Bradbury 13: Kaleidoscope

If you don't like what you're doing, then don't do it. –Ray Bradbury

This week's installment of Bradbury 13 is Kaleidoscope, which was published in The Illustrated Man in 1951. Like anything converted from the written word to a live performance, there is a bit of artistic license in the Bradbury 13 series, but for the most part, they stay pretty true to the original stories. Paul Frees voiced the introduction in deep and foreboding tones and the rest of the stories are played out by voice actors and sound effects. It was really quite something. If I haven't been able to convince you yet, hop on over to Bradbury Media. Phil has got clips of the introductions, which {I believe} are excerpts of the narrative from each story. They foreshadow events that are to unfold and I've included the transcript for each introduction in each of my reviews.

Kaleidoscope
They fell. They fell as pebbles fall down wells. They were scattered as jackstones are scattered from a gigantic throw. And now instead of men, there were only voices — all kinds of voices, disembodied and impassioned, in varying degrees of resignation and terror.

My Rating:
It is interesting to me the deep questions that these stories bring up and the thinking that I do about them. The characters in the Kaleidoscope are faced with their immediate death. There isn't time or means to do anything except remember and square up with their lives, whatever they have been. It is interesting the different methods each of the men employ to cope with the situation. For me, the life lesson here is to live each moment to make it count; make right what you can and do your best independent of what those around you are doing.

Air Date:
April 30, 1984

{Kaleidoscope cast at work
Photo Courtesy of Phil at Ray Bradbury & Media
©Mike McDonough}

Narrator:
Paul Frees

Cast:
Scott Wilkinson
Ivan Crosland
Mike Flynn
James Errington
Mike McDonough
Rick Macy
Logan Field
Tim Eisenhart

Music:
Roger Hoffman
Greg Hansen

Production Assistant:
Patrick Mead

Associate Producer:
Jeff Raider

Created, Produced, Directed:
Mike McDonough

Executive Producer:
Dean Van Uitert

Audio Clip of Kaleidoscope

Buy Kaleidoscope mp3

Buy Bradbury 13 Audio CDs