Translations of classical European literature will be featured during the fall 2025 season of Arkansas Radio Theatre, an initiative that operates in association with the Arkansas Tech University Department of Communication and Media Studies.
The schedule includes three debut productions as part of 13 weekly broadcasts that will begin on Saturday, Sept. 6, and continue each Saturday through Nov. 29. Each broadcast will begin at 7 p.m. on KXRJ 91.9 FM and www.atu.edu/broadcast.
Dr. David J. Eshelman, head of the ATU Department of Communication and Media Studies and professor of communication, founded Arkansas Radio Theatre in 2007 and serves as its director.
The first of the fall 2025 debut productions, “The Cherry Orchard,” is a 1904 play by Anton Chekhov of Russia. The Arkansas Radio Theatre adaptation of the play will debut on Sept. 13 and re-air on Sept. 20.
“The Cherry Orchard” cast members include ATU students John Leban of Russellville, Emma Guill of Hot Springs, Siddalee Malone of Clarksville and Lane Anderson of Conway as well as two former ATU faculty members — Deborah Wilson, retired professor of English, and Charles Tyrone, former visiting instructor of English and ATU alumnus. Anderson and Malone served as recording technicians on “The Cherry Orchard.”
It will be followed by subsequent debut broadcasts of “Horace” and “The Snow Queen.”
A French tragedy written by Pierre Corneille in 1640, the Arkansas Radio Theatre version of “Horace” features ATU student performers Addison Reagan-Smith of Little Rock, Charlie Randall of Harrison, Zack Baldwin of Russellville, Dallas Minnie of Dardanelle and Jacob Causey of Russellville. Dr. Jeffrey Cass, dean of the ATU College of Arts and Humanities, plays the role of Old Horace. Eshelman translated the text from French to English. Randall was recording technician for “Horace,” which will debut on Oct. 4 and re-air on Oct. 18.
“The Snow Queen,” an 1844 fairytale written by Hans Christian Andersen of Denmark, will make its Arkansas Radio Theatre debut on Nov. 22 and re-air on Nov. 29. The production stars Anderson, Harley Furr of Garden City, S.C., Ethan Carr of North Little Rock, Eli Mason of Ozark, Kaley Jones of Bella Vista and Sylas Passmore of Hidgen. Randall served as recording technician.
Malone adapted “The Snow Queen” for radio and served as director as her final project before graduating from ATU in spring 2025. Eshelman served as director on “The Cherry Orchard” and “Horace.”
Arkansas Radio Theatre recordings are made available to the visually impaired through the Arkansas Information Reading Service.
Archived broadcasts of each performance are uploaded to blogs.atu.edu/radiotheatre.
Below is the complete fall 2025 Arkansas Radio Theatre schedule:
- Sept. 6: “Reflections from Russia”
- Sept. 13: “The Cherry Orchard”
- Sept. 20: “The Cherry Orchard”
- Sept. 27: “Miss Julie”
- Oct. 4: “Horace”
- Oct. 11: “Pelleas and Melisande”
- Oct. 18: “Horace”
- Oct. 25: “The Flowered Tomb”
- Nov. 1: “Mercedes and the Count” and “The Blood-Soaked Shoe”
- Nov. 8: “Pelleas and Melisande”
- Nov. 15: “Thumbelina” and “Mr. Hound’s Life as a Dog”
- Nov. 22: “The Snow Queen”
- Nov. 29: “The Snow Queen”
