Radio Drama Revival

11th Hour Audio Productions - 'Heavenly Deception' & 'Cargo'

We're belatedly celebrating World Audio Drama Day by bringing you two fabulous and spooky productions from 11th Hour--the annual tradition wherein audio dramatists of every stripe come together and make spine-tingling, spur-of-the-moment audio fiction in the month of October. Producers Eli and Matt are on-hand to explain. First, you'll hear 11th Hour Northeast's HEAVENLY DECEPTION, a 70s-cult thriller that takes place in a sleepy little beach town. Then, I briefly interview Steve Schneider, the writer and director of that piece. Finally, you'll hear 11th Hour Scotland's CARGO, a science-fiction horror piece. You can hear all of this year's 11th Hour pieces at http://11thhouraudio.com

The Dark Tome - Fred Greenhalgh

Host emeritus Fred Greenhalgh is back to try out the sofa and tell us about his new podcast, "The Dark Tome." What if there was a book that literally opened up doorways to other worlds? Where would it lead, and could you handle what you found on the other side? Cassie, a wayward teen, is about to find out. One day, after she wraps up community service at a local hospital, she stumbles out of the basement of a spooky bookshop and into a story set on a devil's staircase in a remote Italian village. The Dark Tome is a new take on the anthology audio fiction podcast, featuring fantastic stories by contemporary authors from across the globe. This episode features the first half of the chilling modern fable "The Devil on the Staircase" by Joe Hill.

The Wall in the Mind - Episode 1 & Interview with Gareth Stack

This week, I play Episode One of Gareth Stack's startling psychological thriller, "The Wall in the Mind". It's the tale of a city split down the middle, and a woman whose life split with it. Claire O'Hanlon was a young woman in 1989 --an Irish national on the Eastern side of the Berlin Wall--when she was arrested by the Stasi, the East German secret police. After months of imprisonment and interrogation, Claire was set free, only to find the world had changed; the Wall had come down, and her lover, Emil Reichmann, had disappeared. In the present day, Claire returns to Berlin when she receives a mysterious cassette tape: a recording from her youth. Following the episode, I'll talk to the writer, director, and producer of "The Wall in the Mind", Gareth Stack. We discuss love, loss, sanity, and the surveillance state. It's a conversation not to be missed!

Campfire Radio Theater - 'Woods Ferry'

Episode 444 - Campfire Radio Theater's "Woods Ferry"

Exciting news, friends! I'm proud to announce that I (David) am going to begin hosting a second show on the Wondery podcast network; it's called SECRETS, CRIMES, AND AUDIOTAPE, and it premieres *today*, September 20th, 2016. Stay tuned for a special preview of SC&A; we're going to be dropping a sneak peek at AIR FORCE ONE, a conspiracy-minded audio play about the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Find out more about SC&A at http://wondery.com/wondery/shows/secretscrimes/

Uncanny County - Alison Crane and Todd Faulkner

This week, we're taking a little detour into UNCANNY COUNTY, the brainchild of playwrights Alison Crane and Todd Faulkner, both proud children of Oklahoma. I play an episode of theirs, "Coulrophobia" (which is about spooky, spooky clowns!), and then the three of us have a little chat. Alison tells me a secret! Todd reveals the travails of creating custom foley for an army of [SPOILERS]! We talk at length about the unique qualities of Oklahoma that inform UNCANNY COUNTY; then Alison reads our horoscopes. http://uncannycounty.com/

The Thing on the Fourble Board - With Guest Gabriel Urbina

This week, Gabriel Urbina, writer and director of WOLF 359, joins me for a segment we're calling "Going Deep"; together, the two of us investigate one of Gabriel's favorite classic audio dramas, 1948's "The Thing on the Fourble Board" from QUIET, PLEASE. We play the feature, and then Gabriel and I take it apart, piece by piece, trying to unlock precisely what it is that makes "The Thing on the Fourble Board" so damn spooky. Music credits: "Danger DigiDoo" is licensed from DJ Stranger Danger. "Devil's Candy Shop" by Nigel Simmons is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Generic License. "Poppyseed" by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

The Truth - 'The Man in the Barn' & Interview with Jonathan Mitchell

This week, we play an episode of The Truth, Jonathan Mitchell's collaboration with New York's Magnet Theater; they're dedicated to making audio fiction the likes of which you've never heard. It's intimate, it's internal, and it's cinematic, all at once. Motivated by an improv style and by Mitchell's 15 years as a public radio documentarian, The Truth is produced in a manner halfway between a sketch comedy show and a segment of Radiolab (where Jonathan worked as a producer). Today, you'll hear "The Man in the Barn", written by and starring The Truth regular and Magnet Theater highlight Louis Kornfeld; the piece was produced on location in Kilfinane, County Limerick, Ireland, during the 2015 HearSay Festival. Stick around after the piece to listen to a conversation between me and Jonathan Mitchell, as we talk about experimental music, sound art, and cinema.