ARTS Theatre Radio

The members of ARTS Theatre Radio believe the airways are an important media form in our world, especially in the remote parts of Northern California. We invite our listeners to audition for our plays, provide us with comments and suggestions, and to continue to provide support for KKRN 88.5 FM. As part of our Founding Goals we continue to provide college scholarships to our younger actors who work with us on an annual basis. For more information about ARTS Theatre Radio, please visit our Facebook page or contact us at (530) 526-5191.

Our first play on KKRN is “September Bears,” written by well-known playwright Jeff Barker. It tells the story of Sue Lucarelli, a teacher at a school for learning disabled children that found themselves greatly impacted during the turmoil of 9/11, as their school was located 2.5 miles northeast of the Twin Towers. Some of her students witnessed people jumping, and then the fall of the World Trade Center buildings on their way to school that morning. Many of the children lived nearby or had parents working at the doomed buildings or other tall buildings nearby. The children were terrified whenever military jets flew over their school in the days that followed, and Sue comforted them by supplying huggable-size Teddy Bears to help them. The need for bears expanded from just her classroom to entire schools in the region, which prompted Sue and her tiny local church to issue an appeal nationwide for bears to be distributed. By the end of 9/11, an amazing 58,000 bears were collected, sorted, and given to schools to help allay the anxiety of the youngest survivors of the tragedy in New York City. 

The success of the bears started the mission of a new non-profit organization called Hugs Across America which continues to provide new Teddy Bears to EMS, police, and fire personnel to comfort children caught in traumatic situations. To date over 970,000 bears have found their way into the arms of children just when they are needed most. This true story will make you cry, at times make you laugh, and help you remember a time when our country came together united in loss, grief, determination, and resolve. The play debuted on Off-Broadway in 2003, and has been performed in multiple locations since, but this is it’s very first radio production!

Next up will be a spoof of soap operas called “Young Doctors in Love,” and “Nurse Charlotte Falls in Love,” by nationally known author Joe Graceffo. These two short plays follow the interactions of a male soap opera devotee, soap actors, and a very unlikely romance.

Our last play of the year will be a radio version of “A Christmas Carol” with all the traditional characters. It continues our tradition of providing plays that promote examination of the human spirit and our own foibles in setting priorities in life. We will also be announcing our 2026 College Scholarship Award Winner during the December broadcasts. 

Thank you for listening to ARTS Theatre Radio. We hope we will become a part of your life, and please continue to support KKRN 88.5 FM. Every donation is greatly appreciated!