We’re back with the latest from the Leviathan Chronicles. Lisette and Cluracan arrive in Paris! The young pair move into a borrowed maisonette in the 9th arrondissement to launch their fledgling cybersecurity firm. Together, with his computer skills and her abilities as a trained cat burglar, they are excited to start a new, and hopefully profitable, venture on their own terms.
Aftershock is a fast-paced thriller about a massive earthquake that destroys the West Coast, causing a mysterious island to rise up from the Pacific – with Sarah Wayne Callies (The Walking Dead), David Harbour (Stranger Things), Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Walking Dead), and Tati Gabrielle (The 100). This week our immense double-feature is Chapter 1: “This has nothing to do with McKayla?” and Chapter 2: “I think we have a live one.” It’s Audio Drama time!
From an alternate universe the cassette recordings of “Within the Wires” written by Jeffrey Cranor and Janina Matthewson. Our double-feature with Season 1:, Cassette #1: Stress, Shoulders and Cassette #2: Anxiety, Stomach. It’s Audio Drama time!
This audio drama invites your ears to visit Slumberland, a small island town in the US. Come along with Thomas Edward M, the freelance soundman. He’s been hired to meet the locals and record their oral histories for the town’s time capsule. The unfolding history of the town mixes folklore, paranormal, mystery and humor. It’s Audio Drama Time and it’s time for Slumberland!
It’s the End of the World and Eric Busby‘s Byron feels fine! David Ault reprises his classic titular role as we check in with the dark immortal with the new series “Crucible” and episodes one and two. It’s Audio Drama Time!
Audio Drama these days seem to collect modern talent as Academy Award® winner Rami Malek stars in the apocalyptic thriller “Blackout” as a small-town radio DJ fighting to protect his family and community after the power grid goes down nationwide, upending modern civilization. The desperation begins with this double feature of the Pilot and “Dead Air”. It’s Audio Drama Time!
What happens when a truck driver picks up a loaded trailer, but has no idea what’s really inside? Tony, Grammy, and Emmy award winner Cynthia Erivo journeys down a dark and lonely highway in this seven-part original scripted thriller. With immersive audio techniques that create a dimensional listening experience, the audience is strongly advised to use caution, wear headphones if possible, and listen… carefully. Produced by QCODE. Starring Cynthia Erivo. Written and Directed by Dan Blank. This week our “Carrier” double-feature includes episodes 1 and 2 with “Backhaul” and “Bolt Seal”. It’s Audio Drama Time!
SCP is back but this time with the podcast “Find Us Alive” which follows the strange developments at Site-107, a small Foundation research site trapped inside dimensional anomaly SCP-6320, as narrated by the site’s radio operator, Dr. Harley. This week, premiere episodes “The Voice of 107” and “Dash 1”. It’s Audio Drama Time!
Dr. Mark Dreisonstok is back reviewing Sonic Society’s Christmas submissions with Sonic Cinema’s adaptation of “Gift of the Magi” and Markiewitz Audioworks production of “Three Christmas Trees”!
“Post Christmas” is how the Mutual Audio Network describes its January offering of a dramatized version of O. Henry’s classic Christmas tale, “The Gift of the Magi.” This story is a very familiar staple of American literature. A young couple of very modest means in circa 1905 New York City, Della and James Dillingham Young, aspire to give significant Christmas presents to each other. What sacrifices are they willing to make to accomplish this?
…the warmth of Christmas festivities and traditions which the two productions evoke lovingly and convincingly.
This familiar tale is dramatized for audio with aplomb, with Jeffrey Billard and Tanja Milojevic who are very good in their roles as the financially-strapped but loving couple. Producer Jack Ward, founder of the Mutual Audio Network and of a series of Christmas tales called “Christmas Wreath Anthology,” desired to adapt this O. Henry story—filled with description in its original literary form—to work well as an audio drama. To do so, Mr. Ward has expanded the role of one character in the story, Madam Lucyna Sofronie, now owner of a wig shop, and added one character, Mr. Kent Wilkins, who repairs clocks. These two interesting individuals, presumably in middle age, are performed adroitly by David Ault and Erika Sanderson as they help us reflect on the nature of young love, family relationships, and, of course, how the young couple’s gift exchange might play out at Christmastime. O. Henry was a master of the surprise ending, and this version has the famous short story author’s dénouement. While this portion of the ending is retained from O. Henry, the audio drama concludes not with the master storyteller’s ruminations about the meaning of gifts and the original Magi from the nativity narrative in Scripture, but rather on the budding romance between Madam Safronie and Mr. Wilkens, a bold but interesting change of focus.
O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi” is an extremely well-known Christmas tale—there is even a Disney cartoon adaptation, with Mickey and Minnie Mouse standing in as the young couple. The same level of fame cannot be claimed for “Three Christmas Trees“ by Juliana Horatia Ewing, another tale newly premiering on the Mutual Audio Network. This one is produced and directed by Jason Markiewitz who decided on a very different approach than the Jack Ward “Magi.” Instead of adding scenes and characters to make this a radio-style audio drama, he embraces the narrative of the original 1800s English short story, using voice actors mainly to highlight key portions of the story. The performance combines elements of both audio book and audio drama, perhaps slightly favoring the former.
The story follows the perspective of a person reaching the end of his earthly life, reflecting on how three Christmas trees have shaped his experience of Christmas, both as a child and as an adult. This is an interesting and unusual production of a Christmas-tide story which, in the opinion of this reviewer, should be better known. Mr. Markiewitz, who also serves as the congenial narrator, uses sound choices—especially some magnificent Christmas carolers (Sharon Grunwald, Lessa Nosko, and Kyle Wright) to help render this story from the past more accessible to audiences of today. Such is the case with his choice of a Christmas carol which is sung in two of the three vignettes, “While Shepherds Watch Their Flocks By Night”—a hymn which is used in the production movingly to bind the Christmas of the protagonist’s youth to the Christmas of his old age.
Both “The Gift of the Magi” and “Three Christmas Trees” are well worth a listen, even in this “post-Christmas” season. They are reminders that we might return to the holiday spirit and once again bask in the warmth of Christmas festivities and traditions which the two productions evoke lovingly and convincingly.
Running time: Each production runs 30 minutes.
The Jack Ward “Christmas Wreath Anthology” series installment “The Gift of the Magi” can be found here. The Markiewitz Audioworks production of “Three Christmas Trees” may be heard here.
While we are partial to the initial SCP at Sonic Cinema Productions, we don’t have the monopoly on those three-letters and Midnight Disease productions has some great audio using them.
Secure. Contain. Protect. There are things that go bump in the night. Fantastic things. Horrible things. Redacted things. The SCP Foundation was built to keep humanity safe from a world of beings it doesn’t want to know exists. Things of wonder. Things of destruction. And these things have files. A LOT of files. This week on the Society we feature SCP Archives “Stairwell” and “Plague Doctor”! It’s AUDIO DRAMA TIME!
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