Press & Reactions
Prime Time for the Holidays
“[T]he annual demand for a Christmas play gave Cooner all the motivation he needed to fill that need, by writing Prime Time for the Holidays — a comedic throwback to the days of I Love Lucy, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Dean Martin Show, and The Carol Burnett Show. … Set in 1966, America’s favorite TV couple, Cookie and Ray, has built their careers on their seemingly perfect marriage — but now there’s trouble in paradise. … The production is riddled with references to the civil rights movement, the women’s movement, the generation gap and others that come up in the show. … Sam Schieber, a brilliant composer and musician from Sacramento, has dipped into both the jazz and rock influences of the 1960s to create sparkling new arrangements of several holiday classics, such as ‘Jingle Bells,’ ‘Deck the Hall,’ and ‘Up on the Housetop.’ And as an added treated, Schieber has composed some original musical material for the show, including a sensational title song ‘It’s Prime Time for the Holidays.’”— Sarah Dowling, The Daily Democrat, October 2016
The Gift of the Magi: A Play for Live Radio
“This is a brand-new adaptation of “The Gift of the Magi,” said [Heartland Theatre’s] Sandra Zielinski, director of the radio play. Written by Bob Cooner, the play stays true to O. Henry’s original tale of love and sacrifice during the holiday season, while expanding the scope and adding new details. … ”What Bob Cooner did was take all of the characters that James and Della would have met and brought them into the story,” said Zielinski. … Cooner’s character additions brings a new richness to the classic tale, said Zielinski. In Cooner’s script, character gaps are filled in with an array of people. … “So, it’s really very interesting. He takes a broader view of the story, whereas O. Henry focuses very tight on Della’s hair and the watch fob. I think Bob has done a great job with filling out their life so that we see it in a different way.” … “The Gift of the Magi” is a good fit for the medium of radio, noted Zielinski. Although the company is still in rehearsals, the story and characters are easily taking root and blossoming in their mind’s eye.” — Laura Kennedy, WGLT’s Sound Ideas, December 2020
The New Emperor’s Clothes
“Cooner’s hilarious rewrite of the 18th-Century Dutch fable shows the more things change, the more they stay the same. He preserves the essence of the famous story by making a child the hero, but he modernizes the script with a comedic rearrangement of the plot. … Calvin, the young emperor-to-be, … learns to trust himself and identify the people who have his best interests at heart. To learn those lessons, Calvin navigates his way around a pair of dubious fashion designers … who conspire with his Uncle. His faithful servant Sam provides a compass along the way. Calvin’s grandmother, the Dowager Empress, also races to solve the family’s problem alongside Sofia, her immigrant ladies maid.” — Linda DuBois, The Davis Enterprise, March 2018
Little Miss Murder
“A classic Hollywood mystery in which a gossip columnist infiltrates a party full of actors, each of whom fears she is ready to reveal their deepest secrets. So the columnist is murdered. Right? Wrong. But then, why would someone kill the starlet and try to kill the studio head? The answer lies in a fascinating but little-known historical conspiracy. Everyone involved will have fun with this one, particularly the cast, the costumer, and the props master -- and, most assuredly, the audience.” Donald E. Baker, New Play Exchange
Agatha Christie’s The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb: A Play for Live Radio
“A good, old-fashioned, and wonderfully entertaining mystery thriller, Bob Cooner’s delicious adaptation of an Agatha Christie short story (featuring the lovably irascible Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot) captures her intricately structured plotting as well as her dry British wit, and perfectly suits the audio drama format. One can imagine sitting by one’s radio, breathlessly hanging on every word from its intriguing beginning to its thrilling conclusion.” — Doug DeVita, New Play Exchange
Twelfth Grade
“One of the best adaptations of Shakespeare-in-a-high-school that I've ever read -- just referential enough to be fun for the nerds, with enough different to keep us guessing, and characters & dialogue unique enough to stand on their own. The characters were funny, likeable, and felt true-to-life; over the top in the way that theatre kids really are. A very enjoyable read, and would be excellent to see staged by high school students.” — Sullivan Mackintosh, New Play Exchange