FLOODED: REQUIEM FOR JOHNSTOWN

A full cast re-creates the horrific 1889 flood that killed 2,209 Johnstown, Pennsylvania, residents. Listeners meet the townsfolk, including young people like Taylor Meskimen's thoughtful and spunky Gertrude Quinn, whose diary has supplied first-person information about this event. William James's poetry writing comes alive through Christopher Gebauer's skilled delivery. The talented cast presents everyone's enthusiasm when planning for Decoration (Memorial) Day, followed by terror as a rain of biblical proportions strikes. Then come heartbreakingly rendered descriptions of people floating away, including bodies of those whom listeners will recognize. Superior sound effects and historical music add atmosphere, while Robin Miles's "living" river brings continuity and solace. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2021]