Starrynight Productions, LLC.

05/16/2025

Congratulations to the cast and crew of A WATCHER IN THE WOODS for recent wins at the Communicator Awards!

On May 6, the Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts (AIVA) announced six Communicator Awards for the WATCHER audio play—three awards of excellence for craft on-air talent, craft sound design, and craft editing and three awards of distinction for general production, craft writing, and craft original music.

In 2024, WFIU partnered with Starrynight Productions, LLC. to adapt Florence Engel Randall’s 1976 mystery novel as part of the celebration of the total solar eclipse in Indiana.

05/16/2025

Congratulations to the cast and crew of A WATCHER IN THE WOODS for recent wins at the Communicator Awards!

On May 6, the Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts (AIVA) awarded six Communicator Awards to the production—three awards of excellence for craft on-air talent, craft sound design, and craft editing and three awards of distinction for general production, craft writing, and craft original music.

In 2024, WFIU Public Radio partnered with Starrynight Productions, LLC. to adapt Florence Engel Randall’s 1976 mystery novel as part of the celebration of the total solar eclipse in Indiana. Writer/director Russell McGee (Big Finish Productions Doctor Who audio plays) and producer/actor Michael Brainard (All My Children) worked collaboratively with WFIU to produce A Watcher in the Woods as a two-part limited radio series. Previously, McGee and Brainard worked with WFIU on the radio series The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and The Ernie Pyle Experiment!.

The audio series features the talents of Barbara Rosenblat (The Boy and the Heron, Orange is the New Black), Sophie Aldred (Doctor Who), Bonnie Bogovich (Marvel Snap, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic – Resurgence), Deva Marie Gregory (Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, World of Warcraft: Dragonflight, A Ghost Waits), among others.

The Communicator Awards is an international awards program recognizing excellence, effectiveness, and innovation across all areas of communication. The 31st Annual Communicator Awards received over 3,000 entries from companies, agencies, studios, and boutique shops of all sizes, making it one of the largest awards shows of its kind globally.

This year’s Award of Excellence recipients—representing the highest honor of the competition—include standouts such as Netflix, NASA+, Oliver Wyman, George P. Johnson Experience Marketing, Getty Museum, Apple, PepsiCo, McKesson, Savannah College of Art and Design, The Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal, Zeta Global, Bank of America and many others. The full list of winners can be explored in The Communicator Awards Winners Gallery.

, , , , , , , , ,

04/07/2024

Meet the cast of A WATCHER IN THE WOODS for WFIU Public Radio.

Tune in this Sunday, April 7 at 6pm EST on WFIU.

https://indianapublicmedia.org/radio/player/player.php?myMediaURL=https://indianapublicmedia.org/radio/wfiu1hi.m3u

Barbara Rosenblat as Mrs Aylwood

Barbara Rosenblat is an actor and voice artist who's recent work on "The Boy and the Heron" garnered an Academy Award for best animated movie. She is an award winning audiobook recording artist and drew millions of fans worldwide playing "Miss Rosa" on the Netflix series "Orange Is The New Black".

Sophie Aldred as The Watcher

Born and raised in South East London, Sophie studied drama at the University of Manchester and worked in children’s theatre, working mens’ clubs and musicals before being cast as Ace, Doctor Who number Seven’s feisty companion. She is also well known for her work on programmes like Jackanory, Words and Pictures, Melvin and Maureens’ Music-a-grams, Corners, Tiny and Crew, ZZZap! Her extensive voice work includes hundreds of audiobooks of many genres, dramas and animations such as Dennis and Gnasher, Bananas in Pyjamas, Peter Rabbit, Piku and Tuki and Tree Fu Tom. Sophie has appeared in over one hundred audio dramas with Big Finish. In 2020 Sophie wrote her first novel, At Childhood’s End (published by Penguin Random House) which became an Amazon best seller. She also contributed a short story, Chemistry, to the anthology Origin stories published in 2022. Sophie reprised her role as Ace in The Power of the Doctor, Jodie Whitaker’s farewell story, which was chosen to celebrate the Centenary anniversary of the BBC and transmitted on 23rd October 2022. In Autumn 2023 she recorded “Tales of the TARDIS” with Sylvester McCoy for BBC iPlayer as part of Doctor Who’s 60th Anniversary.

Angie Hickman as Mrs Fleming

Angie Hickman is pleased to be participating in another Starrynight Productions program. Her first real taste of being on stage was in 1993, and she's been performing in some form or another ever since. Angie now works full time as an audiobook narrator and welcomes opportunities to collaborate with authors and other actors. Member of SAG-AFTRA since 2019.

More information:

https://indianapublicmedia.org/blog/a-watcher-in-the-woods.php?fbclid=IwAR0hlLBeP11_0rKgmmcTdd4HsAuUyK9NZJOw7fQQzSceLAJK8Ujti_MtjtY_aem_AYu7dHRWumKRpvUWz2VX1QkUonq9tBZ-71XmnK5MvwwPC7NUEWhAgzctsI-2VJF5kWIq0IL9FGTWZjXVVgTl0jy_

, , ,

04/07/2024

Meet the cast of A WATCHER IN THE WOODS for WFIU Public Radio.

Tune in this Sunday, April 7 at 6pm EST on WFIU.

https://indianapublicmedia.org/radio/player/player.php?myMediaURL=https://indianapublicmedia.org/radio/wfiu1hi.m3u

Deva Marie Gregory as Ellie Carstairs

Deva Marie Gregory is a versatile actor from southern California, and has worked in all mediums, from theater to audiobook narration to animation. Known for her voiceover work, you can hear her on Disney+ and Netflix, in dozens of video games, and titles on Audible. Notable projects include Starfield (nominated for Best Role Playing Game at the 2023 Game Awards), World of Warcraft, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, and Aggretsuko. She is a graduate of Second City and South Coast Repertory’s Acting Intensive Program.

Emily Solt McGee as Kate Corsairs

Emmy Nominated performance artist,Emily McGee, has been seen on stage and behind the scenes as an actor, voice over artist, director, producer and puppeteer for various film and theatre companies including the Phoenix Theatre, Cardinal Stage Company, Bloomington Playwrights Project, Theatre Brown County, Breakfast Anytime Improv and Sketch Comedy, Starrynight Productions, Soundbooth Theatre, and WTIU. During the day, she can be found working as a publicist at Rock Paper Scissors Inc, a public relations and marketing firm that specializes in representing companies with an eye on tech and innovation within the music industry.

Bonnie Bogovich as Mrs Thayer

Bonnie Bogovich is a voice and audio artist on a variety of video game, educational, and static, episodic, and interactive audio drama projects. In addition to voice acting, she also sings and has performed in operatic, choral, and musical ensembles, and has been featured on video game tribute albums and soundtracks. She resides these days in Austin, TX, working on projects via her audio production company, BlackCatBonifide LLC. Recent projects include; “Space Punks”, “Death And Taxes”, “The Call of the Flame”, “Cosmonious High”, "DC Dual Force", "Wasteland 3", "Autopsy Simulator" and “Piper’s Pet Cafe.”

Follow Bonnie at https://blackcatbonifide.com

More information:

https://indianapublicmedia.org/blog/a-watcher-in-the-woods.php?fbclid=IwAR0hlLBeP11_0rKgmmcTdd4HsAuUyK9NZJOw7fQQzSceLAJK8Ujti_MtjtY_aem_AYu7dHRWumKRpvUWz2VX1QkUonq9tBZ-71XmnK5MvwwPC7NUEWhAgzctsI-2VJF5kWIq0IL9FGTWZjXVVgTl0jy_

, , ,

04/06/2024

Meet the cast of A WATCHER IN THE WOODS premiering on WFIU Public Radio this Sunday, April 7 at 6pm EST.

https://indianapublicmedia.org/radio/player/player.php?myMediaURL=https://indianapublicmedia.org/radio/wfiu1hi.m3u

Heidi Mikac as Jane Carstairs

Heidi Veronica Mikac is an American actress, born in Reykjavík, Iceland, but currently residing in Bloomington, Indiana. She is a dedicated actress, writer, and director. She is the Vice President and Head Writer (along with her co-writers, Paul Allen and Caitlin Skinner) of Allen & Mikac Films, which she runs with Paul Allen. She has appeared in many short films such as Small Talk, Finding Light in the Darkness, Written in the Dark, and Rickety Antiquity. She also stars in the upcoming series Wherein Lies Continue. As a director, she has worked on The Recovery 3, Finding Light in the Darkness, Written in the Dark, Wherein Lies Continue, and Rickety Antiquity. Outside of film, Heidi works as a dedicated and passionate school social worker.

Aiden Denehie as Mark Fleming

Aiden Denehie is still fresh to the field of voice-over work, but it has long been his dream to be a voice actor. The Watcher in the Woods is Aiden’s broadcast debut, having had previous experience on the stage and screen in a student capacity. He hopes to make it the first in a long and fulfilling career.

Eric Olson as Paul Carstairs

ERIC OLSON has been seen in the First National Tour of RAGTIME, Off-Broadway, and regional theatres across America & Europe, including Goodspeed Opera House, Trinity Repertory Company, Sacramento Music Circus, The Kennedy Center, American Stage, The Link Theatre Company, Gateway Playhouse, Theatre by the Sea, The Garry Marshall (Falcon) Theatre, Disney’s Hyperion, Eclipse, Phoenix Theatre, Constellation Stage & Screen, and many more. His film credits include: “Malum”, “Raising Helen”, “Rosie’s Rescue”, “Drive”, "Strokes," and “River.”

More information:

https://indianapublicmedia.org/blog/a-watcher-in-the-woods.php?fbclid=IwAR0hlLBeP11_0rKgmmcTdd4HsAuUyK9NZJOw7fQQzSceLAJK8Ujti_MtjtY_aem_AYu7dHRWumKRpvUWz2VX1QkUonq9tBZ-71XmnK5MvwwPC7NUEWhAgzctsI-2VJF5kWIq0IL9FGTWZjXVVgTl0jy_

, , , ,

04/06/2024

Starrynight Productions is excited to share that we have had the privilege of producing Florence Engel Randall’s A WATCHER IN THE WOODS for WFIU Public Radio as part of the celebration of the eclipse in Indiana!

This fantastic production features the talents of Barbara Rosenblat (THE BOY AND THE HERON – 2024 Academy Award Winner - Best Animated Feature, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK), Sophie Aldred (DOCTOR WHO), Bonnie Bogovich (MARVEL SNAP, STAR WARS: KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC – RESURGENCE), Deva Marie Gregory (FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH, WORLD OF WARCRAFT: DRAGONFLIGHT, A GHOST WAITS), among others.

Brought to you by the creative team behind WFIU’s The Ernie Pyle Experiment Podcast and THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ. Writer/Director Russell McGee (Big Finish Productions Doctor Who Audio Plays) and Producer/Actor Michael Brainard (All My Children), are working collaboratively with an amazing cast of actors to produce A WATCHER IN THE WOODS.

Tune in this Sunday, April 7 at 6pm on WFIU.

Here is the link to where you may listen to the live radio broadcast on the day from anywhere in the world. NOTE there are two channels and you will need to select WFIU1 on the day then press the play button.

https://indianapublicmedia.org/radio/player/player.php?myMediaURL=https://indianapublicmedia.org/radio/wfiu1hi.m3u

More information:

https://indianapublicmedia.org/blog/a-watcher-in-the-woods.php?fbclid=IwAR0hlLBeP11_0rKgmmcTdd4HsAuUyK9NZJOw7fQQzSceLAJK8Ujti_MtjtY_aem_AYu7dHRWumKRpvUWz2VX1QkUonq9tBZ-71XmnK5MvwwPC7NUEWhAgzctsI-2VJF5kWIq0IL9FGTWZjXVVgTl0jy_

WFIU has partnered with Starrynight Productions, LLC. to adapt a full-cast audio play from Florence Engel Randall’s A Watcher in the Woods as part of the celebration of the eclipse in Indiana!

This fantastic program features the talents of Barbara Rosenblat (The Boy and the Heron, Orange Is the New Black), Sophie Aldred (Doctor Who), Bonnie Bogovich (Marvel Snap, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic – Resurgence), Deva Marie Gregory (Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, World of Warcraft: Dragonflight, A Ghost Waits), among others.

Tune in this Sunday, April 7 at 6pm on WFIU.

More information: https://indianapublicmedia.org/blog/a-watcher-in-the-woods.php

07/05/2023

We are excited to tease this behind the scenes photo taken during the final recording session for SPLIT OPEN by the ever fabulous, Greta Lind!

This truly is a unique story that needs to be heard. It is a cross weaving story between two women’s lives. A woman coming to terms with her passions and what it means to own what she wants. While another woman struggles to find herself both spiritually and as an individual after sacrificing everything for her children and her failed marriage.

It is so much more and we can not wait for you to hear the audiobook read by Greta and the multi-award winning talented actor, Andrea Emmes. Both breathe life and emotion into a tapestry of characters! Their diverse range as actors made directing this production a total joy!

Can’t wait for the audiobook? Check out the novel available now through Amazon!

https://a.co/d/0QpiRMv

05/08/2023

OZ WINS 9 Communicator Awards!

Congratulations to the Cast and Crew of THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ!

Episodes 1 and 2 won seven awards of excellence and two awards of distinction.

WFIU Public Radio partnered with Starrynight Productions, LLC. and Soundbooth Theater on this four-part audio play series adapted from L. Frank Baum’s book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The series aired on WFIU in February and March of 2023.

The full production including the behind the scenes documentary will be distributed through Soundbooth Theater later in the year.

wfiu.org/blog
http://www.starrynight-productions.com/wonderful-wizard-oz/
https://soundbooththeater.com
https://www.communicatorawards.com/winners/winners-gallery/

, , , , , , , ,

Congratulations to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz on winning 9 Communicator Awards for episodes 1 and 2!

WFIU partnered with Starrynight Productions and Soundbooth Theater on this four-part audio play adapted from L. Frank Baum’s book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The series aired this past February on WFIU.

03/03/2023

REMINDER: Join us this weekend for the final week of Oz, where we go behind the scenes with cast and crew.

THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ
EPISODE 5 - BEHIND THE CURTAIN OF OZ airs Sat, March 4th, on WFIU2 at 5pm EST/4pm Central and on Sun, March 5th, on WFIU at 6pm EST/5pm Central.

Soundbooth Theater and Starrynight Productions, LLC. produced The Wonderful Wizard of Oz on behalf of WFIU Public Radio with generous support by Indiana Public Broadcasting!

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz follows the adventures of young Dorothy Gale and her dog Toto. After their Kansas home is swept away by a cyclone, Dorothy and Toto find themselves in a strange land called Oz.

wfiu.org/blog

For those of you outside of Indiana, you may listen to the broadcast via WFIU’s live stream:

WFIU 1 & WFIU 2’s live stream: http://bit.ly/3XVRBPW

The image was illustrated by Susan Anderson-Shorter and designed by Grant Shorter!

, , , , , , , ,

John Kraft is an Arizona-based opera singer and actor with over 13 years of stage experience. He was born in Connecticut, received his bachelor’s at DePauw University in Indiana, and his master’s in opera at Arizona State University. Kraft regularly performs with Arizona Opera and the Chandler Opera Company and has recently appeared with Prescott Pops Symphony, the Euphony Ensemble, and with several orchestras and ensembles.

Catch the third installment this weekend! ⬇

EPISODE 3 – THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST
Saturday, 2/18 at 5 p.m. on WFIU2
Sunday, 2/19 at 6 p.m. on WFIU

03/01/2023

Join us this weekend for the final week of Oz, where we go behind the scenes with cast and crew.

THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ
EPISODE 5 - BEHIND THE CURTAIN OF OZ airs Sat, March 4th, on WFIU2 at 5pm EST/4pm Central and on Sun, March 5th, on WFIU at 6pm EST/5pm Central.

Soundbooth Theater and Starrynight Productions, LLC. produced The Wonderful Wizard of Oz on behalf of WFIU Public Radio with generous support by Indiana Public Broadcasting!

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz follows the adventures of young Dorothy Gale and her dog Toto. After their Kansas home is swept away by a cyclone, Dorothy and Toto find themselves in a strange land called Oz.

wfiu.org/blog

For those of you outside of Indiana, you may listen to the broadcast via WFIU’s live stream:

WFIU 1 & WFIU 2’s live stream: http://bit.ly/3XVRBPW

The image was illustrated by Susan Anderson-Shorter and designed by Grant Shorter!

, , , , , , , ,

The wonderful world of Oz has a big finish in store this weekend! Let's meet another voice in this awesome cast:

Greta Lind is an actor, author, and bodyworker. Lind is a lifelong creative whose work spans diverse mediums including theater, podcasts, television, and film, where she’s appeared in All My Children and the hit film Rudy. Her recent work includes the audio drama series The Ernie Pyle Experiment!, a finalist in the Audie Awards. Lind’s debut novel, Split Open, was published in 2021 by Beaver's Pond Press (audiobook coming soon), and she has co-facilitated writing circles with Young Women Writing for (a) Change Bloomington, Indiana, where she currently lives. She raised two wonderful boys into young adulthood.

Don't miss the final episode! ⬇
EPISODE 4 – THE MAGIC ART OF OZ
Saturday, 2/25 at 5 p.m. on WFIU2
Sunday, 2/26 at 6 p.m. on WFIU

02/23/2023

THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ
EPISODE 4 - THE MAGIC ART OF OZ airs Sat, Feb 25th, on WFIU2 at 5pm EST/4pm Central and on Sun, Feb 26th, on WFIU at 6pm EST/5pm Central.

Soundbooth Theater and Starrynight Productions, LLC. produced The Wonderful Wizard of Oz on behalf of WFIU Public Radio with generous support by Indiana Public Broadcasting!

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz follows the adventures of young Dorothy Gale and her dog Toto. After their Kansas home is swept away by a cyclone, Dorothy and Toto find themselves in a strange land called Oz.

wfiu.org/blog

For those of you outside of Indiana, you may listen to the broadcast via WFIU’s live stream:

WFIU 1 & WFIU 2’s live stream: http://bit.ly/3XVRBPW

The image was illustrated by Susan Anderson-Shorter and designed by Grant Shorter!

, , , , , , , ,

Award-winning actor, producer, and coach P.J. Ochlan has been working in the entertainment industry for 35 years. His diverse career has included Broadway, the NY Shakespeare Festival under Joseph Papp, critically acclaimed feature films, and numerous television guest star and series regular roles. Along the way he’s worked with countless icons including Jodie Foster, Clint Eastwood, Robin Williams, and Al Pacino. He recently appeared on Young Sheldon as Rene Descartes.

Ochlan is best known behind the microphone as a widely acclaimed and record-setting audiobook narrator of more than 500 titles. His work has been recognized with multiple Audie Awards, Earphones Awards, Voice Arts Awards, and the Odyssey Award. Ochlan is also one of the industry’s leading dialect and performance coaches. He is the founder of Dr. Dialect (drdialect.com), co-founder of the Deyan Institute of Voice Artistry in Los Angeles and teaches from coast to coast at conferences and universities. Ochlan is the official dialect coach for Universal Studios and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, so he’s one of the only people on the planet who actually teaches at Hogwarts. 🧙‍♂️

Catch the third installment this weekend! ⬇

EPISODE 3 – THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST
Saturday, 2/18 at 5 p.m. on WFIU2
Sunday, 2/19 at 6 p.m. on WFIU