I am, like most of us now, a product of the television era, but I have heard many of the radio plays produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). I am very fond of radio plays. They have a rich quality of story-telling that I imagine is very like our ancestors enjoyed, when families gathered around an elder and listened to his or her descriptions of real or imagined events.
You don't need much.
So I had an idea some time ago when my kids were young, about 3 and 6 years old. I thought we could make a radio play. All we needed was a tape recorder, a story, and some imaginative sound effects. The tape recorder was available. The kids had lots of story books; it was just a matter of choosing one appropriate for their ages. We decided on Goldilocks and the Three Bears. We all participated as talent, technicians, and producers. I acted as director because I was the only one who had ever heard a radio play. I also narrated the story because I was the only one who could read well enough.
Everyone contributes to the production.
When it came to dialogue, we all took a part. I put on a higher voice for Goldilocks and a gruff voice for Papa bear. Adam, the 6 year old, was Mama bear and Paul, 3 years old, was Baby bear. We all rehearsed our lines and the ones who couldn't read had to memorize them.
For sound effects, which were a lot of fun, I encouraged the kids to use their imaginations. I remember telling them we need the sounds of a chair breaking. They ran upstairs and came back with armloads of plastic toys that they could drop onto the floor, as if something was crashing down. For Goldilocks going up and down stairs, we used the wooden basement stairs. They gave a nice getting-closer, going-farther clumping sound. We needed squeeky sounds for Goldilocks testing bed springs. Everyone helped.
The most difficult part was recording the entire production. I had to start, stop, rewind, and record over mistakes manually. I am sure there are better methods now with digital recorders.
The best parts.
The special aspect of making a radio play with kids is that they can contribute to all parts of the production. There was never a self-concious thought from anyone, I think because there was no camera viewing them.
You need to choose a story that fits your talent. Some kids might be able to write their own stories. The more ideas you explore, the more fun you'll have. And it's great to have a recording of your children's voices telling stories at various ages.
For more ideas and to get an excellent sense of this side of radio, see Writing for Radio and Radio Script Writing on Suite101.
Brad Bjorndahl - As a technical writer, my mantra is "clear, concise, correct".
