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End Days (Part One)By L.A. Theatre WorksGenre: RadioTags: Christianity, Elvis, faith, family, religion, Revelation, salvation, science, Stephen HawkingDownload : MP3 Audio As we breathe a big sigh of relief that the Mayan calendar-inspired doomsayers were wrong, we turn to another story about the Last Judgment in Debra Zoe Laufer's End Days. Here, a middle-American housewife has found salvation, and is preparing for the Rapture, while her rebellious teenage daughter wants nothing to do with it. But when a bookish young suitor in an Elvis suit comes calling, her daughter experiences an unexpected revelation of her own.  Starring Dane DeHaan as Nelson Steinberg; Shannon Cochran as Sylvia Stein; Kate Rylie as Rachel Stein; and Arye Gross as Arthur Stein. With Josh Clark as Jesus and Stephen Hawking, and Kenneth Houston as the Bully. Associate producers: Christina Montano and Jennifer Brooks. Live sound effects by Theresa Arrison. Original music by Rory Rumery. Music supervisor: Scott Willis. Recording, editing, and mixing engineer: Mark Holden for the Invisible Studios, West Hollywood. Our director is Michael Hackett. This play is part of L.A. Theatre Works’ Relativity Series featuring science-themed plays. Major funding for the Relativity Series is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, to enhance public understanding of science and technology in the modern world. Buy on CD/Download at Audible

End Days Web Extra: Robert John RussellBy L.A. Theatre WorksGenre: RadioTags: faith, religion, salvation, scienceDownload : MP3 Audio Hear the complete version of our conversation with Dr. Robert John Russell, the founder and director of the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences - an organization dedicated to fostering dialogue between the sciences and world religions. Dr. Russell is the Ian G. Barbour Professor of Theology and Science at the interfaith consortium, the Graduate Theological Union, in Berkeley, California. He is also an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. Dr. Russell joins us to talk about the intersection of science and faith.

Major Barbara (Part One)By L.A. Theatre WorksGenre: RadioTags: George Bernard Shaw, materialism, politics, profits, religion, spirituality, warDownload : MP3 Audio George Bernard Shaw said in 1933, "You must always let yourself think about everything. And you must think about everything as it is, not as it is talked about... We should never accept anything reverently without asking it a great many very searching questions.” Shaw asks “a great many searching questions” about power, wisdom, salvation, and survival in Major Barbara, in which the ideals of conventional morality are brought to bear on the ambiguities of the real world.  Starring Kate Burton as Lady Britomart and Roger Rees as Andrew Undershaft, with Kirsten Potter, Hamish Linklater, Henri Lubatti, Missy Yager, Russell Soder, J.B. Blanc, Matthew Gaydos, Brian George, Amelia White, and Sarah Zimmerman. Sound Effects Artist: Tony Palermo. Music Supervisor: Scott Willis. Recording, Editing and Mixing Engineer: Mark Holden. Our director is Dakin Matthews. Buy on CD/Download at Audible

Major Barbara (Part Two)By L.A. Theatre WorksGenre: RadioTags: George Bernard Shaw, materialism, politics, profits, religion, spirituality, warDownload : MP3 Audio George Bernard Shaw said in 1933, "You must always let yourself think about everything. And you must think about everything as it is, not as it is talked about... We should never accept anything reverently without asking it a great many very searching questions.” Shaw asks “a great many searching questions” about power, wisdom, salvation, and survival in Major Barbara, in which the ideals of conventional morality are brought to bear on the ambiguities of the real world.  Starring Kate Burton as Lady Britomart and Roger Rees as Andrew Undershaft, with Kirsten Potter, Hamish Linklater, Henri Lubatti, Missy Yager, Russell Soder, J.B. Blanc, Matthew Gaydos, Brian George, Amelia White, and Sarah Zimmerman. Sound Effects Artist: Tony Palermo. Music Supervisor: Scott Willis. Recording, Editing and Mixing Engineer: Mark Holden. Our director is Dakin Matthews. This hour includes a conversation with theater director and Shaw expert Ethan McSweeny. Buy on CD/Download at Audible

Major Barbara Web Extra: Etahn McSweenyBy L.A. Theatre WorksGenre: RadioTags: George Bernard Shaw, materialism, politics, profits, religion, spirituality, warDownload : MP3 Audio Hear the full version of our conversation with Ethan McSweeny, Co-Artistic Director of the Chautauqua Theater Company (Chautauqua, NY), on the subject of George Bernard Shaw's Major Barbara.

The Busy World is Hushed (Part One)By L.A. Theatre WorksGenre: RadioTags: faith, family, relationships, religion, secretsDownload : MP3 Audio A renowned Episcopalian cleric befriends a young writer to finish her latest book. But when her wayward son returns home, he raises haunting questions about faith and forgiveness. The Busy World Is Hushed by Keith Bunin, starring Jill Clayburgh, Hamish Linklater, and Luke MacFarlane. Live sound effects by Tony Palermo. Recording engineer and editor: Mark Holden for Video Box Studios. Our director is JoBeth Williams. This hour includes a conversation with playwright Keith Bunin.  Buy on CD/Download at Audible

The Busy World is Hushed (Part Two)By L.A. Theatre WorksGenre: RadioTags: faith, family, relationships, religion, secretsDownload : MP3 Audio A renowned Episcopalian cleric befriends a young writer to finish her latest book. But when her wayward son returns home, he raises haunting questions about faith and forgiveness. The Busy World Is Hushed by Keith Bunin, starring Jill Clayburgh, Hamish Linklater, and Luke MacFarlane. Live sound effects by Tony Palermo. Recording engineer and editor: Mark Holden for Video Box Studios. Our director is JoBeth Williams. This hour includes conversation with religious scholar Elaine Pagels of Princeton University. Buy on CD/Download at Audible

The Busy World is Hushed Web Extra: Elaine PagelsBy L.A. Theatre WorksGenre: RadioTags: faith, family, relationships, religion, secretsDownload : MP3 Audio Hear the complete version of our conversation with religious scholar and author Elaine Pagels of Princeton University.

The Life of Galileo (Part One)By L.A. Theatre WorksGenre: RadioTags: astronomy, faith, Galileo, heresy, physics, scienceDownload : MP3 Audio One of the brightest lights of the Scientific Revolution wants the world to see itself anew. But even the courage of his convictions can’t save the great Galileo Galilei from the guardians of the status quo. Stacy Keach stars in Bertolt Brecht’s The Life of Galileo, in a new version by David Hare. With Moira Quirk, Jill Gascoine, Matthew Wolf, Christopher Neame, Simon Templeman, Robert Machray, Joanne Whalley, Alan Shearman, Neil Dickson, Jeannie Elias, Roy Dotrice, Peter Lavin, and Darren Richardson. Sound effects artist: Tony Palermo. Stage manager: Ando Iovino. Original music by Mark Holden and Samuel Barbour. Recording, editing, and mixing engineer: Mark Holden for Voice Box Studios. Our director and narrator is Martin Jarvis. This hour includes a conversation about Galileo and astronomy with Dr. E.C. Krupp, the Director of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. This play is part of L.A. Theatre Works’ Relativity Series featuring science-themed plays. Major funding for the Relativity Series is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, to enhance public understanding of science and technology in the modern world. Buy on CD/Download at Amazon

The Life of Galileo (Part Two)By L.A. Theatre WorksGenre: RadioTags: astronomy, faith, Galileo, heresy, physics, scienceDownload : MP3 Audio One of the brightest lights of the Scientific Revolution wants the world to see itself anew. But even the courage of his convictions can’t save the great Galileo Galilei from the guardians of the status quo. Stacy Keach stars in Bertolt Brecht’s The Life of Galileo, in a new version by David Hare. With Moira Quirk, Jill Gascoine, Matthew Wolf, Christopher Neame, Simon Templeman, Robert Machray, Joanne Whalley, Alan Shearman, Neil Dickson, Jeannie Elias, Roy Dotrice, Peter Lavin, and Darren Richardson. Sound effects artist: Tony Palermo. Stage manager: Ando Iovino. Original music by Mark Holden and Samuel Barbour. Recording, editing, and mixing engineer: Mark Holden for Voice Box Studios. Our director and narrator is Martin Jarvis. This hour we continue our conversation about Galileo and astronomy with Dr. E.C. Krupp, the Director of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. This play is part of L.A. Theatre Works’ Relativity Series featuring science-themed plays. Major funding for the Relativity Series is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, to enhance public understanding of science and technology in the modern world. Buy on CD/Download at Amazon

The Life of Galileo Web Extra: Dr. E.C. KruppBy L.A. Theatre WorksGenre: RadioTags: astronomy, faith, Galileo, heresy, physics, scienceDownload : MP3 Audio Dr. E.C. Krupp has been the Director of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles for more than thirty years. Dr. Krupp is a contributing editor for Sky and Telescope and has written extensively on astronomy and science education. His books include Echoes of the Ancient Skies and Beyond the Blue Horizon. He joins us to talk about Galileo Galilei, the state of astronomy at the time of his discoveries, the relationship between faith and science, and the historical accuracy of Brecht's play.

Tooth and Claw (Part Two)By L.A. Theatre WorksGenre: RadioTags: conservation, ecology, fishermen, Galapagos Islands, Lonesome George, science, tortoisesDownload : MP3 Audio The Galapagos Islands of Ecuador have long been considered a crown jewel of pristine nature. First made famous by Charles Darwin, who developed his theory of evolution while visiting the islands, the Galapagos have since struggled with their celebrity, trying to balance the desire for conservation with the demands of tourism and the needs of the local population. Playwright Michael Hollinger spun these overlapping tensions into a rich and compelling story, Tooth and Claw, loosely based on true events which occurred there in the 1990s. Tooth and Claw stars Cynthia Watros as Schuyler Baines, W. Morgan Sheppard as Malcolm Geary, and Jos Viramontes as Carlos Zavala. With Jaime Alvarez, Stephanie Beatriz, Daniel Chacon, Richard Gallegos, Daniel Guzman, Justin Huen, and Jay Montalvo. Stage manager: Ricki McKissock. Associate producer: Christina Montano. Casting director: Cathy Reinking. Live sound effects by Jeff Gardner. Editor: Wes Dewberry. Sound design, recording, and mixing engineer: Mark Holden for The Invisible Studios, West Hollywood. Our director is Jessica Kubzansky. This hour includes a conversation with playwright Michael Hollinger. Tooth and Claw will be available on CD and download soon. Please check our Audio Theatre Collection page for updates and other titles.  This play is part of L.A. Theatre Works’ Relativity Series featuring science-themed plays. Major funding for the Relativity Series is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, to enhance public understanding of science and technology in the modern world.

The Grapes of Wrath (Part Two)By L.A. Theatre WorksGenre: RadioTags: California, Depression, Dust Bowl, family, hope, John Steinbeck, migrant workers, ThanksgivingDownload : MP3 AudioJohn Steinbeck's masterpiece of hard times and hope. The Grapes of Wrath tells the powerful story of the Joad family’s trek from the Dust Bowl of Oklahoma to the promise of a new life in California. But what they find threatens to rip apart their lives, and sever the ties that bind them together. Frank Galati’s heart-wrenching adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel finds its timeless heart in the generous spirit of the common man. This hour includes a feature on the songs and sounds of the Dust Bowl. Starring Jeffrey Donovan as Tom Joad, and Shirley Knight as Ma Joad. With Emily Bergl, Michael Buie, Daniel Chacon, Maurice Chasse, Shannon Cochran, Trista Delamere, Francis Guinan, Charlie Mathes, Rod McLachlan, Robert Pescovitz, Stephen Ramsey, Nick Sadler, Andy Taylor, Todd Waring, Fredd Wayne, Michael Weston, and Kate Williamson. Live music by the Joel Rafael Band. Stage manager and sound effects, John Lovick. Assistant Stage Manager Ashley Phillips. Directed by Richard Masur. Presented in collaboration with the California Council for the Humanities and the Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies at San Jose State University. Buy on CD/Download at Audible

The Grapes of Wrath Web Extra: Voices from the DustbowlBy L.A. Theatre WorksGenre: RadioTags: California, Depression, Dust Bowl, family, hope, John Steinbeck, migrant workers, ThanksgivingDownload : MP3 Audio In 1940, The Library of Congress hired Charles Todd to document life in the California migrant labor camps. Todd recorded songs, testimonials, stories, and poems about fleeing the drought and the hard journey west. "Voices from The Dustbowl" was produced by Barrett Golding for the Public Radio series "Lost and Found Sound." Our thanks to Barrett and Hearingvoices.com for their permission to post this story.  

Blue/Orange (Part Two)By L.A. Theatre WorksGenre: RadioTags: class, mental illness, psychiatry, race, sanity, schizophreniaDownload : MP3 Audio About one percent of Americans have schizophrenia, according to the National Institutes of Mental Health. There is no known cure, and its treatment can be frustratingly complex. Our story this week concerns a young man named Christopher, who is about to be discharged from psychiatric supervision in a London hospital. But his clinicians disagree about the seriousness of his condition, and his release becomes complicated by issues of race, class, and the definition of sanity itself. Blue/Orange by Joe Penhall stars Teagle F. Bougere as Christopher, Daniel Davis as Robert, and Matt Lescher as Bruce. Stage manager and live sound effects: Jon Lovick. Sound design by Paul Paterson. Recording, editing, and mixing engineer: Mark Holden for Voice Box Studios. Our director is Brendon Fox. This play is part of L.A. Theatre Works’ Relativity Series featuring science-themed plays. Major funding for the Relativity Series is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, to enhance public understanding of science and technology in the modern world. Buy on CD/Download at Audible

The Misanthrope Web Extra: Professor Larry F. NormanBy L.A. Theatre WorksGenre: RadioTags: Brian Bedford, comedy, France, honesty, manners, Moliere, societyDownload : MP3 AudioMoliere’s satirical comedies revolutionized theater in 17th century France. His works are the subject of university study and continue to be staged around the world. So how did the struggling actor known as Jean Baptite Poquelin become the literary giant we know as Moliere? Here with a perspective on Moliere’s life and works is Larry F. Norman, Professor in the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures at the University of Chicago. He's also the University's Deputy Provost for the Arts, and is the author of The Public Mirror: Moliere and the Social Commerce of Depiction.

War of the WorldsBy L.A. Theatre WorksGenre: RadioTags: H.G. Wells, Martians, Orson Welles, science fiction, space, Star TrekDownload : MP3 Audio An L.A. Theatre Works Halloween tradition: Leonard Nimoy, Gates McFadden, Brent Spiner, Wil Wheaton and other members of the Star Trek universe recreate Orson Welles' classic radio thriller. War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells, adapted by Howard Koch. Directed by John de Lancie.  This hour includes a conversation with Leonard Nimoy. Buy on CD/Download at Audible

The Lost WorldBy L.A. Theatre WorksGenre: RadioTags: dinosaurs, fantasy, jungle, Professor Challenger, science fiction, Sir Arthur Conan DoyleDownload : MP3 Audio Our Halloween special continues with Arthur Conan Doyle’s rollicking adventure The Lost World, when a scientific expedition goes deep into the Amazon jungle only to find danger in the form of dinosaurs and cavemen.  This hour includes a special insider's tour of the Dino Lab at the Natural History Museum of L.A. County. Buy on CD/Download at Audible

The Lost World Web Bonus: Dinosaur EncounterBy L.A. Theatre WorksGenre: RadioTags: dinosaurs, fantasy, jungle, Professor Challenger, science fiction, Sir Arthur Conan DoyleDownload : MP3 Audio Hear the complete version of our visit to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

Lost in Yonkers (Part One)By L.A. Theatre WorksGenre: RadioTags: comedy, Dan Castellaneta, family, Neil Simon, New York, World War TwoDownload : MP3 Audio In Neil Simon's Pulitzer Prize-winner, it’s 1942, and teenaged brothers Arty and Jay are forced to live with their stern grandma and their ditzy Aunt Bella. And as they scheme to survive the ordeal, their shady Uncle Louie shows up with a mysterious suitcase… and a gun.  Lost in Yonkers stars (in order of appearance) Ben Diskin as Jay, Kenneth Schmidt as Arty, Arye Gross as Eddie, Roxanne Hart as Bella, Barbara Bain as Grandma, Dan Castellaneta as Uncle Louie, and Gia Carides as Gert. Stage Managers: Jane Slater and Cary Thompson. Recording, editing, and mixing engineer: Raymond Guarna. Our director is John Rubinstein. Buy on CD/Download at Audible