Maine-based Fred Greenhalgh has been a longtime friend of the National Audio Theatre Festivals; he is one of the most vocal supporters of its mission, and of audio theatre itself. You can hear his WMPG-supported radio series and podcast Radio Drama Revival at www.radiodramarevival.com each week, which showcases the best in modern audio drama from both the masters and the new generation.
Well, Fred has his own company, FinalRune Productions. Recently Fred undertook an exciting new project with FinalRune: the audio adaptation of Archer Mayer’s detective novel Open Season. Fred has recorded the piece a la Roger Gregg and Crazy Dog Audio: on location (in Vermont)! When the script called for snow, his actors (including our very own Bill Dufris) walked on honest-to-goodness snow. And wouldn’t you know it, his adventures in on-site recording have reached the pages of The Wall Street Journal. Here’s the article, which also features Sue Zizza: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704240004575085313479028540.html
NATF Board member Marideth Sisco of West Plains, MO, is finding that the “15 minutes of fame” foretold by Andy Warhol can take on a life of its own if you’re attached to a project that’s getting international recognition.
Sisco is the featured singer and music consultant on the Debra Granik indie hit Winter’s Bone, which recently took top honors at the Sundance Film Festival (Best Dramatic Cinema, Best Dramatic Screenplay) and went on to gather more applause (and prizes: Taggespiegel Readers’ Choice award and Best Forum Film from the International Confederation of Art House Cinemas) at the Berlinale (Berlin International Film Festival).
The film is an adaptation of Daniel Woodrell’s splendidly gritty novel of the same name. Sisco’s vocals are all over the film, from the opening scenes to the outro under the credits, including a picking session about a third of the way through, and have come to be strongly identified with the film. You can catch a glimpse at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-xangQaLTg.
Marideth said she had no idea the music or the film were going to get such recognition, and is now trying to respond to the increasing demand for more of her music. She’s currently hard at work producing song clips for iTunes as well as a CD with her band, the Davis Creek Rounders. The film soundtrack will be released in June, when the film is scheduled for general release.
