Fayette radio station KPIP-LP FM 94.7, a low power educational community station, will present its first-ever radio theatre production this weekend in collaboration with the Fayette Area Community Theatre.

Station founding member and Director of Programming Patricia Fisher collaborated with Joe Geist to bring to life Steve Martin’s “Picasso at the Lapin Agile.” Geist directed this production.

“Joe has always wanted to produce this specific work as a stage production,” Fisher said, “but because of the pandemic it’s been off the table for a long time.” 

She said she and Geist brainstormed developing a radio troop in order to provide more locally-produced content; this production and collaboration between F.A.C.T. and the newly-minted KPIP Players sprang from those conversations. 

Fisher and Geist put out a call for actors in the area who might be interested, and gathered for a reading. “Everyone was enthusiastic about it,” said Fisher. Rather than a traditional rehearsal schedule, they held a handful of rehearsals, and then recorded the program over the weekend of July 24-25.

There were 10 actors who participated in the production, including Fisher and her husband John Tinker, who is also the station’s manager. 

The recording took place at Classic Hall on the Central Methodist University campus, and Fisher credited Geist with making that possible. Now, the show is in post-production, with audio engineer David Holman putting together the finished piece with sound effects. 

The show will air at 7 p.m. on Saturday, August 7, and at 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 8. Tune in locally to 94.7 FM to listen. Fisher said they designed posters to advertise the show, and they are available at Grey Willows. “We would encourage people to stop by and pick one up if they’re interested,” she said.