SL ARTS & LITERATURE: The Martians Invade! to Benefit Susan G. Komen and Breast Cancer Research

Halloween is coming and Seanchai Library is getting into the spirit of the season, planning to raise some hairs, chill some bones and tingle some spines with a special production of War of the Worlds radio play written by Howard Koch and made famous by Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre On The Air in October of 1938.Welles created mass hysteria with a production that mixed news reports and radio programming, voiced by skilled actors, to replicate the events H.G. Wells wrote about in his 1898 novel. The Seanchai Library will be presenting War of the Worlds in three public performances on the grid October 22nd through 26th, with guests invited to join the Seanchai Library in supporting Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

"War of the Worlds scared the pants off people back in the '30s, using the power of voice to persuade folks this was real. We plan to generate that same feeling with our production,” said McMahon. Seanchai's own Caledonia Skytower is directing the production, drawing on the skills of the library's cast of storytellers,  working from the original script by Howard Koch. “I remember hearing the L.A. Theatreworks production of this script in the 1990s and imagining what it must have been like to have been listening that October evening in 1938. Orson Welles and company presented it in keeping with the spirit of the Halloween season,” said Skytower.

Seanchai's War of the Worlds features the voices of Shandon Loring, Bear Silvershade and Kayden O’Connell. Add in the voices of Crap Mariner, Elder Priestman, Caledonia Skytower, BigRed Coyote and others and this production promises to be a treat for the ears.  “Working with a cast like this, how could you possibly go wrong?” said cast member Bear Silvershade.

Seanchai has scheduled three performances of War of the Worlds:

October 22 at 5 p.m. performance in Blood Evolution Kingdom
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Blood%20Evolution%20Kingdom/72/135/1808

October 23 at Noon in Spooky Fruit Islands
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Fig/134/157/501

October 26 at 7 p.m.  in Seanchai Library 
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Imagination%20Island/46/210/28

An October "Special Event" is a tradition at the three year old Seanchai Library, which brings stories of all kinds to life in Second Life through live voice readings.  Past presentations have included their popular Dracula in 2008 and 2010, and The Poe Show in 2009.  Second Life residents are welcome to join the Seanchai Library group or keep an eye on their blog at http://bit.ly/seanchai for information on these events and Seanchai's regular story sessions. There are also subscriber kiosks available in the library for those whose group quota is full but still want to keep up to date with story events.

All Seanchai presentation are read live in voice.  All the performers are volunteers and donations are accepted to support established charities around the world.  In 2011 these have included Habitat for Humanities, The American Heart Association, Project Children, The American Red Cross (Tsunami & Pacific Earthquake Relief), Water for People, Heifer International, and Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

~ Caledonia Skytower, Reporting
"Any ink is good ink, even if it is virtual."