Stage Coach Players brought the audience back to radio’s prime in the 1930s with creativity, comedy and suspense Friday night at their theater, 126 S. Fifth St.

Broadcasting on stage, 15 talented voice artists put on two popular programs with ease and expertise as they took audience members through an auditory adventure, “Our Miss Brooks” and “The Eddie Cantor Show.”

“Our Miss Brooks” follows a young teacher through the dreaded day of Friday the thirteenth. Miss Brooks already has a habit of making things go wrong every other day of the year, but it gets even worse on this cursed day. The on-stage broadcast only shows part of the story but encompasses romance and humor, as Brooks works on getting a date with a fellow colleague and avoiding the principal who hates her.

The second segment, “The Eddie Cantor Show,” follows the first broadcast flawlessly and tells the story of Orson Welles’ famous book, “War of the Worlds.” When it first premiered, the horrifying broadcast made listeners think the world was being overtaken by an alien species, and this production followed it predecessor seamlessly. Following a scientist as she watches the aliens annihilate the human race, the broadcast switches between military leaders and on-the-ground reporters. Near the end, an announcer makes the audience aware the story is not, by any means, real, an assumption audience member’s at the Stage Coach show already know, but may have forgotten.

The show included radio commercials, handmade sound effects and authentic clothing on each cast member to really take audience members back in time. The audience was left to imagine their own vision of what the stories may look like, but some acting did occur on stage. Singing, exaggerated facial expressions and a little cue card girl all provided visuals to keep the audience engaged throughout.

An annual show at Stage Coach Players, the production was like a time machine, taking viewers back to a time when radio was more popular than any other form of entertainment. Keeping the audience engaged and producing two great radio productions, the night was a success and a great way to kick off the holiday season.