The Columbia Workshop was an high-art radio show that aired from 1936 to 1957. The show’s creator was Irving Reis, who once worked as a radio director, as well as a sound engineer. Columbia Workshop was sort of like Reis’ experiment, since he wanted to focus on using different sound effects to bring his show to life, as opposed to other radio shows which he believes have overused popular celebrities. Hundreds of different sound effects were used for the show.
The show’s first director was William Robson, and his first show was Alice in Wonderland. Unlike Reis, Robson focused more on the brilliant acting of the characters and less on the sound effects. Then, in 1941, Norman Corwin took over and made the show more social (and political), as he focused more on delivering the day's newsworthy happenings.Most of the episodes presented, nevertheless, were derived from the work of classical authors such as Edgar Allan Poe, William Shakespeare, Lewis Carroll, and more. Although quite serious in theme, Columbia Workshop was well-received by the listeners, and the fact that it lasted for over two decades is an excellent proof to that.
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Please enjoy these 332 old time radio episodes:
| Air Date | Title | Synopsis | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05.16.1937 | columbia workshop (039) paul revere |
+ The first original radio drama by Stephen Vincent Benet. A very well-done and different look at th... | |
| 05.09.1937 | columbia workshop (038) supply and demand |
+ Dramatized by the Actor's Repertory Company. A well-done economic treatise told by the device of a... | |
| 05.02.1937 | columbia workshop (037) drums of the conscience |
+ A story based on the old Negro belief of "fear transference." A poor ignorant Negro believes that ... | |
| 04.25.1937 | columbia workshop (036) saint louis blues |
+The first play written for radio about radio. A very well-done production, considered the most ofte... | |
| 04.18.1937 | columbia workshop (035) r u r |
+The early science-fiction classic about robots who take over the world. | |
| 04.11.1937 | columbia workshop (034) the fall of the city |
+When a conqueror approaches, the inhabitants of "The City" fall victim to their own human frailties... | |
| 04.04.1937 | columbia workshop (033) big ben crisis |
+ Written by students of radio writing at New York University. An experimental story about two prank... | |
| 03.28.1937 | columbia workshop (032) the eve of st. agnes |
+A verse story about a beautiful maiden and her lover, who hides in her bedroom closet on a certain ... | |
| 03.21.1937 | columbia workshop (031) danse macabre |
+ An extremely well-written and performed production about "Death Incarnate" visiting the world and ... | |
| 03.14.1937 | columbia workshop (030) split seconds |
+A plotless story experimenting with the thoughts running through the mind of an author jaded with t... | |
| 02.13.1937 | columbia workshop (028) pitch perception |
+Dr. Steinberg of the Bell Telephone Labs demonstrates some interesting properties of the oldest aud... | |
| 02.06.1937 | columbia workshop (027) rime of the ancient mariner |
+The famous narrative poem of the mocking sailor and his all-too-hasty crossbow. | |
| 01.23.1937 | columbia workshop (025) the signalman | ||
| 01.09.1937 | columbia workshop (023) control engineer voyage to lilliput |
+A demonstration of how the engineer in the control room can make or break a radio show by his mixin... | |
| 01.02.1937 | columbia workshop (022) public domain |
+A philosophical dialogue carried out in an imaginary land called, "The Public Domain" (a place free... | |
| 12.26.1936 | columbia workshop (021) the happy prince |
+A statue and his pal, a swallow, perform good deeds from their pedestal in the marketplace. | |
| 12.19.1936 | columbia workshop (020) the gods of the mountain |
+A strange tale about seven beggars who find an easy way to obtain plentiful food and drink, but who... | |
| 12.05.1936 | columbia workshop (020) rhythm of the jute mill |
+A slightly mad composer is sent to prison for life when he murders a moneylender who won't let him ... | |
| 11.28.1936 | columbia workshop (018) patent system |
+ A history of the U. S. Patent system and some of the great inventions it fostered. Also, a very pr... | |
| 11.21.1936 | columbia workshop (018) electrical demonstration two hundred were chosen |
+A program dedicated to "the scientists, research workers and engineers of the electrical industry, ... | |
| 11.14.1936 | columbia workshop (016) hamlet part 2 |
+ The conclusion of the play, continued from the broadcast of September 14, 1936 (see cat. #42510). ... | |
| 11.07.1936 | columbia workshop (016) scoring for radio (vocabulary of music) |
+A music program with an introduction and commentary by Deems Taylor. Music by Debussy and Bizet. Ex... | |
| 10.17.1936 | columbia workshop (014) dauber |
+The story of a young artist who only wants to paint the sea, and his experiences aboard a sailing s... | |
| 09.26.1936 | columbia workshop (011) the dream makers |
+An experimental drama that comes off quite well. The little men who make you dream at night make th... | |
| 09.19.1936 | columbia workshop (009) hamlet |
+ Acts one and two as produced, directed, introduced, and starring Orson Welles. Concluded on cat. #... |
COLUMBIA RADIO WORKSHOP
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