Live Theater Comes to the Visitor Center this Fall
The Top of West Virginia Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) is excited to announce a partnership with local theatrical group, The Ohio Valley Cloak & Dagger Company. The two organizations are coming together to offer live stage performances in Weirton, West Virginia. The final four shows of Cloak & Dagger’s Season Five will be performed at the CVB’s Visitor Center. Currently, the remaining shows are scheduled for September 10, October 29, November 19, and December 17.
“The CVB is very excited to partner with Cloak and Dagger. Encouraging Arts and Culture in Brooke and Hancock Counties has always been part of our mission, and we are happy to support our local artists with a space to perform,” said CVB Executive Director, Rachel Keeney. “These performers are able to offer a unique show that locals and visitors are sure to enjoy.”
Cloak & Dagger On the Air is a monthly theatrical series from The Ohio Valley Cloak & Dagger Company that celebrates audio drama from all eras, particularly the fabled Golden Age of Radio. By reimagining classic radio dramas and literary works, along with presenting original stories written and produced by independent writer and actor Pete Fernbaugh, Cloak & Dagger On the Air gives audiences an immersive experience by creating a fully realized storytelling adventure. The Cloak & Dagger On the Air podcast completes the experience by presenting these stories in the way they were meant to be seen: by the mind’s eye.
The group is in the middle of producing its fifth season of live shows performed in the style of classic radio drama. Their productions began in the fall of 2017 and continued remotely throughout the pandemic. Over the years, they’ve performed before audiences throughout the region at the Bell Tower Theatre, Brooke Hills Playhouse, Cove Presbyterian Church, the Davis Brothers Pavilion Stage in Chester City Park, Dunbar Recreation Center, Elmhurst: The House of Friendship, Oak Glen High School, the Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County Main Branch, Striplight Community Theatre, and the Weirton Area Museum & Cultural Center.
“Cloak & Dagger On the Air is a positive community and artistic experience for audiences, many of whom have a nostalgic connection with the Golden Age of Radio Theatre,” commented Pete Fernbaugh, Artistic Director. “We strive to honor this grand American tradition by creating professional productions that emphasize quality storytelling featuring high-caliber actors with decades of experience.”
The upcoming performance on September 10th features the world-renowned Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson. Admission is free, although donations are always appreciated. Doors open at 6:15, when R.J. Gaudio, Troubadour, will perform an opening set of classic pop, folk, and rock songs. Light refreshments will be available. At 7 p.m., Cloak & Dagger On the Air will present Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s “The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb” and “The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor” in two brand-new audio drama adaptations by Pete Fernbaugh, starring audience favorites John E. Reilly as Holmes and Robert J. Gaudio as Watson with Rob DeSantis, Bethany Fernbaugh, David Gaudio, Noah Hilton, Karissa Martin, Clare McDonald, Ralph Parissi, and Savannah Schroll Guz. The show will also feature a score arranged, composed, and performed by classical pianist Roberta Fedoush and sound effects by The Holy Foley Molies. An original comedy skit featuring Cloak & Dagger’s very own Daphne Doolittle, the Dame with the Private Eye, is also planned for the evening.
Top of WV CVB is located at 3539 Main Street in Weirton, West Virginia. Ample parking is available behind the building, where there is also an entrance. Individuals with mobility impairments may enter more easily through the building’s front entrance. For more information and to view past productions, visit The Ohio Valley Cloak & Dagger Company on Facebook. The page also includes an extensive archive of livestreams.
