Six new episodes of the action-adventure series “Concealed Carrie: Diamond State Crime Fighter” highlight the spring 2025 season for the Arkansas Radio Theatre.
Founded in 2007, Arkansas Radio Theatre is an initiative that operates in association with the Arkansas Tech University Department of Communication and Media Studies.
Arkansas Radio Theatre performances for spring 2025 will air on KXRJ 91.9 FM and www.atu.edu/broadcast beginning at 7 p.m. each Saturday from Jan. 25 through May 3.
Dr. David J. Eshelman, head of the ATU Department of Communication and Media Studies and professor of communication, created “Concealed Carrie” and introduced it to the Arkansas Radio Theatre audience in 2014.
Eshelman said the series “follows the exploits of an ordinary Arkansas gal whose power is disguise, whose skill is a facility with make-up and whose secret weapon is a purse full of cosmetics.”
Four of the six “Concealed Carrie” episodes that will debut during spring 2025 were written by ATU students: Calvin Phillips of Salem (Episode 29: “The Potent Pool Party”), Sarah Pollock of Rogers (Episode 31: “The Urban Sprawl Cowboy”), Siddalee Malone of Clarksville (Episode 32: “The Therapy Session”) and “The Radioactive Lake Man,” which was originally developed by Abbey Allen Montgomery when she was an ATU student in 2014 and was re-written by Malone.
“I remembered something that Abbey wrote for a class in 2014 about a radioactive monster,” said Eshelman. “It was a good episode, but a lot had happened with the series in 11 years. With Abbey’s permission, I asked Siddalee to rewrite the episode to fit the current state of the series. We are happy with the result. I believe it does justice to Abbey’s original script.”
Eshelman expressed pride in the fact that Arkansas Tech can offer its students both hands-on training as writers for a continuing series and, in the case of “The Radioactive Lake Man,” as script doctors.
“This is a necessary skill in the professional world, but one rarely taught in schools,” said Eshelman.
Eshelman wrote two episodes for the spring 2025 season — Episode 30: “The Odd, Ghastly Podcast” and Episode 34: “The AI Lover.”
Other student participants are Lane Anderson of Conway, Zack Baldwin of Russellville, Ethan Carr of North Little Rock, William Jacob Causey of Russellville, Sha’Kayla Devoe of Monroe, La., Titus Foster of Fort Smith, Blane Freeman of Dover, Kenleigh Garner of Hot Springs, Kaley Jones of Bella Vista, Midori Jones of Van Buren, John Leban of Russellville, Sydney Livingston of England, Eli Mason of Ozark, Dallas Minnie of Dardanelle, Sylas Passmore of Higden, Aubrey Pham of Van Buren, Alyssa Purifoy of El Dorado, Charlie Randall of Everton and Joey Scheyder of Farmington.
Arkansas Radio Theatre broadcasts are archived at blogs.atu.edu/radiotheatre. Episodes of “Concealed Carrie” are on Spotify.
Send e-mail to deshelman@atu.edu for more information.
Visit www.atu.edu/cj for more information about the ATU Department of Communication and Media Studies.
The spring 2025 Arkansas Radio Theatre schedule is as follows:
Jan. 25: “Concealed Carrie” Episode 29 (debut)
Feb. 1: “Concealed Carrie” Episode 30 (debut)
Feb. 8: “Concealed Carrie” Episode 31 (debut)
Feb. 15: “Concealed Carrie” Episode 32 (debut)
Feb. 22: “Concealed Carrie” Episode 33 (debut)
March 1: “Concealed Carrie” Episode 34 (debut)
March 8: “Concealed Carrie” Episodes 19 and 20
March 15: “Concealed Carrie” Episodes 21 and 22
March 22: “Concealed Carrie” Episodes 23 and 24
March 29: “Concealed Carrie” Episodes 23 and 24
April 5: “Concealed Carrie” Episodes 25 and 26
April 12: “Concealed Carrie” Episodes 27 and 28
April 19: “Concealed Carrie” Episodes 29 and 30
April 26: “Concealed Carrie” Episodes 31 and 32
May 3: “Concealed Carrie” Episodes 33 and 34
