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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09.12.1936 | columbia workshop (008) voyage to brobdingnag |
+ An experimental drama, based on "Gulliver's Travels," using experimental techniques. The program u... | |
| 09.05.1936 | columbia workshop (007) the san quentin broadcast |
+A dramatization about how a dramatization was broadcast only two and a half hours after the story b... | |
| 08.22.1936 | columbia workshop (006) there must be something else |
+ "An interesting experiment into the magic of radio," includes a technical demonstration with the "... | |
| 08.15.1936 | columbia workshop (005) case history |
+An experimental drama about a pilot on the brink of death. A tour of a strange airport on the edge ... | |
| 08.08.1936 | columbia workshop (004) experiment highway incident |
+ A twisted look at rudimentary E.S.P. and a typical period-piece of crime and justice's retribution... | |
| 08.01.1936 | columbia workshop (003) cartwheel |
+ A short play considered to be one of the best experimental dramas written for radio. It contains 2... | |
| 07.25.1936 | columbia workshop (002) broadway evening |
+A really GREAT show, "dedicated to the magic of radio." An "ear impression" of a night in the life ... |
COLUMBIA RADIO WORKSHOP
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