The Mark Time Awards have selected KZMU’s original radio drama “Downtown Abbey” as a finalist in the science fiction category for this year’s award.
The official entry is “Downtown Abbey, Episode 3: Denial In So Many Forms.”
The Mark Time Awards, which will be presented in Kansas City, Missouri, as part of the HearNow Audio Arts Festival on June 9, are given in recognition of the best audio theater productions in the genres of science fiction, fantasy, horror and mystery/ detective. As a legacy project of the Firesign Theatre, the awards encourage creative use of the audio arts medium, which includes writing, voice performance, sound effects, acoustic environments, musical underscoring and technological accomplishment.
Inspired by Edward Abbey’s book “Desert Solitaire,” Downtown Abbey was presented live on
KZMU in February and March of this year, performed by a troupe of local actors and musicians.
KZMU manager Marty Durlin wrote and directed the drama; Serah Mead assisted with the production. The fourth and final episode was performed before a live audience at Star Hall, followed by a gala reception.
All four episodes of Downtown Abbey can be heard on kzmu.org, and two-disc sets of the play are available at KZMU for $35.
KZMU Moab Public Radio Inc. first went on the air in April 1992. Broadcasting from a cast-off NPS trailer on Rocky Road, KZMU later built studios with the help of volunteers and supporters. In 2008, the station became solar-powered, again with community support.
KZMU airs a diverse mix of music hosted by local DJs, along with locally produced public affairs and syndicated programming.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting provided some 60 percent of KZMU’s annual budget until last year, when the station was defunded for being too small. KZMU welcomes all donations. KZMU is a nonprofit organization, and all gifts are tax-deductible.
For more information, call Marty Durlin at 435-259-8824.
