CD: Not From Space

Home: Australia, Singapore, and the US

Style: Audio Theater

Quote: "I'm always on the prowl for GOOD audio theater productions. . . so I was in for a great treat when I heard Not From Space."

By Erik Deckers

Intro/general thoughts: As a fan of, and writer for, audio theater, I'm always on the prowl for GOOD audio theater productions -- something that's not always easy to find in the US. So, I was in for a great treat when I heard Borgus Production's self-described audio movie, "Not From Space."

"Not From Space" is a 108 minute radio play, performed as a "day in the life" at a worldwide radio network. On the network's first day, a 10,000 year old Martian civilization is discovered at Earth's South Pole, someone tries to kill Bill Gates, and a -- literally -- earth-shattering showdown takes place between the aforementioned Gates, and radio station owner, Jim Thomas.

Type of Music: Audio theater

Notable: Two note-worthy items. First, "Not From Space" won a Silver Mark Time "Best Sci-Fi on the Planet" Award in 2003. This is like winning an Oscar in the audio theater world.

Second, rather than getting actors and sound effects artists together in the studio, the actors recorded their lines onto their computer and emailed the mp3 files to Borgus, where they were cut and arranged into the finished product. While remote reading is not a reliable technique in audio theater -- the actors need to play off one another for appropriate responses -- it worked perfectly for this type of production. Remote newscasts, phone conversations, and even play-by-play baseball games all sounded authentic because of it

Highs: Whether intentional or not, I loved Jim Thomas' bumbling and uh-oh-I'm-in-over-my-head portrayal as he took over the broadcast duties on his own station. I've heard the same uncertain quaver in real radio station managers and owners who made the mistake of entering the booth, and Thomas' portrayal was dead on.

Lows: I found myself getting extremely frustrated as I listened to countless commercials, gratuitous underwriter spots, and a God-awful amount of "this segment sponsored by" messages. I wanted to turn the damn thing off more than once, until I realized Borgus' trick: to give us a glimpse of what commercial radio will sound like in the next five to ten years. As a result, Not From Space reminded me why I quit listening to commercial radio in the first place, and switched over to satellite radio and buying CDs from indie artists.

Fans: If you're a fan of old-time radio theater, science fiction, or even audiobooks, then "Not From Space" is something you'll enjoy.

Foes: If you're too visually-oriented to tear yourself away from the TV, then Not From Space is Not For You.

Summary: The great thing about audio theater is that it's the theater of the mind. Rather than relying on a producer and director to tell what the actors and scenes should look like, audio theater leaves that up to your own imagination. And Not From Space will push your imagination to its fullest potential. It's definitely worth more than the $14.95 price. Rather than spending that money on a night at the movies, a DVD, or an audiobook, get something that combines all three into one easy-to-use package.

http://www.borgus.com