ON CHRISTMAS DAY

Not only is the spirit of Christmas in the air, it’s also “on” the air December 25 as the Portsmouth Community Radio Audio Theater Players present “Christmas Shopping,” a radio play based on the “Archie” comic strip series. The show airs at 6 pm on Christmas Day on WSCA 106.1 FM. (Continued below)

John Lovering, the host of Audio Theater on WSCA, put together an all-star cast of the young and young-at-heart to play the colorful, comedic characters from the “Archie” series including Veronica, Betty, Jughead, and Fred. The original radio episode “Archie A. – Christmas Shopping at Stacy’s Department Store” first aired on December 17, 1949. The radio show “Archie Andrews,” which was based on the comic strip by Bob Montana, aired from 1943 to 1953.

Chuck Curtis of Exeter, a WSCA volunteer and member of the NH Senior Scene Players and co-director of the radio station’s Christmas production, suggested an adaptation of the Archie Christmas episode to Lovering. He rounded up the cast members, including Curtis, other adult actors and a handful of teenagers.

Curtis, 68, read the comics as a child and says: “I chose this script solely because it had the theme (we) were looking for and would include four young actors from our community. That is what WSCA is about. Everyone gets a chance to participate, regardless of talent or experience. That relaxed opportunity is great representation for this community owned station.”

Most of the show takes place in a mall as the Archie characters – unbeknownst to one another – try to complete their last minute Christmas shopping. Without revealing to each other who they’re shopping for or what their buying, these cast of characters leave the listener in stitches as they make their way through the mall.

Lovering said that casting adults for roles in the radio show was easy while teen actors were a little harder to come by. Curtis’ 17-year-old grandson Nick Sosa plays Archie. Samantha Waters, 15, of Eliot, Maine is Betty. Veronica Pruett, 16, of South Berwick, Maine plays Veronica; and Dakotha Cappaletti, 15, of Rochester is Jughead.

“I wanted to be in this production because it seemed like a lot of fun and a great opportunity,” said Sosa, a senior at Spaulding High School. “I like Archie because he isn't too much different from me; he doesn't have any real hobbies besides hanging around with friends and he has a funny personality.”

The adult roles were taken on by Curtis as Fred, Jessie Rains of North Berwick, Maine as Mary Andrews (Archie’s mom), and Darryl Mundo of Dover as Spacy’s Department Store floorwalker.

Lovering said after they recorded the show in early November, the main comment he kept hearing from the cast was, “This is so much fun. I definitely want to do it again!”

“And so do I,” he said.

Portsmouth Community Radio’s Audio Theatre has been on the air with over 425 shows since September of 2004.  It can be heard every Tuesday evening from 6 to 8 pm at 106.1 FM and streaming live on the Internet at portsmouthcommunityradio.org.

WSCA is an all volunteer, non-commercial radio station located at 909 Islington St., Suite 1, Portsmouth, N.H. 03801, offering a wide variety of programming by and for the community.