Wordplay: Theater for the Ear and the Imagination

A story for children and adults. A bear learns that just because everyone says something is true, doesn't mean it is.

An allegory in which a king tries to silence the cries of a beggar for bread and discovers that you cannot silence the cries of the poor and that attempts to do so invite violent reaction.

Eleven of Aesop's lesser known, but interesting and relevant fables.

Wordplay features the works of seven African-American poets and a pair of composers who proclaimed Christ with their works.

A cheerful Mr. Gilhooley breezes into O'Dell's funeral home to buy a coffin--- for himself.

Jesus calls Peter and Andrew from their fishing boat to be his apostles.

A charming folk tale which illustrates the words of Jesus,"Pray always and do not lose hope."

Two enemies meet is a disputed forest on a cold windy night and realize too late the importance of reconciliation.

Six poems and four carols to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

The Bride of Cana speaks about her encounter with Jesus.

Audio comedy from a humorous story by 19th century French writer, Guy Da Maupasant. Freemasons,Jesuits, and a joke that backfires.

Three Italian folk tales that affirm  the Italian values of hospitality and the circumstances needed for happiness.

Judas and his mother tell their stories. From Jesus, Son of Man by Kahlil Gibran.

Pontius Pilate and his wife, Claudia Procula, look back at their encounters with Jesus.

Two poems for Christmas & the New Year: Christmas Bells by H. W.  Longfellow & Ring Out, Wild Bells by A. L. Tennyson

In this comedy, a discriminating thief exposes the sham of a pretentious couple.

A story about love and sacrifice with a typical O. Henry surprise ending.

The Creature asks Dr. Frankenstein to create a mate for him. An episode from the novel by Mary Shelley.

"The Onion" from "Brothers Karamazov" by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, "The Little Demon and the Crust of Bread" by Leo Tolstoy and "On the Day of the Crucifixion" by Leonid Andreyev

Three Roman soldiers speak to Jesus as they nail him to the cross.

Twain's condemnation of the celebration and glorification of war and his revealing of the true consequences of praying for victory in war.

A series of brief monologues spoken by persons and animals associated with the birth of Jesus. Compiled from works by several authors, including Dorothy L. Sayers and Madeleine L'Engle

A comedy in which a ghost, whom no one is afraid of any longer, shares his woes with a writer on Christmas Eve.

Not everyone was happy about the miracles of Jesus. Edgar Lee Masters imagines what the reactions of three people in the Gospel might have been to the miracles.

"The wheels of God grind slowly, but they grind exceedingly small." - H W Longfellow.  A barber chair is the location for the dispensing of justice.

A fairy tale about a statue and a bird and about giving and self sacrifice.

A series of monologues spoken by people associated with the arrest and trial of Christ.

Death takes on human form for three days to investigate life among mortals.

The Wise Rabbi is a series of short Jewish folktales, both humorous and serious, which reflect the wisdom of the traditional rabbi and his place of respect in the Jewish community. The tales were gleaned from various Eastern European Jewish collections.

The Lightning Rod Man is a short audio play based on the story by Herman Melville. Melville is best known to us as the author of such classic novels as Moby Dick and Billy Budd. But Melville also had a lighter side. In The Lightning Rod Man he has fun contrasting the person who appreciates and embraces life, despite all of its hazards, with the person who fears it. The short play opens during a thunder storm, when a man selling lightning rods shows up at the door of a man who is in awe at the majesty of thunder and lightning.

The Blind Spot by Saki. Saki, the pen name of early 20th century British writer Hector Hugh Munro, was known for his witty stories with surprise endings. In The Blind Spot a lady gourmand finds the truth inconvenient and must choose between justice and pleasure.

Ars Moriendi: The Art of Dying. Dominican Father Dominic Rover wrote this monologue after he was diagnosed with a terminal illness.

An irreligious father sends his child to an arts and crafts program at a local church. 3.5 minutes

The Atheist’s Mass   by Honore de Balzac  In 19th century France a young intern physician tries to discover why his mentor, a great surgeon and strident atheist, occasionally attends Mass.  19 minutes 

The Diaries of Adam and Eve   by Mark Twain  Twain’s comic twist on the book of Genesis. What if the first man and first woman had kept diaries? 24 minutes