Thursday evening afforded me the opportunity to catch some of the best elements of WNPR. The Studio at Billings Forge played host to Catie Talarski‘s Radio Adventure Theater, a variety show and listening session focusing on the theme of exploration. The standing room only audience was treated to audio of Titanic survivors, Sir Ernest Shackleton, and a woman who experienced the madness that sets in while living at a station on Antarctica. In between stories we heard sea shanties and listened to/participated in an improvised soundscape. Two high school students read poems they wrote on the theme of exploration– one about exploring teenage angst and alienation, and the other about his family. A local professor, author, and blogger (Time to Eat the Dogs),  read from his book.

Maybe it was the crowded room, or maybe it was the sense of community pride that John Dankowsky gave a nod to, but in spite of the tales of frozen, desolate adventures and the building’s door opening constantly, it seemed vibrant and warm in The Studio.

Though the typical radio listening audience is older, this audience spanned several generations. Perhaps this shift in demographics was due to the indie performances slated to begin after the Radio Adventure Theater, or maybe this was a sign of young adults’ renewed interest in radio.