Ever mindful of its mission to engage and entertain our community, the Yavapai College Performing Arts Center is reviving the golden days of radio with the YC Radio Players, Arizona performers streaming classic tales at YCPAC.com.

“Like so many of us, I’ve been sitting in a whole lot of Zoom meetings,” said Helen Stephenson. The remote-meeting software inspired Stephenson, YCPAC’s Managing Director, to an idea: “What if we could merge Zoom and radio plays? I asked our technical director, Mitchell Pietz, if he thought it would work.” He did, and the idea offered a rare opportunity to share local talent during the pandemic. “I wanted to find a way to keep our audiences engaged with YCPAC and give the talented actors, in the county and the state, an outlet for their creative energy.”

The series streams on Vimeo.com, with individual show links available free. Episodes are available on the first Friday of each month at 5:30pm through 8pm the following Sunday. Encores will stream on the third weekend of each month (again, 5:30pm Friday through 8pm Sunday).

The one-hour plays evoke a different era of storytelling, when the radio was the family entertainment center and kids and parents would gather around for tales long on plot, thick with suspense and vivid with imagery that played out in the listener’s mind.

The initial season began in February with an adaptation of The Looking Glass by EdithWharton. Currently scheduled:‍

• The Thinking Machine: The Problem of Cell 13 — A brilliant professor, locked up on Death Row, has only his wits to free him. From the 1905 short story by Jacques Futrelle. (March 5-7, encore March 19-21)
• The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg — A mysterious benefactor, a devout community and a bag of gold coins collide in Mark Twain’s short story. (April 2-4, encore April 16-18)‍
• Alice in Covidland – This time Lewis Carroll’s heroine falls through the Looking Glass into a world all too familiar. (May 7-9, encore May 21-23)

Produced by Managing Director Helen Stephenson and the PAC Operations Team, the YC Radio Players are part of YCPAC’s commitment to celebrate local artists and provide accessible entertainment to the community during the pandemic.

Access the shows via the Vimeo link on YCPAC.com. For more information contact the box office at 928-776-2000.