Who: Santino Fontana, George Abud, Ali Ewoldt, Ted Koch, Susan Malloy, John-Andrew Morrison, Steven Ratazzi, Jay Russell
What: Keen Company all-star benefit audio drama
Where: Keen Company website
When: Thursday, June 10, pay-what-you-can ($1-$21), 7:00 (available through June 14 at 7:00)
Why: Keen Company concludes its excellent twenty-first season, chock-full of outstanding livestreamed programs, with the audio play Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar: The Clever Chemist Matter, one of 809 episodes starring insurance adjuster Johnny Dollar produced by CBS Radio from February 1942 to September 1962. Originally aired on March 17, 1957, Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar: The Clever Chemist Matter, written and directed by Jack Johnstone, involves murder and blinding after an insurance policy is changed. The title character was voiced by Bob Bailey; Dick Powell, Charles Russell, Edmond O’Brien, John Lund, Gerald Mohr, Bob Readick, and Mandel Kramer also played “the man with the action-packed expense account” in this popular series.
Keen’s forty-minute show will feature Tony, Drama Desk, and Obie winner Santino Fontana as Dollar; the supporting cast consists of George Abud, Ali Ewoldt, Ted Koch, Susan Malloy, John-Andrew Morrison, Steven Ratazzi, and Jay Russell. The play is directed by Keen artistic director Jonathan Silverstein, with live foley effects by Nick Abeel, original music by Billy Recce, and audio engineering by Garrett Schultz. “Throughout the past year, we have been revisiting some of the most iconic titles from the Golden Age of Radio through starry benefit broadcasts. For our last fundraising event of the series, we are thrilled to present one of the most successful serial mystery programs, Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar,” Silverstein said in a statement. “It’s been an utter pleasure and honor to delve into the fascinating history of radio drama while working alongside some of the best talents in the theater.” Keen’s previous “Hear/Now” audio broadcasts include Kate Cortesi’s Radio Nowhere, James Anthony Tyler’s All We Need Is Us, Pearl Cleage’s Digging in the Dark, Howard Koch’s War of the Worlds, and Lucille Fletcher’s Sorry, Wrong Number. The benefit reading will premiere June 10 at 7:00, followed by a live talkback with members of the cast and crew; the presentation will be available online through June 14 at 7:00.