Improv Playhouse’s live radio theater event celebrates America’s anniversary
As America approaches its historic 250th anniversary, Improv Playhouse announces the world premiere of “Voices of Liberty,” an original live radio theater celebration of the American story, opening Flag Day weekend and continuing through Juneteenth and Libertyville Days festivities in downtown Libertyville.
Presented in the style of a classic 1940s live radio broadcast, “Voices of Liberty” is a wholly original theatrical work weaving together historical dramatization, humor, music, cinematic sound design, ensemble storytelling and vintage-style commercial interludes into an experience unlike anything currently being staged in the region.
“I've always loved great historical biography and Americana storytelling,” said David Brian Stuart, founder and executive director of Improv Playhouse. “I initially explored licensing works like ‘1776,’ and even considered staged readings of famous speeches and historical documents, but ultimately realized this material wanted to live as a radio drama. The format allows America itself to speak through time through taverns, battlefields, immigrant ships, convention halls, front porches, factories, classrooms, churches and family kitchens.”
Written, directed and produced by Stuart, the production brings to life a sweeping tapestry of American voices alongside many of America's founders, statesmen, immigrants, workers, and ordinary citizens whose lives collectively shaped the nation's enduring story.
“This piece isn't interested in shouting patriotism at an audience,” Stuart said. “It's about memory, gratitude, humor, sacrifice, contradiction and hope. We wanted audiences to hear not only founders and presidents, but immigrants stepping onto Ellis Island, soldiers at Valley Forge, a schoolteacher in a tenement classroom, a son leaving for war and a grandmother passing something fragile and essential to the next generation. The ordinary voices matter as much as the famous ones, maybe more.”
Performed by a 10-person ensemble portraying dozens of characters, the production features vintage-inspired radio theater staging, live sound effects, atmospheric period music, ensemble vocal work and rapid character transitions in the grand tradition of classic American radio broadcasts.
“One of the things that became important to me very early in the writing process was ensuring that audiences encountered figures like Phillis Wheatley, Crispus Attucks, and Frederick Douglass, not as footnotes in a textbook, but as living, breathing human beings,” Stuart said.
“Many Americans know the names, but fewer know their stories. Wheatley became one of America's earliest published Black poets and corresponded with George Washington himself. Attucks became the first martyr of the American Revolution. Douglass challenged America to live up to its own founding ideals. Their voices belong in this story because they helped shape the American story.”
Among the performers is veteran Improv Playhouse actor Renee Johnson, who portrays several characters throughout the production, including Wheatley.
“When David invited me to be part of ‘Voices of Liberty,’ I immediately felt both excited and humbled,” Johnson said. “To portray Phillis Wheatley, a woman whose words and accomplishments transcended extraordinary barriers, is a tremendous honor. This production reminds us that the American story belongs to many voices, and I'm grateful to help bring some of those voices to life.”
Also featured is actor Redelle Lawrence, a familiar face to audiences of Improv Playhouse's annual “Last Supper Chronicles” productions. Lawrence portrays several historical figures, including Attucks and Douglass.
“There is a real responsibility that comes with portraying men like Crispus Attucks and Frederick Douglass,” Lawrence said. “They were individuals of courage, conviction, and sacrifice whose influence continues to shape our nation. I'm deeply appreciative that David chose to include these stories and entrusted me with helping tell them. It's both a privilege and a responsibility I take seriously.”
The production has continued expanding throughout rehearsals, recently adding a new Frederick Douglass scene, additional immigrant storylines and a multigenerational family thread that grounds the production's historical sweep in one fictional American family's journey across generations.
“We honestly don't know of many theaters currently creating entirely original productions specifically centered around America's 250th anniversary,” Stuart said. “That makes this feel especially exciting and timely. It's theatrical, heartfelt, funny, reflective and surprisingly cinematic for a live stage production. And perhaps most importantly … it's ours. Written right here for this community and for this moment in time.”
“Voices of Liberty” is recommended for families of all ages. It is approximately 60-70 minutes, with no intermission.
Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Fridays, June 12 and 19, and 7 p.m. Saturdays, June 13 and 20, at the new Improv Playhouse Theater, 130 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors, $15 for students, with group and family pack rates available. Note: Cash only at the door.
For details or tickets, visit improvplayhouse.com or call (847) 968-4529.