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The Naples Players Radio Theatre

The Naples Players Radio Theatre

By: Reprised versions of vintage 1930s 40s and 50s radio programs
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 The Naples Players' Radio Theatre reprises the old radio plays of the 1940's and 50s. Enriched by the addition of sound effects and music, this series of plays brings the fun and excitement of theatre into your own home.All rights reserved Art
Episodes
  • The Trial

    The Trial
    Aug 4 2025
    Franz Kafka’s "The Trial (Der Prozess)" is one of the most haunting and influential novels of the 20th century. Kafka began writing The Trial during the early years of World War I (1914–1915 )but never completed it. Instead he left a series of fragmented chapters which were transcribed in loose-leaf notebooks, leaving no clear instructions on the novel’s structure. Kafka died in 1924 having never published the novel. In his will, he asked his friend Max Brod to burn all his unpublished manuscripts but fortunately Brod famously ignored this request and published The Trial in 1925. As a German-speaking Jew in Prague under the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Kafka experienced cultural marginalization. He worked as a legal clerk at the Workers’ Accident Insurance Institute in Prague which exposed him to the cold machinery of bureaucracy which seems to underpin the nightmarish, opaque legal system in "The Trial." In his youth, Kafka had a fraught relationship with his father, and he often felt overwhelmed by guilt and inadequacy, even when he had done nothing wrong. His feelings of guilt without cause and punishment without explanation, embodied his protagonist of the novel, Josef K. In fact his protagonist mirrored his feelings of being trapped in a world he could not understand or influence. Arguably more than ever, Kafka’s novel has become a prophetic mirror for modern society in that modern citizens often face labyrinthine institutions, where decisions are made behind closed doors. Think: immigration systems, corporate algorithms, or opaque AI models — where outcomes feel arbitrary and unchallengeable. The term “Kafkaesque” has entered our lexicon to describe situations where people are caught in absurd, illogical, and powerless scenarios. Today we hear or read about people facing indefinite detention, show trials, or automated decision-making systems that deny appeals. In The Trial, Josef K. is told he’s guilty but never told why. This loss of individual agency is often reflected today in many situations where people are denied loans, benefits, or parole based on data-driven decisions with no transparency and we have heard or witnessed whistleblowers, journalists, and activists often facing persecution without clear legal recourse. Kafka’s world foreshadows regimes that operate via endless process rather than justice and it can be argued that our own government weaponizes laws to suppress dissent, making The Trial feel eerily current.
    This Naples Players Radio Theatre production features the vocal talents of Vic Caroli, Danny Miller, Pat Ashton, Kip Jones, James Corsica, Judy Scribner, Mike Santos, and Michael Troop . This audio file was recorded, mixed and mastered by Michael Troop. All music and sound effects were obtained through a special license from pond5.com and may not be copied or reproduced for any reason.
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    33 mins
  • Whistler_Urge to Kill

    Whistler_Urge to Kill
    Aug 1 2025
    The Whistler was the most popular radio show that most of America never heard. Yet it was one of the most enduring and well-loved mystery programs of its era, known for its eerie narration, suspenseful storytelling, and unexpected twist endings. It first appeared as a sustaining program on the CBS Pacific Coast network on May 16, 1942 and ran to September 22, 1955. Much of its 13 year run was confined to the eight station CBS Pacific Coast network and selected affiliates in the network’s regional group of nine Mountain zone stations. Yet, millions could recognize the program’s haunting 13-note theme and its famous opening line, “I am the Whistler… and I know many things, for I walk by night…” The program’s iconic narrator, known as “The Whistler,” was an omniscient, ghostly figure who observed the fates of the characters but never directly intervened. Like The Shadow’s first personification a dozen years earlier, Inner Sanctum’s ghostly Raymond in 1941 and The Mysterious Traveler in 1943, The Whistler stood outside the stories he narrated. But unlike the others, he used a unique second-person, present tense technique as if to talk directly with the central character of his stories - often an innocent drawn into the plot by circumstances or an amateur driven to murder as a last resort. Most episodes followed a crime or psychological thriller format, often focusing on flawed protagonists whose own misdeeds or weaknesses led to their downfall. Its storytelling style influenced TV anthologies such as Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955–1965) and The Twilight Zone (1959–1964), both of which shared The Whistler’s love for ironic justice and surprise endings. This Naples Players Radio Theatre production features the vocal talents Jim Corsica, Carole Fenstermacher, Kimberly Albrecht, Vic Caroli, and Michael Troop . This audio file was recorded, mixed and mastered by Michael Troop. All music and sound effects were obtained through a special license from pond5.com and may not be copied or reproduced for any reason.-->
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    39 mins
  • Take a Letter, Darling

    Take a Letter, Darling
    Jul 3 2025
    "Take a Letter, Darling" is a comedic story centered around the professional and personal dynamics between MacGregor, a sharp and confident advertising executive, and Tom Verney, her newly hired personal secretary. The play is a lighthearted exploration of love, ambition, and the complexities of human relationships. MacGregor hires Tom for unconventional duties, including posing as her fiancé to reassure a jealous client’s wife and help secure business deals. Despite initial friction and Tom's reluctance to take the job seriously, their interactions evolve into a mix of witty banter, jealousy, and romantic tension. MacGregor, who prides herself on being emotionally detached, finds herself unexpectedly drawn to Tom, while he struggles with his own feelings for her. This production features the vocal talents of Jesse Hughes, Amy Hughes , Lynne Young, Kip Jones, and Michael Troop
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    31 mins
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