THE VOICE OF THE PRAIRIE

I WENT TO THE VOICE OF THE PRAIRIE AT THE SANTA ROSA JUNIOR COLLEGE. THEY WERE IN A SMALL THEATRE AN THE FIRST THING THEY SAID WAS TO TURN YOUR CELL PHONES OFF. IT WAS A ROMANTIC COMEDY ABOUT TWO YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE EARLY DAYS OF RADIO. THE GIRL WAS BLIND AND THE BOY WAS FROM AN ALCOHOLIC FATHER. IT IS BASED IN THE 1920'S DURING A TIME WHEN THE COUNTRY FOLKS WERE ISOLATED FROM CITY FOLK. IT WAS A KIND OF PLAY WITHIN A PLAY. IT FEATURES A BOY WHO MET A BLIND GIRL, "FRANKIE" AND THE DECIDED TO JUMP ON A TRAIN TO SEE THE COUNTRY. HE EVENTUALLY SEPARATED FROM THIS GAL AS HE GREW UP. HE WAS ASKED BY A RADIO MANAGER TO TELL A STORY ABOUT HIS PAST. HIS STORIES BECAME SO POPULAR THAT THE NEW YORK STATIONS WANTED HIM TO GO THERE. HE WAS NERVOUS ABOUT IT BUT THE LOCAL RADIO MANAGER WANTED HIM TO GO. HE SAID JUST WRITE IT DOWN SO YOU DON'T GET NERVOUS. THE ACTORS SUNG A YARN WITHIN A YARN. A YARN IS A LENGTHY TALE OF REAL OR FICTITIOUS ADVENTURE. THEY PLAYED SOME FOLK MUSIC BEFORE THE PLAY AND DURING THE PLAY. THE MAIN RADIO STORYTELLER TOLD TALES ABOUT HIS FATHER'S DREAMS WHICH INCLUDED BEING A SNAKE, OR AT TIMES A BUTTERFLY. APPARENTLY HIS FATHER HAD MANY DREAMS ABOUT WHICH HE HAD MANY STORIES TO TELL. EVENTUALLY THE BROADCASTER FOUND "FRANKIE" AS A SCHOOL TEACHER IN KANSAS. HE ARRANGED FOR HER TO GO MEET HER OLD BOYFRIEND BY TRAIN IN NEW YORK. SOMEHOW THEY ENDED UP IN JAIL TEMPORARILY. THEY TALKED THINGS OVER. THE RADIO BROADCASTER PAID FOR THEM TO GET OUT. IT HAD A HAPPY ENDING AS THEY DECIDED TO STAY TOGETHER.