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To quote the slogan of the Gundie Journal, "Sure, why not?"

The goal of this show was to find perhaps two classic stories, something that would fit nicely in a half hour, and bring them to life on the radio. By classic, they didn't have to be well known, as much as be by tried and true writers who would have earned that moniker. The fact that deceased writers' work comes cheaper helped. You should know that everyone, the actors and musicians, professional performers all, worked for free on this show, just for the chance to have fun doing it. WKSU would have paid me the same had I not done it, so I worked for free, too. But all this is tangential.

I am a fan of shaggy dog stories. The term refers to a broad category of joke that belabors the listener for minutes and minutes in anticipation of some ripping punch line, which, if the story is effective, ends in a howling groaner of a bad pun, spoonerism, or some such word play that, while it makes you almost want to club the person who told it, also can't help but make you laugh. O. Henry did not write shaggy dog stories, but his claim to fame as one of the high priests of the short story is, in fact, his surprise endings. To me, that's just as good. You try, as you read him, to figure out how he's going to twist the story to a conclusion in the last line, but even if you do get "ahead" of him, his storytelling is sublime, and you still very much enjoy the ride (as you would with a good shaggy dog teller). So when searching through The Great authors for stories of this season that would fit the needs of this show, O. Henry was an easy pick.

O. Henry's classic "Gift of the Magi" is a story we all know the basic plot of, but how many times do we get to hear it, complete, in his own words? So many Holiday stories get repeated on television and in songs this time of year, perhaps it was time to give the rich and colorful prose of O. Henry their full sway. And it is thirteen minutes long, perfect! It's a warm and wonderful bit of Christmas lore.

But speaking of colorful, "The Day We Celebrate" is a much more obscure O. Henry piece, and it may be a bit of a stretch to call it a Christmas story. Here we have a tale probably new to your ears, the plot different, and a cast of very odd characters we haven't had access to every year for eons. And, as it was also able to be done, unabridged, in about thirteen minutes, I decided here was a bit of spice for our little holiday celebration.

O. Henry was born William Sydney Porter in 1862. For more on him, I recommend this link: http://www.online-literature.com/o_henry/

It's a brief overview of the life of this man who not only started a magazine called The Rolling Stone (it didn't last), but became a bank teller, spent time in prison for embezzlement, and then rose to literary fame, only to die of alcohol abuse, all in too short a time.

Also there is this link to the O. Henry Museum in Austin, TX. http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/parks/ohenry.htm

I hope you enjoy our half hour of "Two From O. Henry." Please read on and find out about the wonderful performers who have brought it to you.

--Joe Gunderman

"The Day We Celebrate" order of appearance

John Buck, Jr., ("Hop-Along" Bibb) is a native of Madison, Wisconsin. He was trained at Northwestern University under Alvina Krause; and at The Academy Of Dramatic Art in Rochester, Michigan, under John Fernald, friend of George Bernard Shaw and guiding light of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Mr. Buck joined the acting company of the Cleveland Play House in 1969, for what would become a nearly 20-year association, and appeared in over eighty productions. He was also a member of Ken Albers' The Actor's Company for their ten-year life span. He has appeared with The Cleveland Orchestra, The Cleveland Lyric Opera, The Milwaukee Repertory Company, The John Fernald Company of the Meadowbrook Theatre, The Ypsilanti Greek Theatre, with Dame Judith Anderson, Bert Lahr and Ruby Dee, in New York with the City Center Repertory Company, and in King Lear at The Roundabout Theatre Company with Hal Holbrook. Mr. Buck performed with the Great Lakes Theater Festival over a fifteen year period. John, and his wife Nancy, are residents of Cleveland Heights.

Joe Gunderman (original story teller) is a 25-year radio veteran. Joe was a long-time Public Radio listener and member before coming to work at WKSU in June 1997. He has been OET's "Producer of the Year" twice for WKSU, and has produced award-winning radio ads for Kent State University. Other than the day-to-day polishing of promos and prerecorded content at the station, Joe's most notable productions for WKSU are his "Holiday Stories from The Gundie Journal" (which brought together professional writers, actors and musicians for an hour long radio special in 2004), and the three two-hour versions of "Ornaments and Icing, Songs and Stories of the Holidays" for NPR, which were honored with a Gabriel Award in 2001. Previously Joe was a commercial radio production director in Cleveland for over 9 years at the combinations Lite Rock 106.5 FM and WWWE-AM, and 106.5 and WRMR-AM. Before that he produced for WSPD-AM and WLQR-FM in Toledo. Additionally, Joe is a professional voice artist. In the spring of 2004, Joe celebrated 20 years as an AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) freelancer doing commercials and narrations that are heard all over the country. He also takes to the stage at irregular intervals, having appeared in a one-man show at Playhouse Square in the spring of 2004, at Beck Center that same year, and Dobama, Berea Summer Theater and other stages in previous years. As an avocation, he is a rather serious photographer.

Pete Morton (Liverpool Sam) is a songwriter and performer from Nottingham, England with a wealth of great songs and stage presence. Starting out as a busker on the streets of Europe, he has entertained all over the globe with his unique and involving style of songwriting and traditional singing. Pete has recorded five solo albums of original material and a project album of traditional songs entitled 'Trespass'. His CD 'Hunting the heart' was a Mojo folk album of the year in 2000. His most recent CD 'Swarthmoor' received rave reviews and includes the highly acclaimed 'Two brothers', a powerful pleading for peace in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. The catchy and inspiring 'Shepherds song' is also included amongst this wonderfully stark collection of songs performed simply with an acoustic guitar and vocal. 'Another train' is without doubt, Pete's most widely covered song, popular with choirs and folk artists around the world. His website is http://www.petemorton.com/

Chuck Richie (Dr. Pendergast) is a twenty-seven year veteran of professional acting work for the stage and the media. He trained in England at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), and received his undergraduate degree from Denison University in nearby Granville.  Chuck was a founding company member of Shakespeare & Co. He has played more than twenty different roles in works by Shakespeare, among them Horatio in Hamlet, The Duke in Measure for Measure, Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, and First Player in Hamlet at Kent State University, where he is an Assistant Professor of Voice and Acting. He also spent ten years in the New York theater, where he appeared at such well-known venues as La Mama E.T.C., Playwrights Horizons, and Theatre for the New City. Chuck is frequently employed as a voice and dialect coach in the Cleveland/Akron area, and has also worked as an actor a The Cleveland Play House, Dobama Theatre, Cain Park, and Porthouse Theatre Company and has been seen in numerous radio and television commercials and industrial films and videos.

David Savord (original underscoring)
Dave Savord plays a variety of different instruments and composes in various styles. He and his wife author/librarian Marie Savord are cofounders of Digbog Publishing. He is still growing up in Sandusky, Ohio.

"The Gift of the Magi" order of appearance

Nancy Telzerow (Della) is an adjunct Professor teaching Radio and TV Announcing at Baldwin Wallace College. She has been seen and heard in national commercials for the past 14 years. Stage credits include: A View from the Bridge, Tom Walker, Side Man, Cyanide at Tea time, and she will soon be doing a revival of her role in View for the Ensemble Theater at the Cleveland Playhouse.

Joe Gunderman (storyteller #1) See Bio & Photo above.

Catherine Albers (storyteller #2)
Catherine is a professional actress and a teacher at Case Western Reserve University in the Department of Theater and Dance, where she is the Director of Undergraduate Theater Studies. She is also a Master Teacher in the MFA Professional Actor Training program, run in conjunction with the Cleveland Play House. She has performed on stages throughout the U.S. and is a certified Master Teacher of Michael Chekhov Acting Technique. She is thrilled to be working with this wonderfully talented group of people. Thank you for the opportunity.

Mike Kraft (Jim) is a native Clevelander and has been a full-time professional performer and AFTRA/SAG member since 1981. He also serves on the Board of AFTRA. He has appeared in well over 1000 industrial training films, hundreds of television and radio commercials, short films and numerous live performances. He also hosts distance learning events for General Motors and Volkswagen and moderates live interactive webcasts for Ernst & Young.

Helene Weinberg (Madame Sofroni) is a national event entertainer, writer and producer and the creative director of OUT TO LUNCH Events – the business of fun, a live event production company. Helene has been seen and heard coast to coast in national radio and television shows like Candid Camera and America's Funniest People, and in commercials for such clients as: McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Cadillac, JC Penney, Goodyear, Sears and Pepsi. She has created her Out To Lunch comedy for the Cleveland Browns, a live tour for American Movie Classics, an awards show for the managers of Charter One Bank or an acting training session for the customer service staff at Progressive Insurance.

Bob Bellamy, Hammered Dulcimer
Wendy Barlow, Harp (original underscoring, "Magi")
Bob and Wendy are acoustic musicians from central Ohio. Highlights from 2000 – 2004 include: Christmas performances at the Biltmore Estate and the Greenbrier Resort, guest artists in concert and for intense workshops for two years at the Buckeye Dulcimer Festival, guest artists in concert and workshops for the Columbus Folk Festival, a VIP reception for former first lady, Barbara Bush and entertainment for private events for the US Chamber of Commerce, author David McCullough, the European Union sponsored by Coca Cola and other high profile events held on the piazza of George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens. They were guest artists, which included supplying the show theme music, for "Ornaments and Icing," an NPR syndicated program of holiday music produced by Joe Gunderman and WKSU. In the summer of 2002 their album, "Always Home" was released. Other recordings by Bob include "American Architecture," "As Silent Stars Go By," and "Rise Over Run." Wendy's include "Vision of Souls" and "A Christmas Carol" (recorded for New Hampshire Public Radio). Their hymn album, "Softly and Tenderly" was released in the summer of 2004.

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