Columbia Workshop

The Columbia Workshop was a pioneering radio series that aired on the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) from 1936 to 1943, and then again from 1946 to 1947. Conceived by radio director Irving Reis, the Workshop was dedicated to experimenting with new narrative techniques and presentation styles for the relatively young medium of radio.

Reis had a fascination with the possibilities of radio and wanted to use the Workshop as a platform to push the boundaries of the art form. Early episodes exemplified his penchant for technical and narrative experimentation, with shows that featured innovative sound effects, multiple microphone techniques, and unconventional storytelling structures. One program, Broadway Evening, followed a couple as they meandered down Broadway during an evening, while another had over 30 characters functioning within a half-hour drama.

The Workshop also provided a stage for new and established writers to contribute original works or adaptations. Orson Welles did two-part adaptations of Shakespeare’s Hamlet and a condensed version of Macbeth, while other contributors included Irwin Shaw, Stephen Vincent Benét, and Archibald MacLeish, whose original radio play The Fall of the City was a notable presentation.

The Stars

While the Columbia Workshop did not have any regular stars, it featured performances from many notable actors and writers of the era. Orson Welles, Burgess Meredith, and a cast of 300 students appeared in MacLeish’s The Fall of the City. Composers like Bernard Herrmann, Deems Taylor, and Marc Blitzstein also contributed original music and sound design to the series.

Key Dates

• The Columbia Workshop debuted on July 18, 1936 and ran until 1943, when interest in the program began to wane.
• It was revived in 1946 and continued until
• During its initial run, the series was led by directors Irving Reis and William N. Robson, who each put their own stamp on the experimental nature of the programs.
• In the later years, writers like Norman Corwin took over much of the creative direction.

Other Information

The Columbia Workshop was highly influential in demonstrating the creative potential of radio as a medium. It received a Peabody Award in 1946 for Outstanding Entertainment in Drama. Many of the staff who worked on the Workshop, including Herrmann, Reis, Robson, and Leith Stevens, went on to successful careers in television and film.

The series was also notable for its commissioning of original music from classical composers, as well as its embrace of poetry, opera, and other non-traditional radio forms. It served as a symbol of CBS’s commitment to public service and education through the medium of radio.