Those Thrilling Days of Yesteryear perform “The New York Strip”

Those Thrilling Days of Yesteryear perform "The New York Strip" at the Oak Park Arms retirement community. Those Thrilling Days of Yesteryear, an all volunteer radio reenactment group, will present “The New York Strip,” at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17, at the Oak Park Arms retirement community, 408 S. Oak Park Ave.

Author Damon Runyon is best known for his short stories celebrating the world of Broadway that grew out of the Prohibition era in New York City. Runyon spun humorous and sentimental tales of gamblers, hustlers, actors and gangsters with names like “Nathan Detroit,” Benny Southstreet,” Big Jule,” Harry the Horse” or “The Seldom Seen Kid.”

He is known for writing in the present tense, and a combination of colorful slang and formal speech makes his style distinctive.

“Guys and Dolls,” is a musical based on two of Runyon’s stories written in the 1920s and 1930s, and a popular presentation of his fictional world to the general public.

Those Thrilling Days of Yesteryear will take the audience in for a closer look at the seedy underworld of New York City through the masterful slang and gangster style of these “Runyonesque” characters.

The performers

Those Thrilling Days of Yesteryear is composed of Chicagoland actors who share a common interest – to perform old time radio programs for the community. Each actor and technician donates talent and time for free.

Group founders, Ben Dooley and Pam Turlow, husband and wife, established a connection with The Oak Park Arms in September of 2002, when Turlow’s father became a resident. They’ve been volunteering/performing at The Arms ever since.

Dooley and Turlow’s group performs only once every two months due to the considerable challenges involved in creating a show. They browse through thousands of old time radio episodes, select a favorite, listen and type out the script. Many shows are not available in print and have to be painstakingly transcribed. Then they gather sound effect, rehearse and mount the show.

Sound effects were an important part of live radio shows, and the group performs them live. They have a real door for slamming, buzzers, a sound board and shoes for footsteps, and doorbells.

The shows are very popular with residents and people from the community. Some even bring their children and grandchildren to show them what entertainment was like before television.

“Since the entire cast donates its time and energy, we can only do shows six times a year,” Dooley said, “but we strive to make sure that it’s well worth the wait.”

The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay – a weekend, a week, a month or longer.

The radio show is free and open to the public. For more information, call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040.

Share

Leave a Reply

Connect with us
Click here to visit to The Oak Park Arms Website and learn about senior care in Oak Park, River Forest, Forest Park, Berwyn, Elmwood Park. Click here to send an email to the Oak Park Arms Retirement Community. Click here to follow The Oak Park Arms on Twitter and learn about senior care in Oak Park, River Forest, Forest Park, Berwyn, Elmwood Park. Click here to visit The Oak Park Arms Facebook Page and learn about senior care in Oak Park, River Forest, Forest Park, Berwyn, and Elmwood Park. Click here to subscribe to the Oak Park Arms blog RSS Feed.
Communities we serve:
Oak Park, River Forest, Forest Park, Berwyn, Elmwood Park, Chicago, Riverside, North Riverside, Cicero, Brookfield, Maywood, Melrose Park, Broadview, Lyons, Galewood, and River Grove