Submitted photo From left, Natalie Ciccone, Sam Nabring and Nick Figiel are part of the cast for Youngstown State University Theatre’s production of the comedy “Episode 26.”

Howard Korder’s play “Episode 26” is a spoof of the serialized sci-fi tales that used to run with the Saturday matinees in movie theaters in the 1940s and ’50s.

When Todd Dicken first read the play in the ’90s, he had a different idea.

“It’s written to be an actual play with actors in costume, but it’s such an interesting spoof on the old time radio shows like Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, that I always read it and said we should do it as a radio show.”

That’s how Youngstown State University will present “Episode 26” when it opens Friday in Bliss Hall’s Spotlight Theater for a two-weekend run.

“We’re treating the audience as if they’re part of a live studio audience,” the director said. “The actors come in as characters, not in the script, but as performers coming in off the street, showing up to do their jobs, and then taking on the persona of these different characters.”

Instead of a set that looks like a low-budget sci-fi production, Dicken’s set is a radio studio, complete with “applause” and “on air” signs, microphones and two foley tables for creating the sound effects.

“Spotlight Theater originally was supposed to be a TV studio when they first built the place, so it kind of got that vibe anyway,” Dicken said.

Some who qualify for social security benefits aren’t old enough to remember Saturday morning serials at the movie theater or radio shows, so it’s certainly foreign territory for college students born in the 21st century.

Dicken gave his actors some homework so they could familiarize themselves with the performance styles from that era.

“There’s been quite a bit of education through this process, getting them to understand what it was like for these performers and how they worked, especially doing their own foley work,” he said. “They’re creating sound effects and going through that process of learning about it. It’s been fun showing them how they would do some sound effects and letting them come up with their own ways of doing things.”

But they also found a contemporary reference point to use.

“What I find really interesting about all of this is that when the pandemic first hit, I was listening to students,” Dicken said. “They were all talking about discovering these podcasts that were coming out, and some of the podcasts were of people that were just reading scripts, and they were going on about this new format and how crazy it was. And I was sitting there saying, ‘Yeah, actually, this is radio drama. This is the stuff that I grew up with, but also that my parents grew up with, and it was fun to see them make that link.”

The cast includes Nick Figiel, Jamestown, Pa.; Natalie Ciccone, Austintown; Chloe Camacho, Bristolville; Anthony Mudryk, Struthers; Anna Airhart, McDonald; Owen Mills, North Royalton; Layla Munholand, North Jackson; Karianne Rateno, Concord Township, and Samantha Cox, Niles.

The production team includes associate professor Katherine Garlick as costume designer, Ellen Dayan as costume shop coordinator, Samantha Cox as stage manager,; Gunnar Carwile as technical director, Jon Zelezniak as lighting advisor, Liam Donnelly as lighting designer, Lex McCaughtry as lighting board operator, Kurt Boggs as sound board operator and Landon Eli handling wardrobe.

The plot of “Episode 26” involves galactic hero Buzz Gatecrasher and his sweetheart, Hillen Dale, on Planet Davron, which is ruled by Vaknor. Dicken described the villainous Vakon as a cross between Darth Vader and Groucho Marx.

“It has some crazy characters, and some absolutely great writing of the characters themselves,” he said.

If you go …

WHAT: “Episode 26”

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday through Feb. 22

WHERE: Spotlight Theater, Bliss Hall, Youngstown State University

HOW MUCH: Tickets are $18.50 for adults, $14.50 for senior citizens and non-YSU students, $10.50 for YSU faculty and staff, $6.50 for children ages 18 and younger and free for YSU students. Tickets are available online at www.ysu.tix.com and by calling 330-941-3105.