n 1938 Orson Welles demonstrated the persuasive power of radio with his chilling broadcast of H.G. Wells' classic SF tale The War of the Worlds. Nearly six decades later, Leonard Nimoy and John de Lancie, actors renowned for their work on Star Trek, formed Alien Voices to prove that, even in an age of video games, computers and high-tech film making, old-fashioned theater of the mind can still be an effective and enjoyable medium.
In this rendition of The Invisible Man, which slightly expands Wells' relatively austere novel, a medical student named Griffin (de Lancie) discovers a chemical formula that can make objects seem to disappear. After determining that his instructor Kemp (Nimoy) plans to plagiarize this research, Griffin publicly denounces the professor and is expelled from school.
Angry over this capricious action, Griffin destroys a laboratory and, when a crowd arrives to find out what is happening, he's forced to become invisible in order to escape. Unfortunately there is no antidote, and as Griffin feverishly works to develop a method to reverse the process, he slowly goes mad, terrorizing the residents of the community and ultimately creating a life-or-death confrontation with Kemp.
There are a number of incidental characters in the story, most of whom are portrayed by either a principal actor or a notable guest star from one of the Star Trek productions. Original music and sound effects also accompany the adventure, and the work is packaged with an oversized Alien Voices collector's card.
Now, where did that story go?
When The Invisible Man was written in 1897, the potential of technology to solve the physical and societal problems of humanity seemed almost limitless. Such a positive outlook caused many scientists to ignore the potentially detrimental implications of their research, and Wells sought in part to address their arrogance through his fantastic fable. While similar issues remain relevant today, the flat presentation and overly talky performances on this performance result in a rather insipid interpretation.
Considering that the tale ostensibly concerns the effects of invisibility, it's ironic that one of the primary problems with the narrative is a lack of visual delineation. The transformation process is barely described, and it is only when Griffin finally rematerializes that the audience perceives the full horror of his predicament. There are a couple of sequences that are recounted in considerable detail, but much of the narrative involves discussions and chases that could be equally as effective with a visible protagonist.
The supporting cast, which includes Jerry Hardin, Kate Mulgrew, Ethan Phillips, Nana Visitor and others, does a workmanlike job, with most individuals playing multiple roles. Unfortunately, the script, which builds upon Wells' original work by offering more personal information about Griffin and his miscellaneous relationships, is, quite simply, boring. Listeners thus spend more time trying to guess which character from Star Trek is voicing a particular role than actually becoming involved in the actions or anguish of The Invisible Man.
