Edgar Allan Poe's Valdemar (radio)

“Edgar Allan Poe’s Valdemar” is a 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 [Hear Here: "Tales by American Masters". AudioFile Magazine, pg. 8, Feb/March 1999, Vol. 7, No. 5.] ) 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 “Edgar Allan Poe’s Valdemar" program from the Radio Tales series was an adaptation of the classic short story The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar by Edgar Allan Poe.

Broadcast history

The Radio Tales production of “Edgar Allan Poe’s Valdemar” was first broadcast via National Public Radio on March 14, 2000. [National Public Radio: "NPR Quarterly Edition Winter 2000". NPR Marketing, Jan. - March 2000, Vol. VI, No. I] 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.] “Edgar Allan Poe’s Valdemar” debuted on XM Satellite Radio on November 1, 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.] “Edgar Allan Poe’s Valdemar” was part of the fifth year of Radio Tales on NPR Playhouse. [National Public Radio: "NPR Quarterly Edition Winter 2000". NPR Marketing, Jan. - March 2000, Vol. VI, No. I]

Media

The Radio Tales production of “Edgar Allan Poe’s Valdemar” 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 “Edgar Allan Poe’s Valdemar” program, have been available for download via the Audioville.co.uk web site. [ [http://www.audioville.co.uk/store/view.php?Id=556&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 October 8, 2008.]

Opening narration

Plot summary

The unnamed narrator is experienced in ‘Mesmerism’, having had opportunities to practice the art upon a friend named ‘M. Earnest Valdemar’, whose nervous constitution made him a particularly good subject. Valdemar’s health had lately degenerated, a diagnosis of consumption had been confirmed, and now the date of his death has been predicted. At this point, the narrator begins to wonder what effect the mesmeric state would have on the encroachment of death. Valdemar agrees to let the narrator know when he will soon die, so that the narrator can mesmerize him and observe the effects.

Some time later, the narrator receives a letter from Valdemar with an invitation to come immediately, as his death is imminent. Arriving within fifteen minutes of receiving the letter, the narrator proceeds to put Valdemar into a deep mesmeric trance, then asks the mesmerized man if he is asleep. Valdemar responds that he is asleep, and is dying. Throughout the night, the narrator poses the same question several times and receives the same answer. To the astonishment of his doctors, Valdemar survives the night, but the next morning a change comes over him. His eyes roll back, his skin blanches to a stark white, and his mouth drops stiffly open, exposing his swollen tongue. The doctors find no evidence of respiration, and are about to pronounce him dead when his tongue begins to vibrate. The weirdly distant voice of Valdemar emanates from the quivering tongue -- he tells the narrator that he is dead.

For nearly seven months afterward Valdemar remains in the exact same state, his body stiff and white, his mouth rigidly open, his tongue black and vibrating, but no longer responding to any questions the narrator puts to him… until the narrator decides to awaken Valdemar from the trance. After beginning the awakening process, Valdemar’s anxious voice breaks forth, begging the narrator to either put him to sleep or awaken him quickly, for he is dead! The narrator frantically attempts to complete the awakening process, and soon thereafter, to the horror of everyone present, Valdemar’s body rots away within the span of a minute, dissolving into a fetid semi-liquid pool of decomposed matter.

References

External links

* [http://www.audioville.co.uk/store/view.php?Id=556&ProductCategoryId=59 Edgar Allan Poe’s Valdemar Streaming Audio Samples Audioville]
* [http://www.radiotales.com/ The Official Radio Tales Web Site]
* [http://www.audioville.co.uk/store/view_productcategory.php?Id=59 Radio Tales Streaming Audio Samples on AudioVille]
* [http://www.xmradio.com/onxm/channelpage.xmc?ch=163 XM Satellite Radio – Information on the Sonic Theater Channel]