Won’t you be their neighbour?

CKUW radio drama creates community and gives performers complete creative control

The performers of the CKUW radio drama At the Monarch’s Convenience are looking for people to join their cast, but don’t even think of trying out if you’re one-and-a-half years old. That spot’s already filled, thank you very much. Mark Reimer

Have you ever wondered what it’d be like if The Office was set in a convenience store? Well, look no further than CKUW 95.9 FM.

The community radio station is host to At the Monarch’s Convenience, a radio drama that takes place in Winnipeg’s West End and airs every Monday at 5:30 p.m. The show follows the lives of several characters as they interact in the commonplace setting of a convenience store called Monarch’s.

The show was founded by University of Winnipeg theatre student Jason Hooper, who wanted a drama that local listeners would be able to relate to.

“We really wanted to throw open the station’s doors to the community, let them know that the station is theirs as well as the students’,” Hooper wrote in an e-mail interview. “We were inviting them to take part in the show and hopefully begin to see the station as a community resource that they could access.”

When the show began in April 2008, Hooper`s intention was to have everyone involved come up with their own character. From there, they were all responsible for writing and performing this character on the show. It’s a formula that has created a unique learning environment for the cast.

Kathy Herbert, who plays Cassia, a pretentious hippie, is in her final year of U of W’s theatre program. When Hooper approached her about joining the cast and explained the concept of the show, she doubted that she had the ability to write drama. She found out she could.

We really wanted to throw open the station’s doors to the community, let them know that the station is theirs as well as the students’

Jason Hooper, At the Monarch’s Convenience founder

“I’ve really grown. I wasn’t a writer before the show but I am now,” Herbert said. “The best way to learn how to write is to just do it. ”

The show is now looking for new cast members. Susie Shepher, who has been involved in the show since its inception, stresses that you don’t need to be a theatre student to get involved. Shepher herself is not a student at the U of W but a member of the West End community. She got involved in the show because she thought it would be fun and has nothing but good things to say about the experience. She emphasizes that they are looking for anybody. Even if you don’t have any experience in radio or drama, you are welcome to come and join the cast for the rest of the season or just an episode.

“We’re all writers, characters, we do improv, some of us do the radio editing, mixing, normalizing… You can work on your speaking skills or learn about radio,” Shepher said. “We’ve all improved since the show began.”

The show wraps up in April 2009 when many of its cast members are graduating. Their intention is to initiate a student-based radio drama group for the 2009/2010 school year. This new group will be creating a new show with all new characters.

The show relies heavily on sponsors, as well as the staff and facilities provided by CKUW. Thus, they were all adamant about CKUW’s annual Fundrive, which is on until Friday, Feb. 13. Shepher was quick to praise the volunteers and staff at the station for their patience and help with broadcasting.

“There were times we couldn’t figure out how to turn the equipment on,” she said. “They were very helpful.”

Donate to CKUW’s Fundrive 2009 at www.ckuw.ca or by calling 774-6877. To get involved with At the Monarch’s Convenience, send an e-mail to [email protected] or just show up at the CKUW station, located up the stairs in the fourth floor cafeteria, between 2 and 4 p.m. on Fridays.

Published in Volume 63, Number 20 of The Uniter (February 12, 2009)

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