22 // COASTWEEKEND.COM
Have a laugh with live radio theater
KALA hosts
performance of
‘Fibber McGee and
Molly’ and ‘The
Goon Show’
ASTORIA — Do you yearn
for the live radio programs
of yesteryear? Indulge
your nostalgia Friday and
Saturday, Aug. 19 and 20
when “Station KBS 780”
presents Live Radio Theater
at KALA.
If the station doesn’t ring
a bell, for longtime coastal
theater goers the names Ken
Chapman and Kay Bredleau
will.
In 1979, the two lo-
cal actors portrayed “The
Odd Couple” in an Astoria
theater space (now Fulio’s
Restaurant) and remained
inspired friends, performing
in many local theater pro-
ductions. Chapman was the
longtime theater instructor
at Astoria High School, and
soon his wife, Ardi Urell, a
dancer and choreographer,
as well as one-time Knappa
High School drama teacher
and professional actor Arnie
Hummasti joined the thespi-
an group.
Now, Chapman and Urell
want to bring old-time radio
from the 1930s, ’40s and
’50s back to life. They fore-
see an on-stage radio theater
company that will take au-
diences back to the days of
radio waves, live recordings
and sound effects.
Produced by Urell, the
project is an homage to Kay
and his wife Evelyn Bred-
leau, who have both passed,
and may serve as a fundrais-
ing tool for local charities
and nonproits.
To kickoff the project
Aug. 19 and 20, Hummasti
will direct the iconic “Fibber
McGee and Molly” in “The
Piano Lesson.” From1935
to 1959, millions tuned their
radios every Tuesday night
to NBC’s “Fibber McGee
and Molly” radio comedy
series to chuckle over the
adventures of radio’s most
beloved couple. It became
the country’s top-rated show,
beating out the likes of Bob
Hope and Jack Benny.
The cast for this KALA
performance of the episode
“The Piano Lesson” includes
Walt Trumbull, Dinah Urell,
Soie Kline, Slab Slabinski,
Jane Hill and Dexter Greg-
ory — replete with sound
effects.
Then, in another blast
from the past, longtime
coastal director Sheila
Schaffer will direct “The
Affair of the Loan Banana”
episode from the early ’50s
British radio comedy “The
Sign up for September writing workshops
Nick Jaina to lead
workshops at
Sou’Wester Lodge
SEAVIEW, Wash. — Port-
land musician and author
Nick Jaina will lead a set
of writing workshops at
the Sou’Wester Lodge this
September.
Set for Monday through
Thursday, Sept. 12 to 15,
the workshops focus on all
the good things that writing
can do for your mental and
emotional state, how it can
bring you closer to people,
and how it can help you
understand the world. Rather
than just trying to make
something marketable, work-
shop attendees will work on
discovering the interesting,
funny and wonderful ideas
that are sitting inside of them.
Workshops will run from
10 a.m. to 1 p.m. or from 2
to 5 p.m. Students can sign
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Nick Jaina will lead creative
writing workshops this Sep-
tember in Seaview.
up for the workshop and
then pick the time slot they
prefer. You can sign up for
one day or all four.
Cost is $100 for all four
days or $30 per day.
A musician and writer,
Jaina has toured the world
during the last decade, releas-
ing several albums on HUSH
Records and Fluff & Gravy
Records. His irst book, “Get
It While You Can,” is a mem-
oir about a love of music and
the world. The book was a
inalist for the 2016 Oregon
Book Award for creative
noniction.
He has also taught writ-
ing workshops for 10 years
at Pendleton Rock Camp.
Students should bring
a laptop or pen and paper
and a sack lunch or snack.
Hot tea and coffee will be
provided. The workshops
are for students ages 15 and
older. All skill levels are
welcome. Each workshop
session will cap at ive
students.
Students do not have
to stay at the Sou’Wester
Lodge to take the work-
shops, though the lodge will
offer winter retreat prices:
$150 for any suite for the
week or $50 per night.
Sign up for the work-
shops by emailing souwest-
erfrontdesk@gmail.com or
calling 360-642-2542.
The lodge is located at
3728 J Place.
Goon Show.” Considered a
radio precursor of “Monty
Python’s Flying Circus,”
the show produced scripts
that mixed ludicrous plots
with surreal humor, puns,
catchphrases and an array
of bizarre sound effects that
were used to satirize con-
temporary life in Britain.
The cast for this perfor-
mance at KALA includes
actors Bill Ham, Bill Honl
and Slab Slabinski. KALA
sound tech Les Kanekuni
will supply additional sound
effects.
Doors open for the
performances at 8 p.m., and
the shows start at 8:30 p.m.
Tickets are $12 at the door.
A full bar will be available;
all ages are welcome to
attend.
KALA is located at 1017
Marine Drive. For more
information, call 503-338-
4878.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
From left, Slab Slabinski, Jane Hill, Dinah Urell, Walt Trumbull,
Arnie Hummasti and Soie Kline will bring to life “The Piano
Lesson,” an episode from the 1935-1959 radio comedy series
“Fibber McGee and Molly.” Not pictured is Dex Gregory. The
live stage performance will take place at KALA on Friday and
Saturday, Aug. 19 and 20.
T he
Find ine art, crats at
lin
Westport Art Festival A Frank
partm ents
WESTPORT, Wash. — The
19th annual Westport Art
Festival is this weekend:
Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 20 and 10
a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug.
21.
Over 70 local and
regional artists from the
Paciic Northwest will offer
their best works in glass,
wood, metal and ceramics
at this outdoor art festival.
Find items for the home and
garden, paintings, jewelry,
handcrafted children’s toys
and gifts.
The festival features a
relaxed atmosphere, set
against a backdrop of the
marina and Westport Mar-
itime Museum, located at
2201 Westhaven Drive.
There will be street food
vendors as well as a beer
garden serving local micro-
SUBMITTED PHOTO
The festival takes place out-
side the Westport Maritime
Museum, which occupies
a historic U.S. Coast Guard
building.
brews. Live music will add
to the festivities from two
stages all weekend, includ-
ing All In, Greg Parke and
the bluegrass band The Old
Sidekicks.
For more information,
visit westportartfestival.org
or ind Westport Art Festival
on Facebook.
Providing Elegance &
Efficiency to D ow ntow n
Astoria for O ver 100 Years
1432 Franklin Avenue
Easom Property
Management, Inc.
503-325-5678