Podcasts From The Strand

Looking for some laughs? Looking for some tunes? Lucky you -- when you tune in the Strand On The Air Press Your Luck Special! Liz McLeod and the Strand Family Players take a comic look at the vicissitudes of fate, as All Things Rescinded introduces you to the Luckiest Couple on Earth, and down in Abysmal Point, the whole town tries their luck when Mrs. Grunden's clam shack installs a lottery machine. Brittany Parker will be along with new music, and it'll be your great good fortune to discover the esoteric melodies of our special musical guest PlanetYes!

The days are at their longest, and the sun, when we can see it, is at its brightest! Liz McLeod, Dan Bookham, and the Strand Family Players engage in plenty of seasonal foolery, there's new tunes from Brittany Parker, and there's a summer visit from old-time harmonists Patty Jackson and Rusty Blake. And down in Abysmal Point, it's the day of all days as Mrs. Grunden, Lilita, Gertie, and all the gang unshell a townwide celebration of their Clamtennial! Written and directed by Liz Mcleod, Strand on The Air is a presentation of the Strand Theatre. 

Grab your garden shovel and your big sun hat! Liz McLeod  and the Strand Family Players sow the seeds of laughter, as the All Things Rescinded team takes on every angle of the gardening question, from high-tech fertilizer to what to do when the dandelions come; Professor Dan Bookham unveils his "Ode To Yardwork," and down in Abysmal Point Mrs. Grunden, Lilita, Gertie and the gang continue to cultivate plans for their big Clamtennial celebration. Plus new music from Brittany Parker and tunes recorded live on the Strand stage by MCMA's adult jam band "Better Late!" 

Join Liz McLeod and the Strand Family Players for comic sidelights on the Strand's 100th Anniversary celebration, and a trip down to Abysmal Point, where Mrs. Grunden and friends are busy with Centennial plans of their own. Plus new music from Brittany Parker, and selections from the Midcoast Music Academy Jazz Ensemble, recorded live on stage during MCMA's Spring Recital!

It's Christmas Night in Abysmal Point as Mrs. Grunden and her friends gather at the Passivity Grange Hall for their annual holiday dinner -- and who knows how that'll go, as the Strand On The Air presents its annual holiday special! Liz McLeod and the Strand Family Players, Brittany Parker, and announcer Dan Bookham will all be on hand for a heaping helping of holiday fun, with musical guests Patty Jackson and Rusty Blake.

Crypt Manager Liz McLeod and Strand Family Players moan their way into your hearts once more with a spine-chilling tale of suspense from the darkest depths of Abysmal Point, as Gertie Crummet becomes convinced that Mrs. Grunden has finally reached her limit -- and has gone on a rampage of terror that will leave her the next victim! Meanwhile, the intrepid journalists of All Things Rescinded explore the scientific limits of human fear, investigate the desperate situation facing the candy-corn market, and turn their eyes to that most terrifying event of the season: the election! 

Grab your fried dough and frozen slushie! Liz McLeod and the Strand Family Players promenade down the midway with original comedy sketches, with Brittany Parker and Friends holding forth in the music tent along with highlights from Midcoast Music Academy’s recent summer recital.  All Things Rescinded explores the wonders of Beano, the perils of the Back To Preschool season, and Every Reason To Love September, while down in Abysmal Point, Mrs. Grunden, Gertie Crummet, and Lilita wonder if they’ll ever get down from the top of a stalled Ferris Wheel. 

Grab the hot dogs and marshmallows, pack up the bug spray and tick spoon, and head Up to Camp with Liz McLeod and the Strand Family Players! "All Things Rescinded" will explore the state of not-really-post-pandemic summer travel, and consider the possibility of a super hero blockbuster summer flick that hasn't been done before. Down in Abysmal Point, Mrs. Grunden and the gang head for the tranquil algae-blooming waters of Sluice Lake. Musical favorites Patty Jackson & Rusty Blake return with some lively tunes! 

A STRAND ON THE AIR Special Event presented by the Oceanside Middle School Winter 2022 "Take the Stage" class! This 30-minute radio-play version of THE MAGIC LAKE is a musical retelling of a Peruvian folktale about a quest to discover a magic lake at the end of the world. 

Grab the brooms and clean up -- let's go! Liz McLeod dusts off the Strand Family Players, who find joy in tossing out a few barbs at the World's Greatest Professional Declutterer; show you what not to do when your neighbor messes up your garden; and meet an upcycler with a startling new use for cat hair. And down in Abysmal Point, Mrs. Grunden and Lilita make a startling discovery under the floorboards when redecorating the clam shack. You'll hear a sampling of music from the middle school Take The Stage Program, and meet musical guest singer-songwriter Trisha Mason. 

The intrepid journalists of All Things Rescinded will take a look at the burgeoning new pandemic-inspired musical genre of “grumblecore,” featuring the radio debut of the hard-driving alternative band “Karen’s Spleen,” along with a nostalgic look at Town Meeting season as it used to be, and a preview of our coming travails with mud season. Down in Abysmal Point, Mrs. Grunden, Lilita, and the gang will gather round the kitchen table to drive off the winter blues with a hard-fought no-quarter-asked-and-none-given game of full-contact Monopoly. Special musical guests GoldenOak.

Sure, we know it’s not THAT kind of boxing, but Liz McLeod will lace on the gloves anyway when the Strand On The Air bids farewell and good riddance to 2021! Hear Edith Menhaden describe her legendary 200 year old fruitcake, and a pulse-pounding no-holds-barred preliminary bout between Old Year 2021 and New Year 2022! Featuring the Strand Family Players and musical guests.

Back by popular demand! Our own Liz McLeod, not only the Strand’s House Manager but a veteran radio performer besides,  brings the true spirit – in fact, all three of the true holiday spirits – to vivid life in a dramatic reading of “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. Condensed from Dickens’ own reading abridgement, and accented by nearly two dozen distinctive voice characterizations, this unique 64-minute audio presentation will be available only thru the Strand’s website and our podcasting platforms. Recorded in December 2020.

Carve those pumpkins, don those masks, and go ahead and eat all the Kit Kats out of the candy bowl – as THE STRAND ON THE AIR returns on Halloween Night for its “All Treats – No Tricks” special! The latest installment in the Strand Theatre’s own radio variety show features Liz McLeod and the Strand Family Players, announcer Dan Bookham, and musical director Brittany Parker in a full sixty minutes of haunting laughs and shuddery tunes. 

Originally broadcast in two parts on the Strand on the Air broadcasts of 6/27 and 8/29/2021. Written and directed by, and featuring, Liz McLeod, with Lili Bonarrigo and William Zall.

Join Liz McLeod and the Strand Family Players, Brittany Parker, and Dan Bookham as we say goodbye to summer with an hour of music and laughs. “All Things Rescinded” will take a look at the challenges kids face as they zoom out of Zoom and back to the classroom, and you’ll meet the most fanatical fan of Fall that ever sipped a pumpkin-spice latte.

Liz McLeod leads the Strand Family Players down the shore to frisk and and caper in the sunshine, Brittany Parker will dish up some appropriate summer melodies, Professor Dan Bookham will sing an ode to that season that’s oh-too-short, and we’ll welcome back Waldo County’s favorite old-time harmony team Patty Jackson and Rusty Blake for a brand-new picnic basket full of tunes.

At long last, there’s light at the end of the tunnel – and if you don’t think so, we’ll set you straight! Tune in for more laughs with Liz McLeod and the Strand Family Players, and music from Brittany Parker. Join the intrepid journalists of All Things Rescinded for a look at what hoarders are doing now that there’s no need to hoard, and get the exclusive word from Mrs. Grunden on the vaccination experience! There’ll be another excursion into the poetic from the good Professor Dan Bookham, and down in Abysmal Point you’ll thrill to a real old-fashioned outdoor home talent show as the whole gang gets together to sing, argue, and juggle tomatoes while riding a unicycle! 

Quit doomscrolling and start laughing! Join your house manager Liz McLeod, musical director Brittany Parker, announcer Dan Bookham, the Strand Family Players, and our special musical guests Freya, for a full hour of laughs and tunes.  You’ll hear a special “All Things Rescinded” examination of the Internet’s impact on a pandemic-weary public, featuring an exclusive first-time-ever interview with the actual Internet itself! And down in Abysmal Point, listen in as Mrs. Grunden and Lilita intervene to convince Gertie Crummett not to believe everything she sees on You Tube.

Join Liz McLeod, announcer Dan Bookham, and the Strand Family Players for a comic farewell to the year everyone can’t wait to kick out the door, and hear what happens down in Abysmal Point when Mrs. Grunden vows to forget everything that happened in 2020. There’ll be new music by Brittany Parker – and a unique Rehearsal-turned-Recital performance by some outstanding local jazz talent courtesy of the Midcoast Music Academy!

Don’t miss a special  extended-length visit to Abysmal Point, where Mrs. Grunden, Lilita, and Gertie confront the terrifying “Curse of Wilton Waldrop!”  And All Things Rescinded returns with an in-depth look at high-tech, socially distant Trick or Treating.

Broadcast over WRFR, Rockland & Camden Maine. Presented by the Strand Theatre, the August edition features Liz McLeod and the Strand Family Players, Brittany Parker, Dan Bookham, and musical guest Peter Hynd of "Playin' Possum."

Broadcast July 26, 2020 over WRFR, Rockland, Maine. Sponsored by the Strand Theatre. Featuring Liz McLeod and the Strand Family Players, Brittany Parker, Dan Bookham, and guests Dusty & Joanna And Friends.

Strand On The Air continues from home! This episode of our radio variety show from Rockland, Maine features Liz McLeod and the Strand Family Players, Brittany Parker, and musical guests Patty Jackson and Rusty Blake. Broadcast on WRFR Rockland.

Due to coronavirus restrictions, we can't bring you a live show this time -- so our stalwart performers sent in their bits from home for this compiled edition. Written and produced by Strand House Manager Liz Mcleod, this Social Distancing Special features announcer Dan Bokham, music by Brittany Parker and the Blake Rosso Band, comday skits performed by Liz and Lili Bonarrigo, and special guest Poet Laureate Joanna Hynd. Broadcast over WRFR Rockland.

Presented on Sunday, December 8 at 5pm at the Strand Theatre. Produced in the style of popular radio programs like A Prairie Home Companion and Live From Here, this 90 minute show included music, comedy, drama, and special guests, all performed in front of a live audience. 

This holiday-themed installment of Strand on the Air featured announcer Dan Bookham, music by Brittany Parker and the Blake Rosso Band, skits performed by the Strand Family Players, and special guests the bluegrass quartet Playin’ Possum.

Grab your shades, your beach blanket, and your sunscreen -- and celebrate summer at the Strand Theatre, recorded live direct from the stage on July 7, 2019 and broadcast over WRFR Rockland! The “Summer Fun Special,” is written and directed by Strand House Manager Liz McLeod, with the music of Strand Education Coordinator Brittany Parker and the Blake Rosso Band, announcer David Troup, and the Strand Family Players (Lili Bonarrigo, Scout Bookham, Billie Lawson, Kelsea Wotton, and William Zall). Special musical guests include Patty Jackson and Rusty Blake, Drive By Todd, and Galadria Scattaloni.