The WGTD Radio Theater, now in its 16th season of live original radio theater broadcasts, has once again been recognized by the national Hear Now: The Audio Fiction and Arts Festival and the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association.
Group wins national awards
WGTD is the only radio theater in the country to receive five awards from HEAR Now. One Silver Medal was awarded to their entire 15th season of “Detective Stories and Who Dun-Its’?”, written and produced by Steven Brown and Mike Ullstrup and directed by Viki DuMez and Rene Bushelle.
Three more Silver Medals were awarded to “Hercule Poirot: Murder on the Mounds,” “The Kane Shadow: Send in the Clowns” and “The 2019 Holiday Show Extravaganza: Starring Dean Martin,” which was performed in front of a live audience at the Kenosha Southwest Neighborhood Library as well as Lake Lawn Resort in Delavan. Additionally, “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: The Murder of Professor Jeremy Clarkson” won a Bronze Medal.
These awards were presented at an online ceremony in Kansas City on June 14.
“Winning these five national awards from such a prestigious organization only exemplifies the incredible efforts of all of the wonderful actors who are members of The 91.1 Players,” said Brown. “They make the words that Mike Ullstrup and I write come alive.”
Cast members of the 2019 Season included Rene Bushelle, Viki DuMez, Steven Brown, Mike Bavido, Siegfried Christoph, Todd Eaves, Brett Houdek, Susan Lien, Larry Rowe, Joe Van Hulle, Kathy Zuhlke, Jill Jensen, Gary Lien, Andrew Potter, Ann-Marie Schmid, Cameron Spencer, Peyton Spencer, and Carol Knudson. The production staff included Steven Brown, Mike Ullstrup, Barb Tylla, Chuck and Dave Janzer and David Cole.
Theater wins state awards, too
Alongside their national awards, The WGTD Radio Theater also won two state awards from the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association. Their entire 15th Season of “Detective Stories and Who Dun-Its’?” placed second for Best Original Feature, and “The 2019 Holiday Show Extravaganza: Starring Dean Martin” also placed second for Best Use of Audio.
“The WGTD Radio Theater would not be where it is today without the support from Gateway’s President Bryan Albrecht, our manager David Cole, our talented actors and staff members, and the community,” said Steven Brown.
The award-winning programs can be heard on the Hear Now Festival website under Podcast Palooza 2020:
https://www.hearnowfestival.org/podcastpalooza2020.html.
