Encountering the truth
Radio drama series allows students and professors to entertain and teach
The Liberty University Theater Arts Department, in conjunction with the Digital Media and Communication Arts, are working on recording its second season of the radio drama series, “The Encounter.”
This series developed from director and Liberty professor Chris Nelson when he imagined a story about what it would be like to have an authentic encounter with the truth.
From this idea came the series that has already recorded one season and will work this semester to record the second.
SCRIPT — The first season is being finished as the third series is written. | MIC — Students recorded at 90.9, a local radio station. Photo provided
Philip Sitterding is a junior at Liberty and is returning to be a part of the writing team for a second year.
According to Sitterding, the vision of the series is to allow the audience, through entertainment, to explore an important idea of what it means to encounter truth in their lives.
Most of the people working on this project are Liberty students along with several professors helping out in different areas.
The group of writers are currently in the process of writing a third season for the series, with professors Chris Underation and Kornel Gerstner assisting the project.
“We have a really talented group of four writers who are currently meeting with Mr. Nelson … to hash out where we want to take this story over the next season, and perhaps beyond,” Sitterding said.
The series has the potential to continue on for several more seasons, but there are many areas that have to be taken into account, according to Sitterding.
The writing team is most cautious about the honesty of the storyline.
“We don’t want to push the story forward if it would detract from the overall impact of the project,” Sitterding said.
The first season of the series has not aired yet and is still being edited to ensure that the music and sound effects are perfected.
Sitterding said there are several professors that help with the voices of characters and with the editing process.
“It’s definitely a big project that many different people are passionate about,” Sitterding said.
The project’s target audience is primarily middle and high school students, but the storyline is also one that can be appealing to anyone.
According to Sitterding, the story is set in a dystopian world with two separate societies.
The series follows some of the kids from these societies that begin to question what they have been taught growing up.
Once the series is ready, it will be able to be aired on Liberty’s radio stations, according to Sitterding.
This will make it available for Liberty students to listen, along with others throughout the state.
“I think the ultimate goal is to get it in as many formats as we can, so eventually we’ll probably have it available as a podcast in some form or another,” Sitterding said.
“The Encounter” will continue to work to have several seasons prepared for broadcast with the hopes of reaching many through this series.
Sitterding enjoys being a part of this team and is grateful for the opportunity to work on a radio drama.
“I love the project because it gives us the opportunity to explore some really pertinent questions people ask through a medium that’s very non-threatening,” Sitterding said.
Season one of “The Encounter” is scheduled to be broadcast in the spring with teaser episodes airing shortly after Thanksgiving.
whittaker is a feature reporter.