Gawain and the Green Knight

I am a bona fide radio nut. Growing up I would barricade myself in my room to listen to A Prairie Home Companion — Saturdays from five o’clock to seven, no one in the family dared to disturb me. Later, my mother and I would pop in CDs of old radio shows while driving around town — from Gangbusters to The Bickersons, we heard them all. And we always felt a little tingle of excitement when that creaking door opened to The Inner Sanctum. So it has been real treat for me to direct Gawain and the Green Knight. Essentially, it is a love story with a touch of mystery in which an untried young knight of the round table must test his honor and his courage. Many of us still remember reading this fairy tale in English class. Bob Arnold’s adaptation of Charlton Miner Lewis’s story is lively, fresh and fun. And I am grateful to my cast for creating such vivid characters (the story leaps off the page, or the podcast as it were). I must confess, though, that my favorite part of directing an audio show is watching the sound effects team at work. How does one create the sound of galloping horses, large crowds, creaking doors and human heads getting lopped off? The answers might surprise. I sincerely hope that you enjoy Gawain and the Green Knight as much as I have enjoyed working on it.

—Pamela Poletti