Spotlight on J. Timothy Quirk

Spotlight on J. Timothy Quirk

By Ray Boucher

HAMDEN – Since his childhood, Connecticut writer and broadcaster J. Timothy Quirk has wanted to tell stories through an old, unique form of public media. Quirk grew up in Massachusetts, with two older brothers and two younger sisters. He graduated from a university in Illinois with a degree in Communications and a minor in theology.

In December of 2017, he created Nutmeg Junction, a radio program inspired by old-time radio programs, at Torrington. According to the Nutmeg Junction website, the program “first broadcast on the radio 3/31/2018”, with the earliest shows including “The Grey Whisper,” “Professor A,” and “Space Sentries”.

When he was young, Quirk listened to his father’s audio tapes of old radio podcasts, such as The Jack Benny Program, and he considered it an engaging way of telling stories. “I liked the ability to tell a story without pictures...Some people call it, ‘the theater of the mind,’” says Quirk.

Recurring actors who appear on Nutmeg Junction include Jeff Savage, Lana Peck, Rich Cyr, Jack Sheedy, and Melissa Gabehart. Gabehart has worked with Quirk since her debut as the character Sneetchey in “Snarflepoofs.” Gabehart says, “The comedy [of ‘Snarflepoofs’] is not slapstick...It’s not bad, because it’s not meant to be a ridiculous comedy... [Quirk] kind of writes for certain people, he has a certain voice in mind when’s he writing them...He doesn’t micro-manage everything, he lets people make up the voices that we do.”

Another recurring actor, Amanda “AJ” Lin, met and worked with Quirk on a 48-hour film project. Since then, she has directed the mystery detective show “Barnaby Druthers.” She describes Quirk’s writing style and flexibility in how his fellow actors interpret their characters. “[Quirk’s writing is] very clear writing.” Lin said, “He’s got a lot of creativity and also lets his Nutmeg Junction team really have some independence in their performing or otherwise creating their story.”

Quirk also produces “Nutmeg Chatter”, an award winning weekly radio arts program hosted by actor and journalist Phil Hall. The website says the program “features interviews with extraordinary observers of the human experience.” Quirk also produces the radio version of “The Claws Corner” with Rich Cyr.

In addition to broadcasting radio shows, Quirk is a cartoonist who has produced many works of art. Quirk’s various art cartoons were presented at the Newsroom Café, Torrington, Connecticut, in 2013. On July 2, 2015, his art project “The Crayon Dairy: Our Stories” was displayed during the Torrington Arts Walk in Torrington, Connecticut.

“I was fortunate enough to participate in the festivities,” said Quirk, “because my The Crayon Dairy: Our Stories is an art project that has taken on a life of its own.”

Quirk hopes that the Nutmeg Junction program will continue to grow and inspire people in the audio drama field. “We’re across the nation and on stations in Canada and New Zealand” Quirk says, “but we continuing to build...we hope the listeners who hear our stories will enjoy our program.”

Nutmeg Junction is broadcast from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Mountain Standard Time, on every Sunday evening, on the denverundergroundradio.com website.

Photo of J. Timothy Quirk speaking before a LIVE Nutmeg Junction/Barnaby Druthers performance in Litchfield, CT.