The short answer is… because we simply need to keep creating and performing.

CNYPodPlayers began when of couple of actors, Stephen Wagner and Sarah Crill, who were performing in a production at Players of Utica in Utica, NY, were discussing several serialized dramatic podcasts they were listening to, and they thought, “Why don’t we do that?”

Stephen had written several plays, he and Sarah had acted in numerous productions, and they knew dozens of talented actors, so why not give this podcasting thing a shot? Steve got busy writing the ten-episode Taking Flight, and when it was ready, they gathered lots of their actor friends in quiet corners of the Players Theatre and recorded the series over several weeks.

Steve edited the episodes and added sound effects, and Sarah asked a friend, Janelle Crouch, to compose some music for us. Soon, Taking Flight was available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and many other podcast platforms.

Phase Two began during the COVID-19 pandemic when Players of Utica was shut down for about a year and a half. Stephen, being on the executive board of the theatre, had the idea of creating “virtual content” in the form of short-form radio plays — and so Players Radio Theatre was born. The plays were posted on the theatre’s website and Patreon page, keeping audiences entertained and local actors busy, while providing some income for the shuttered community theatre.

Dozens of radio plays were produced. Some were adapted and updated from old public domain radio scripts, and some were original scripts written by local playwrights, including Nicholas Priore and Steven J. Handzel.

When the pandemic ended and things got back to “normal,” Players Radio Theatre and CNYPodPlayers went on a brief hiatus since live theatre was again occupying everyone’s attention. But the writers kept writing, and new original audio plays were occasionally produced, including Steven Handzel’s The New Accelerator and Werewolf in Hollywood. Steve Wagner also wrote a new ten-episode science fiction play, The Makers, which CNYPodPlayers plans to produce in 2027.

So the news is — WE’RE BACK! And we’re currently in production on a new Steven Handzel script: an adaptation of Dashiel Hammett’s Sam Spade story, The Corporation Murders. Look for that sometime in July 2026. There’s lots more to come.

We welcome your feedback, your ideas… even your participation! Enjoy the shows!