About Soundstage:
Soundstage group photo, September 2022.
Soundstage is a student club at Canyon Creek Middle School, part of the Club 8 enrichment series that provides cultural, artistic, musical, academic, social, and hands-on learning opportunities for students to expand on the learning during the school day. Soundstage is directed by Diana Larson. Soundstage produces music and visual media that let students explore performance, storytelling, and creative expression, supported by industry professionals who volunteer their time. Club 8 is an after school enrichment funded by the Washougal EP&O Levy, thanks to generous voter support.
Previous productions: Sleepy Hollow and The Headless Horseman
Enjoy a radio play experience of this Halloween classic on October 28, 29 and 30, 2022. The online presentation is free of charge. Learn about the tale of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman through the voices of middle school students at Canyon Creek Middle School.
Previous productions: Those Fabulous 50’s
Jemtegaard Middle School and Soundstage present, Those Fabulous 50’s, a comedy set in the 1950s. Members of Soundstage, the JMS Club 8 after school program, will perform songs, dances, and monologues from the 1950s, with music and costumes that will take you back in time.
Admission for this event is free, and attendees are invited to wear their favorite 1950s outfit to complete the atmosphere. The show starts at 6:30 PM, at Jemtegaard Middle School, 35300 SE Evergreen Hwy, Washougal, WA. Contact Soundstage advisor Diana Larson with questions by email at diana.larson@washougalsd.org
About Soundstage
Soundstage is a JMS Club 8 arts enrichment program directed by Washougal native, Diana Larson. Athletics, clubs, and visual and performing arts events like this one are funded by the Washougal School Levy. A generous grant from the Washougal Schools Foundation provided support for this Soundstage production.
Previous productions: It’s a Wonderful Life
Jemtegaard Soundstage Club’s performance of It’s a Wonderful Life, a Radio Play, was available on the WSD website here from December 10 through 11. The play, voiced by student actors, was available as both an audio and video segment for listeners to enjoy.
Following up on the success of the 2020 radio plays Inspector Rufflethorpe: The Twitshyre Murder Case and Life’s Little Ups and Downs, Jemtegaard Soundstage Club produced a performance of It’s a Wonderful Life, a Radio Play.
Live streaming was limited to December 10 & 11, with many people gather family and some popcorn, to tune in for this wonderful holiday performance.
Jemtegaard Soundstage Club’s production of Inspector Rufflethorpe: The Twitshyre Murder Case andLife’s Little Ups and Downs.
The two plays, which run about 30 minutes each, were available only on March 24 through March 27 on the WSD website.
- Inspector Rufflethorpe: The Twitshyre Murder Case is an exciting British detective story.
- Life’s Little Ups and Downs, is told in the style of a 1950’s soap opera.
Both original radio dramas were written by Anthony E. Palermo.
Washougal School District was proud to premiere the Jemtegaard Soundstage Club’s production of “A Christmas Carol – A Radio Play” by Charles Dickens.
Available only December 4th and 5th only, this holiday performance was a hit. The classic tale was told by voices of Jemtegaard Middle School Soundstage students, staff, and volunteers!
About the production:
The eerie sound of chains rattling, footsteps across a wooden floor, actors voicing character dialog and a healthy dose of imagination. These are just some of the elements that will bring “Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol – A Radio Play” to life by the Jemtegaard Middle School Soundstage students and staff.
In order to be able to perform in spite of the current COVID restrictions, the group decided to perform a radio play this fall. “We found that there were a lot of radio show scripts out this year,” said Diana Larson, Soundstage creator and advisor. “We were excited to find this classic holiday story and it even came with sound effects. We decided to do it!”
Soundstage club members were ready for the challenge, having met over the summer with upwards of 20 students attending the weekly sessions. Advisor Diana Larson used her connections with actors, singers, and dancers from New York through her years in vocal training to connect her students on Zoom to professionals in the entertainment industry. “We had online dance instruction, sing-a-longs, monolog sessions and even had a very special guest, Juliana Conte, a singer/dancer who has appeared in New York in Spring Awakening and the Adams Family,” she said. John Armor, Shakespearean actor and stage combat choreographer for Portland Opera and other theater companies, also provided virtual lessons over the summer.
The radio show was cast via virtual auditions in October. “The great thing for students is that no one has to work to memorize the lines,” said Larson. “They will read them as their character. There will be no visuals, just the listeners’ imagination.”
Rounding out the cast will be several notable special guests. John Hugill, a local Portland actor, will anchor the show and perform the lead role of Ebenezer Scrooge. JMS principal, David Cooke, will read the part of Bob Cratchit and WSD Superintendent Mary Templeton will voice Mrs. Cratchit. Other JMS staff participating include History teachers Scott Rainey and Scott Hoisington.
Each actor recorded their part via Zoom, and then it was professionally edited together, with sound effects, for the final product. Sound engineer, Vic Sorisio, is doing the recording and editing, as well as coaching the students to understand how they need to sit and speak during their recording for the best sound quality.
Recordings took place November 2 and 5 and the show wasavailable online on the Washougal School District website on December 4 & 5 only.
