Fifth Dimension (radio)

“Fifth Dimension” is a radio program from the American radio anthology series Radio Tales. The anthology series adapted classic works of American and world literature for the radio. The series was a recipient of numerous awards, including four Gracie Allen Awards from the Foundation of American Women in Radio and Television (in 2004, [ [http://www.awrt.org/press-releases/2004/Press_Release_%20Announce_Winners.pdf "AWRT Press Release"] AWRT.org. Accessed March 21, 2008.] 2003, [ [http://www.npr.org/about/press/030402.gracie.html "NPR Productions Win Gracie Allen Awards"] NPR.org. Accessed March 21, 2008.] 2001, [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20011126020253/www.awrt.org/awards/2000GracieWinners.html "2001 Gracie Allen Award Winners"] AWRT.org, as indexed by the Internet Archive at Archive.org. Accessed March 21, 2008.] and 1998), a New York Festivals WorldMedal, [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20050207122048/http://www.newyorkfestivals.com/res/pdf/2004RPwinners.pdf "2004 Winners, Radio Programming and Promotion, New York Festivals"] NewYorkFestivals.com, as indexed by the Internet Archive at Archive.org. Accessed March 21, 2008.] and a Golden Reel Merit Award. [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20010802161539/www.nfcb.org/2001reelsinfo.html "NFCB Announces 2001 Golden Reel Award Winners"] NFCB.org, as indexed by the Internet Archive at Archive.org. Accessed March 21, 2008.] The “Fifth Dimension" program from the Radio Tales series was an adaptation of the classic short story, “The Plattner Story” by H. G. Wells.

Broadcast History

The Radio Tales production of “Fifth Dimension” was first broadcast via NPR on September 5, 2000 [National Public Radio: "NPR Quarterly Edition Summer 2000". NPR Marketing, July – Sept. 2000, Vol. VI, No. III] . The program encompassed one half-hour installment that was distributed to NPR member stations as part of the NPR Playhouse cultural series. Since November 28th, 2002, the entire Radio Tales series has aired in reruns on the Sonic Theater channel (163) of the XM Satellite Radio service [ [http://www.xmradio.com/onxm/features/sonictheater.xmc "Sonic Theater"] XMRadio.com. Accessed May 22, 2008.] . The “Fifth Dimension” program debuted on XM Satellite Radio on March 29, 2003.

Production Information

The program was produced and script edited by series producer Winnie Waldron, who also served as the on-air host [ [http://www.winifredphillips.com/wp_bio.html "Winifred Phillips Official Site: Biography"] Winifredphillips.com. Accessed May 19, 2008.] . Composer Winifred Phillips created over twenty-eight minutes of music for the program, and also performed as the featured actress [ [http://www.mninter.net/~jstearns/nprPH.html#top "NPR Playhouse - January - March, 2001"] MNinter.net. Accessed March 21, 2008.] . “Fifth Dimension” was part of the fifth year of Radio Tales on NPR Playhouse [National Public Radio: "NPR Quarterly Edition Spring 2001". NPR Marketing, Vol. VII, No. II] .

Media

The Radio Tales production of “Fifth Dimension” has been available in numerous formats and venues, including burn-on-demand CDs manufactured and distributed by MP3.com [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20031129193548/artists.mp3s.com/artists/33/npr_radio_tales.html "MP3.com: Radio Tales"] MP3.com, as indexed by the Internet Archive at Archive.org. Accessed July 15, 2008.] and Ampcast.com [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20060212003627/http://www.ampcast.com/music/25229/artist.php "Ampcast.com: Radio Tales"] Ampcast.com, as indexed by the Internet Archive at Archive.org. Accessed July 15, 2008.] .

Opening narration

Plot Summary

Gottfried Plattner is a teacher in a very small school of limited resources, and is often called upon to instruct the students in subjects of which he himself has little knowledge. Chemistry is among those subjects. When a student presents Plattner with a bottle filled with a mysterious green powder and asks Plattner to identify it, the foolish teacher rushes in where the brave fear to tread. He tries various acids on the powder, and then he holds a match to it. The resulting explosion produces an extraordinary effect. While Plattner’s students rush about, astonished at the absolute disappearance of their teacher, Plattner watches invisibly from a parallel dimension in which the students and schoolroom are transparent ghosts. The normal world seems to still exist, but only vaguely, while an alien landscape consisting of rolling green hills, phosphorescent clouds and a jet black cityscape now spread themselves around him. Stunned, Plattner wanders this weird environment, and comes across the native inhabitants – whose bodies consist only of floating heads with tadpole-like bodies swinging beneath. They take little notice of him, since they are fascinated by following and watching the translucent figures of ordinary people going about their daily lives in the world we know. Plattner spends nine days in this netherworld, and would have continued there indefinitely had he not stumbled and fallen, breaking the bottle in his pocket containing the remaining green powder. The resulting explosion returns him to the world he left behind.

References

External Links

* [http://www.radiotales.com/ The Official Radio Tales® Web Site]
* [http://www.audioville.co.uk/store/view_productcategory.php?Id=59 Radio Tales® Full Catalog on AudioVille]
* [http://www.xmradio.com/onxm/channelpage.xmc?ch=163 XM Satellite Radio's Sonic Theater Channel]