Writing Scripts for Radio – Winter 2023

This class is hyrbid, and meets in person as well as online.

In person: Saturdays, January 28 & February 25, 10:30am–Noon 

Online: Saturdays, February 11 & 18, 10:30am–Noon 

Orson Welles’ hour-long radio play “War of the Worlds” that aired in October 1938 is said to have caused panic among its listeners. That is the power of radio. Today WEKU (88.9 FM), the National Public Radio station of Eastern Kentucky University produces 10-minute radio plays written by Kentucky playwrights as part of a series of Theatre of the Mind productions. But there are more opportunities for such scripts in Lexington and beyond. Learn the differences between stage and radio scripts as well as how to convert a stage script into one suitable for radio.

Please note: Students taking this course should know the basics of either playwriting or screenwriting. This is not a class about how to write plays but about how to create radio scripts from other scripts.

Bill McCann is a Playwright Mentor at the Carnegie Center and host of the Theatre Production in Kentucky Series for Eastern Standard on WEKU (88.9 FM). His radio play “Strained Pears” was produced on WEKU in July 2022. 

This class is suitable for intermediate and advanced levels.

Cancellation Policy:

The Carnegie Center reserves the right to cancel a class if minimum enrollment is not met. It is best to register early to help our instructors prepare and to ensure the class does not get cancelled. We evaluate registration numbers between 6 and 2 business days before a class starts to decide whether we can hold the class. Classes that do not meet minimum enrollment may be cancelled a minimum of two business days prior to the first class meeting. All participants will be notified by email and will receive full refunds.