Time Warp (radio)

Time Warp is a radio program from the American radio anthology series "Radio Tales". The anthology series adapted classic works of American and world literature for the radio. The series was a recipient of numerous awards, including four Gracie Allen Awards from the Foundation of American Women in Radio and Television (in 2004, [ [http://www.awrt.org/press-releases/2004/Press_Release_%20Announce_Winners.pdf "AWRT Press Release"] AWRT.org. Accessed March 21, 2008.] 2003, [ [http://www.npr.org/about/press/030402.gracie.html "NPR Productions Win Gracie Allen Awards"] NPR.org. Accessed March 21, 2008.] 2001, [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20011126020253/www.awrt.org/awards/2000GracieWinners.html "2001 Gracie Allen Award Winners"] AWRT.org, as indexed by the Internet Archive at Archive.org. Accessed March 21, 2008.] and 1998), a New York Festivals WorldMedal, [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20050207122048/http://www.newyorkfestivals.com/res/pdf/2004RPwinners.pdf "2004 Winners, Radio Programming and Promotion, New York Festivals"] NewYorkFestivals.com, as indexed by the Internet Archive at Archive.org. Accessed March 21, 2008.] and a Golden Reel Merit Award. [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20010802161539/www.nfcb.org/2001reelsinfo.html "NFCB Announces 2001 Golden Reel Award Winners"] NFCB.org, as indexed by the Internet Archive at Archive.org. Accessed March 21, 2008.] The “Time Warp" program from the Radio Tales series was an adaptation of the classic short story “The New Accelerator” by H. G. Wells.

Broadcast History

The Radio Tales production of “Time Warp” was first broadcast via NPR on August 7, 2001 [National Public Radio: "NPR Quarterly Edition Summer 2001". NPR Marketing, Vol. VII, No. III] . The program encompassed one half-hour installment that was distributed to NPR member stations as part of the NPR Playhouse cultural series. Since November 28th, 2002, the entire Radio Tales series has aired in reruns on the Sonic Theater channel (163) of the XM Satellite Radio service [ [http://www.xmradio.com/onxm/features/sonictheater.xmc "Sonic Theater"] XMRadio.com. Accessed May 22, 2008.] . The “Asteroid” program debuted on the Sonic Theater channel on July 5, 2003.

Production Information

The program was produced and script edited by series producer Winnie Waldron, who also served as the on-air host [ [http://www.winifredphillips.com/wp_bio.html "Winifred Phillips Official Site: Biography"] Winifredphillips.com. Accessed May 19, 2008.] . Composer Winifred Phillips created over twenty-eight minutes of music for the program, and also performed as the featured actress [ [http://www.mninter.net/~jstearns/nprPH.html#top "NPR Playhouse - January - March, 2001"] MNinter.net. Accessed March 21, 2008.] . “Asteroid” was part of the sixth year of Radio Tales on NPR Playhouse [National Public Radio: "NPR Quarterly Edition Summer 2001". NPR Marketing, Vol. VII, No. III] .

Opening narration

Plot Summary

The unnamed narrator is a friend and neighbor to a renowned chemist who pays a visit in order to deliver some astonishing news – he has discovered a way to warp time. Following him to his house, the narrator is shown a vial of liquid which (according to the chemist) has the ability to radically accelerate all the body’s systems. With one’s physical processes sped up, time seems to slow down to a near-stop, at least from a subjective point-of-view. The chemist dares the narrator to try the potion with him, and the two friends drink a dose each of the ‘accelerator’.

The first change the narrator notices is that the curtains of the window have frozen in place, with their corners lifted in mid-flutter. The chemist lets go of his empty vial in midair, but the vial simply hangs suspended. Through the window, the narrator sees a bicyclist balanced motionless on the street outside. The two agree to go exploring, and climb out the window.

They observe many people and vehicles outside, all frozen in place as though time had stopped dead. They have some fun making faces at the oblivious figures, and then they move on to the center of town. A band plays in the park, and many people sit on benches with attitudes that suggest they are exposed to a stiff breeze, which the narrator and chemist do not feel. The narrator enjoys the sensation of power, but the chemist is distracted by the sight of a little dog carried by an old woman – the animal has kept him up at night with its barking. Impetuously, the chemist grabs the dog and starts running towards the woods, as if to leave it there. The narrator warns the chemist in a shout that running will cause his clothes to catch on fire, and the chemist stops – he has noticed that the people in the park are beginning to move. The chemist’s ‘Accelerator’ potion is wearing off. The chemist hurls the little dog away from himself and high into the air just in time as the potion completely loses its effect.

Fortunately, the spectacle of a lap dog falling from the sky and through someone's umbrella effectively distracts everyone from noticing that two people have suddenly appeared out of nowhere a short distance away. With the astonishment and uproar masking their retreat, the chemist and the narrator return home. The narrator ends the story by describing the chemist’s plans to make his potion available to the public, which gives the narrator cause to wonder if the ‘genie has been let out of the bottle’.

References

External Links

* [http://www.radiotales.com/ The Official Radio Tales® Web Site]
* [http://www.audioville.co.uk/store/view_productcategory.php?Id=59 Radio Tales® Streaming Audio Samples on AudioVille]
* [http://www.xmradio.com/onxm/channelpage.xmc?ch=163 XM Satellite Radio – Information on the Sonic Theater Channel]