War of the Worlds: The 1938 Radio Broadcast

Name: War of the Worlds: The 1938 Radio Broadcast
Start: 2026-02-21T19:00:00-05:00
End: 2026-02-21T21:00:00-05:00
Location: 116 W Glen Ave, Syracuse, NY

Schedule

Sat Feb 21 2026 at 07:00 pm to 09:00 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

116 W Glen Ave, Syracuse, NY | Syracuse, NY

The Mercury Theater Live On Air’s Halloween show is coming up, and Orson Welles won’t settle for a typical adaptation of a classic literature. He joins his producer John Houseman and assistant producer Paul Stewart to select a work to adapt. But this won't be any ordinary radio show. Wells intends for this show to be a realistic, action-packed adventure that will make listeners feel as though they are witnessing events in real time, as they occur. Reporters! Bulletins! Excitement! What could go wrong?
Broadcast from New York's Mercury Theatre in 1938, this infamous radio play, based on the novel by H. G. Wells, had many terrified listeners convinced that an actual alien invasion of Earth was taking place. Adapted by Howard E. Koch, co-writer of Casablanca, and directed and narrated by Orson Welles, this original script detailing the frightening tale of an extraterrestrial takeover is now available to bring to life onstage to thrill and chill audiences.