations of time, space, populace, anything, really- all of these factors call to the unique character of a story that lives only in the imagination of the listener who hears the sounds. The potentials are ripe for exploration.

And so humbly, and a bit naively, I have set out to create a forum for audio theater. I have just recently completed the first stages of production. I have, as of yesterday, put up the web site where I hope the progress- and eventually the product of our efforts- can be seen. You can visit us and watch our evolution at ServedWithaTwist.com.

So I hope you can forgive me for not putting as much time in on the blog as I would have usually. Getting this project off the ground continues to take more time than I expected, but, I am thoroughly pleased with the results so far. I hope you will be too. Once I get the groundwork laid, I hope to be able to return to my nearly daily blogging here. I thank you for your patience while I am distracted.

In the mean time, keep listening...

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