When radio plays were popular, broadcasts utilized a variety of means to
create sound effects, including closing the lid of a piano to replicate a door or
hitting the side of a drum for a gunshot. As Kelly Lazenby knows, some are
more challenging than others, citing the sound of breaking glass as one of the
more difficult ones.

But that won’t stop Lazenby, the Artistic Director of the Nutz-n-Boltz Theater
Company (NNB), and other performers from taking the stage and bringing to
life radio plays and more for the theater’s January fundraiser, “Live on Stage:
an Evening of Radio,” on the final weekend in January.

“It’s just going to be a fun evening,” Lazenby said.

Some of the selected titles for the evening include “Dragnet,” “The Life of
Riley,” “My Favorite Husband” and something in the superhero genre. The
performance will include plenty of special effects and musical jingles from the
time when radio plays were a phenomenon.

“We don’t have the capability of breaking glass sound, but we can pretty
much recreate other things,” Lazenby said, adding that a modern digital
sound system helps with a number of other challenging sounds, such as a car
driving up.

She noted that one year the theater performed “Slurp! Goes the Amoeba,”
which featured cast members gurgling from a cup of water.

“It sounded pretty good on the microphone,” Lazenby said.

The evening will also feature live music from the era played by Kyle Lewis.
Lazenby noted that the proceeds from the fundraiser will be used to upgrade
the restrooms at the theater’s home, the Boring Grange. She noted that paint
and new sinks are high on the priority list.

“Whatever money we have will be put towards that,” Lazenby said.

NNB presents “Live on Stage: An Evening of Radio,” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan.
27 and Saturday, Jan. 28, and a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Jan. 29, at the
Boring Grange, 27861 Grange Street in Boring. Tickets are $12. For more
information, or to make reservations, call 503-593-1295 or visit
nnbtheater.com.

There is no Readers Theatre Gresham performance for January, the next
reading will take place Monday, Feb. 6.