When I first heard we were making a radio play about post-WWII Canada, I had no idea what to expect. I didn’t even know what a radio play was! What I ended up learning surprised me, in a more fun way than I thought.

In our latest humanities project “Hey, Boomer!” we explored a unique way to understand history, by creating a satirical radio play. A radio play, is a theatrical performance designed to be broadcast on the radio. It relies entirely on sound, using dialogue, music, and sound effects to create a story, set, and atmosphere for the listener. The driving question we worked to answer was: How do we use a satirical radio play to communicate the shifts in Canadian society following WWII? This creative approach helped us look at the serious changes in Canada through a humorous and engaging lens.

Building the Foundation: Post-War Notes

We began the project by diving into what life was like in Canada after WWII. This involved writing detailed notes about the economic, social, and cultural changes that took place during that time. It took a while to get them just right.  We revised and improved them until they were in an easy to read, organized format. These notes helped us understand the bigger picture and set the groundwork for the rest of the project.

Learning from Film: Pleasantville

To help us understand how satire and storytelling can reveal deeper truths, we watched the movie Pleasantville. This film became a major inspiration for our own radio play. We analyzed the way it used black-and-white vs. color, 1950s settings, and characters to show social change. After watching, we each wrote a paragraph about the movie to help the teachers look at out understandings. It gave us a strong sense of how to use creative tools to reflect historical change.

Writing the Story: Scene by Scene

Next, we split into smaller groups of about 4 students. Each group was assigned a specific scene to write. My group was responsible for Act 4, Scene 2. We brainstormed ideas, thought about how to include satire, and worked together to write a script that fit the overall tone and message of the radio play. Writing a scene as a team taught me a lot about collaboration and how to blend different ideas into one final piece.

Casting and Rehearsing: Bringing the Characters to Life

Once all the scenes were written, we got our roles assigned. I played one of the moms in the story named was Jen. I only had a few lines, but it was still a fun experience to step into character and perform. After that, the whole class started rehearsing the full play together. This part of the process really brought our scripts to life and helped us see how everything fit together.

Production Magic: Sound and Recording

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile, the production team worked behind the scenes to add sound effects and manage the tech side of things. Their work was essential to making the radio play feel real and immersive. After a few rehearsals, we finally recorded the full performance in the choir room. It felt exciting and professional to be part of a creative project like this. This was the final product published to YouTube.

This project taught me a lot about history, but also about communication, teamwork, and creativity. I learned how satire can be a powerful way to talk about serious topics, and how much work goes into creating a final production. The process was fun, especially getting to work with classmates in a creative way. Through research, writing, acting, and production, we used satire to explore how Canadian society shifted after WWII. It was both educational and enjoyable, and I’m proud of what we created As a class.

Thank you!