Return of the Queens Messenger

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Early Television Museum

Return of the Queens Messenger

Presentation by Joe Piazzo

I have managed to get a small grant to begin on a project that I think would be very interesting to you and the Early Television Community.

Our plan now is to re-create the Queens Messenger Broadcast on stage in a new muti media theater production. We have located the original play "The Queens Messenger" and are writing a wrap-around story that presents the effort that went into the production - and the characters involved. A play, within a play I guess you could describe it. Our vision is quite ambitious (of course) - in addition to a live stage production we hope to stream it live over the internet. A fitting update to "wireless" broadcasting we think.

Being here in Schenectady - we have access to a huge amount of materials and resources to make this production as compelling and historical accurate as possible.

The Schenectady Museum is providing support - which of course includes access their television collection including the Octagon - and the entire GE photo and document archive. We are also lucky enough to have Alexanderson's Papers (and his lab assistant Peter Nixdorff lab dairies) at Union college. WGY and WRGB are still in town. The Schenectady Civic Players - a theater formed in 1926 has partnered with us also - and it turns out that there was significant cooperation between them, WGY Radio Players, and the whole amazing creative and technical community that made up Schenectady in the 1920's and 30's. Proctors Theater - completely restored to its original glory - could very well be one of the performance venues - it's main stage home to the 1930's projection TV demonstration.

In addition to the dramatic and narrative parts of this production there are the PROPS! As a techie guy involved in video production all my life - our plan to re-create (as accurately as possible) the multi-camera "TV Studio" GE built to "televise" this production is extremely exciting. I have seen the wonderful replicas of the receivers some of you members have built - but I am not sure anyone has done accurate camera re-productions. Do we expect it to work? Good question..

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