Page 4 September 16, 2021 EL SEGUNDO HERALD
Radio’s Golden Age from front page
The show, said McAllister, was “very funny.”
Back in the day, she added, Jell-O was a big
sponsor of the show, which of course, was
trying to push its products.
The Baby Snooks show ran for 30+ minutes,
depending on how much commercial time
was sold. General Foods was, apparently, a
very big sponsor. The cast typically involved
three men and four women, as well as the
announcer. McAllister said they would be
looking to fill the radio re-creation slots with
adults ranging in age from “18-100.”
McAllister said that “no acting experience
is needed, other than the need to read,
and (the) want to become part of a new
program, make local history and above all,
learn something new or renew your love of
old-time radio, and have a fun experience.”
McAllister has been involved in fostering
the appreciation of the arts in El Segundo
over the years and said she wanted to give
adults the opportunity to participate in the
nascent program.
McAllister, who has a background in
the performing arts, wants to gauge the
interest and “test the waters” to see if
community members would participate.
She was eager to see if some of the more
seasoned community members, those who
might remember the by-gone era when
broadcast radio shows, before the advent of
Eagles from page 3
time-consuming 11-play drives to score.
El Segundo sealed their win in the fourth
quarter with a 31-yard touchdown pass from
Menendez to Pascarelli with 5:39 remaining
in the game. Don Lugo would score on a
19-yard run with 1:33 remaining to close
out the scoring 35-14.
It was a game that head coach Shawn Green
said, “The team continued to show improvement.”
In the first two games, the offense didn’t
adjust the way he had hoped. “We adapted to
what they gave us, and Leo (Menendez) took
control,” Coach Green said. He added that the
defense improved against a good running team.
He was concerned, though, with the slow start.
But, he says that could’ve been traced to nervousness
from playing at home in front of a huge
crowd. Once the Eagles got over their initial
anxieties, they played well and executed better.
Eagles host Hawthorne on Friday night
at 7 p.m.
Alex Reis Leads
Frosh/Soph to 16-0 Win
The Eagles upped their record to 3-0 with
their 16-0 win over Don Lugo. It is the first
time in eight seasons the Eagles had started
3-0 when they started the 2013 season with
eight straight wins. It’s believed to be the first
time the varsity and Frosh/Soph teams have
started the season with three wins apiece.
El Segundo had two long touchdowns called
back in the first half on penalties. The game
was scoreless in the first half, but the Eagles
managed a field goal by Alex Reis early in
the third quarter. Two possessions later, Dylan
Alcala found Reis alone in the back of the
end zone for a 15-yard touchdown and a 9-0
lead. The Eagles capitalized on a Don Lugo
turnover when Alcala hooked up with Reis
again. This time it was on a 55-yard catch
and run touchdown pass play for a 16-0 lead.
Head coach Daniel Zeman said his team
was playing with passion but needed to cut
down on penalties during crucial times during
the game.
Girls’ Volleyball Drops
Match 3-1 to South Torrance
The Eagles squared off against South Torrance
and gave the highly touted Spartans all
they could handle but fell in four games, 18-
25, 21-25, 25-22, 23-25. The Eagles played
well against the ninth-ranked Spartans, but
unforced errors cost them in every game they
lost. In the third game, El Segundo was on
the verge of letting the match end in three
games, but Marley Smith took over. With
the Eagles trailing 12-7, Smith recorded
three consecutive points. Later she served
four consecutive aces to give the Eagles a
20-14 advantage. Kaia Breeden and Annika
Klishevich were also instrumental in the
third-game victory. The loss dropped the
Eagles to 5-2 and 0-1 in the Pioneer League.
The Eagles rebounded and defeated West
Torrance, on the road, in three games, 25-11,
25-17, 25-23, to run their record to 6-2 overall.
Eagle Home Schedule for the
Week of September 20
Tuesday, Girl’s Tennis versus North Torrance
at Rec Park 2:30 p.m. •
Nate Pascarelli caught seven passes for 188 yards and three
touchdowns
Annika Klishevich goes high to block South’s Paige Oliver’s attempt
Kaia Breeden setting up to pass against South Torrance
Marley Smith puts one away against South Torrance
Junior quarterback threw for over 200 yards and four touchdowns
as the Eagles defeated Don Lugo 35-14
the boob-tube we know as television, ruled
the entertainment kingdom.
Early stars who cut their performing teeth
on radio entertainment, some of whom you
may have heard of, included Doris Day, Bob
Hope, Groucho Marks, Orson Welles, Lucille
Ball, Gene Autrey, Red Skelton, and literally
thousands of others.
The Golden Age of American radio ruled
a period lasting roughly from 1903 to the
mid-1940s, when the medium of commercial
broadcast radio grew into the fabric of daily
life in the United States, providing news,
sports, and other forms of entertainment to
a country struggling with crushing economic
depression and deadly wars.
McAllister is looking to work with adults
who would immerse themselves in the
script and not be shy about performing in
public. “We don’t want to overwhelm anyone,”
she said, “but we do want to respect
the genre.”
She said they are looking to host auditions
on October 1 and 2, with the live show
slated to take place on Saturday, October
23. She said that the actors selected to
take part would be tasked to master their
parts and then participate in a couple of
“dress rehearsals.”
There is an old saying that some actors had/
have a face for radio. Which works perfectly
here, McAllister said. “I do not care what
you look like; I care what you sound like.
And I don’t care how old you are, as long
as you are (at least) 18.”
She is not expecting any of the selected
actors to invest their own money on full
costumes, per se, but would like the actors to
maybe dress up in affectations, like a fedora
or vest, to “pull in the mood of the time.”
McAllister is planning to have music played
during the presentation and provide a lobby
display that will feature radio scripts, hoping
to give attendees a little education on the
magic of a by-gone era.
She is hoping that if things work out
as planned, the play might help develop
participation in an adult theatre group. She
envisions a Q&A session, post-production,
with the cast members and attending community
members, hoping to boost the interest
in the nascent program.
McAllister said that this being the first
offering, she and her cohorts are working
in uncharted waters.
“I am really excited about getting this
off the ground,” McAllister said, noting the
stalwart job the high school does in their
theatre department, but that she wants to
give El Segundo adults the opportunity to
showcase their talents.
She is hopeful yet pragmatic about the
upcoming endeavor. “I am optimistic about
the program,” she said, ‘but I am a realist.”
As mentioned earlier, auditions are slated
for October 1 and October 2. Flyers have
been posted around town. After the auditions,
McAllister and her music director
Mark McCombs will contact those selected
to perform and get them up to speed on the
first read-through date and provide rehearsal
dates and times.
At the first read-through, the budding
radio actors will receive a short history of
the Golden Era of Radio shows and get
their scripts. McAllister said she also plans
to discuss, among other items, costumes,
flyers, proper microphone use, music, and
sound cues. That should be followed by two
read-throughs of the script.
On the date of the performance, Saturday,
October 23, commencing at 2 p.m., McAllister
said that she would have a table set
up in the library’s program room for viewing
of old-time radio materials. She likes
her productions to not only entertain but to
“include an educational component.”
So, El Segundo residents, if you are
ready to take a shot at participating in the
new Reader’s Theater Program and channel
your “Spirit of Radio,” you can direct any
questions you might have to 310.524.2728
or email refdesk@elsegundo.org. •