“Talk Radio”by SpringsEnsemble Theatre

When:  Opens Thursday; runs 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays through Feb. 27.

Where: “Watch This Space” 218 W. Colorado Ave. (under the bridge)

Tickets: $12 (cash or check only);447-1646 or steveemily@springsensemble theatre.com

“I want a reaction when he throws the rat.”

That’s director David Plambeck at a recent rehearsal of Eric Bogosian’s “Talk Radio,” the Springs Ensemble Theatre’s (SET) chosen vessel for its maiden voyage, opening Thursday in the Depot District.

The newly formed SET has promised to bring edgier, more adult fare to the city’s theater scene, and “Talk Radio” — flying rats and all — certainly seems to fit that mission.

Barry Champlain is the fictional host of a late-night radio talk show, and he embodies every obnoxious “shock jock” listeners admire or revile.

During the broadcast that frames the play, he fields calls on topics as diverse as garbage disposals and God, along with death threats. Ramping up the verbal sword play, he is mindful that among his listeners are producers from a syndicate considering taking his show national.

Written in 1987, made into a movie a year later, and produced on Broadway in 2007, the play has remained oddly timeless — talk radio being, if anything, more popular today.

Actor Steve Emily, who plays Champlain, was amazed at how well the play has held up.

Emily is never finer than when portraying volcanic tempers bubbling under gossamer-thin attempts at civility, and it was he who suggested the play to SET.

“Everyone likes angry guys,” he jokes.

But beneath Champlain’s vitriol is a melting marshmallow core of vulnerability, a delicious challenge for any actor.

The play appeals to Emily and Plambeck in another respect: Both are former radio announcers who appreciate the artistry of Champlain’s on-air performance.

“Once the energy (in radio) drops, it’s hard to get back,” says Plambeck, recalling a difficult radio audition when he was asked to talk about a matchstick for two minutes.

“Champlain knows how to keep the energy flowing.”

The parade of oddballs who call in to the show add yet another dimension. Each actor in these fun roles has multiple characters to portray through voice alone.

“Talk Radio” explores conflict for conflict’s sake. Champlain’s conflict with his callers, his colleagues, and within himself permeates the show like a musical dissonance yearning to resolve.

But, explains actor Jeff Miller, “Conflict is central to everything we do in the theater. Without it there is no story.”

And no entertainment either.

“The worst caller a radio host can get is the person who says ‘I agree with everything you say,’” adds Plambeck.

Steve Emily Photo by