Owl Creek Bridge (radio)

“Owl Creek Bridge” 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 “Owl Creek Bridge" program from the Radio Tales series was an adaptation of the short story An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce.

Broadcast History

The Radio Tales production of “Owl Creek Bridge” was first broadcast via National Public Radio on May 29, 2001 [National Public Radio: "NPR Quarterly Edition Spring 2001". NPR Marketing, Vol. VII, No. II] . 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 “Owl Creek Bridge” program debuted on XM Satellite Radio on June 21, 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.] . “Owl Creek Bridge” was part of the sixth 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 “Owl Creek Bridge” 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.] . Beginning in 2005, programs from the series, including the “Owl Creek Bridge” program, have been available for download via the Audioville.co.uk web site [ [http://www.audioville.co.uk/store/view.php?Id=565&ProductCategoryId=59 "audioVille | Stor>>Fiction | Radio Tales | Download Audio Books, Podcasts and more in MP3. Comedy, Fiction, sport, news, science, drama."] Audioville.co.uk. Accessed [September 27] , 2008.] .

Opening narration

Plot Summary

Condemned to die by hanging from the Owl Creek Bridge, Peyton Farquhar stands bound and without hope on a plank balanced between the timbers of the bridge. His neck already in the noose, he waits while the Union soldiers complete their final preparations for his execution, and his thoughts alternate between surreal observations of the stream below him, memories of his wife and family, and desperate plans of escape. Peyton is no Confederate soldier, but a southern gentleman whose attempt to help his countrymen repel the Northern invaders has earned him a sentence of death. The time of preparations having elapsed, the Union soldier whose weight had counterbalanced the plank upon which Peyton stood now removes his weight – the plank tilts, and Peyton falls between the ties.

After whirling in excruciating pain from the end of the hangman’s rope, Peyton is aware of a sudden change of sensation, a sharp movement around him, and then roaring in his ears. Supposing that the rope has broken, he perceives the depths of the stream encompassing his body, and struggles against his bonds until he has loosed them from his hands and freed himself from the noose. Rising to the surface, Peyton sees the company of Union soldiers as they begin firing on him, and dives to escape the bullets. At one point he distinguishes the roar of a cannon from across the stream, and his hyper-elevated senses take in the minutest details of his surroundings. He feels the water whirl him in dizzy circles several times, but at length his hands meet with the rough rocks of the shore, which he compares to precious jewels as he climbs out of the water and then plunges into the wood.

The untamed forest impresses Peyton as he makes his way homeward, unable to find any sign of civilization until at last he reaches a broad straight road. It stretches toward the horizon, lined by dark trees. The constellations above are foreign to him, and he seems to hear whispers in a strange language emerging from the wood. His neck is pained, his eyes too inflamed to close, his tongue swollen to the point where it pushes into the air for relief, and his feet insensible to the yielding grass beneath him. He loses awareness of the passage of time, imagines that he has sleepwalked the night through, for now he has reached his home in the light of morning. His wife is there to greet him, and he runs to take her in his arms.

At that moment, his neck feels a tremendous impact, his senses explode with searing light and a concussion of sound, followed swiftly by nothingness. Hanging beneath the Owl Creek bridge, Peyton’s body swings, lifeless, his neck broken in the hangman’s noose.

References

External Links

* [http://www.audioville.co.uk/store/view.php?Id=565&ProductCategoryId=59 Owl Creek Bridge Streaming Audio Excerpt on Audioville.co.uk]
* [http://www.radiotales.com/ The Official Radio Tales® Web Site]
* [http://www.audioville.co.uk/store/view_productcategory.php?Id=59 Radio Tales® Full Series - Streaming Audio Excerpts]
* [http://www.xmradio.com/onxm/channelpage.xmc?ch=163 XM Satellite Radio – Information on the Sonic Theater Channel]