War of the Worlds: The Panic Broadcast

An alien invasion throws humanity into chaos in the classic sci-fi novel The War of the Worlds–but all it took to cause real-life panic in the streets was Orson Welles’s 1938 radio adaptation, which listeners took for news. Now, ten years later, the WBFR radio ensemble recreates the colorful events surrounding the infamous evening, including the full original broadcast. Complete with vintage commercials and live sound effects, this radio-play-within-a-radio-play is a thrilling homage to the form’s golden age and timely reminder of what fear can do to a society.

“This story has fascinated me since childhood and I couldn’t be more excited to make it my directorial debut,” offers Director Kevin Flomberg-Rollins. “We will bring to life the most infamous radio broadcast of all time featuring a small cast portraying dozens of different characters. This story is not just a gem of American History, it is a powerful example of the first forms of ‘fake news.’ 80 years ago out entire country was duped by a simple broadcast, but how far have we really come since then?”

Orson Welles-War of the Worlds-Radio Broadcast 1938-Complete Broadcast