Practice makes perfect, even for the Lone Ranger

One year after it began, Sun City’s Vintage Voices is still producing successful radio plays of the 1930-1960s.

Janette Dennis, currently director of a familiar series, said, “Radio gives us an opportunity to correct a mistake. It produces a seamless perfect dialogue.”

The talent behind the unique Vintage Voices. (Photo by Christine Such/Sun Day)

But it still takes a lot of practice. At the Dennis’ home, the radio production went through several dry runs. Dennis’s role as the director is to “Create content and manage the whole radio production process. We pretend we are at the radio studio. This was our sixth run through,” she said.

Details, such as what microphone each actor should use, are important to smoothly transition between characters.

At the station, the first task Dennis undertakes is “Recording sound effects that will be planted in later.”

Helping with that process is a familiar name for Sun Day readers, Jim Eggers, who has a critical role in the station. He is the station engineer managing the control panel; an important place in the radio broadcast.

Eggers shared, “I do have a degree in engineering which helped.”

Sounds are recorded and the show begins. Ed Dennis’ booming voices starts the introduction for the episode: “In the early days of the western United States, a masked man and an Indian rode the plains, searching for truth and justice. Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear, when from out of the past come the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse Silver! The Lone Ranger rides again.”

Tune in every Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. and Sunday at 11 a.m. to hear the familiar cry High HO Silver. Coming soon presented by the Vintage voices is Annie Get your Gun.

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