Raue Center musical cast has unique partnership with amateur radio club, will join Field Day Saturday

Raue Center School for the Arts in Crystal Lake is embarking on a special collaboration for its summer production of “Static: Noise of a New Musical” with The 415 Amateur Radio Club’s annual Field Day. The unique partnership will bring together the art of amateur radio communications and the world of musical theater, introducing “Ham” radio to a broader audience in engaging and interactive ways.

On Saturday, June 22, the cast of “Static” will join the Field Day event, and throughout July, members of the 415 Club will give brief Morse code demonstrations before each show. “Static” combines musical theater, folk-rock and Morse code clues for the audience to decipher during the show, creating a captivating and interactive experience, much like a true-crime podcast.

“Static: Noise of a New Musical” is an original work by Tess Rowan, who has joined the Raue team for the summer. It is directed by Rob Scharlow, with music direction by James Mablin. The production runs from July 12 to 21, at Raue Center for the Arts.

Concurrently, The 415 Amateur Radio Club will participate in the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) 2024 Field Day, offering free public demonstrations of amateur “Ham” radio. These demonstrations will take place from 1 p.m. Saturday to 1 p.m. Sunday at 3208 Bay Road in Crystal Lake.

The free, 24-hour Field Day will provide participants with the opportunity to watch, learn and get on air at a real radio station, with demonstrations of amateur radio using CW (Morse code), voice, digital, VHF/UHF and satellite communications.