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audio PLAYS

Stories through sound

Streaming Original Audio Fiction, On-Demand

now available to Stream or download on demand

the 2022-2023 audio play season

or hear our other original audio plays, available on demand:


by Rick Kinnebrew // directed by Corey Bradberry

originally presented as a live online audio broadcast, March 2023

“They did not prepare you.
Fools get taken.”

2 WAYS TO LISTEN:

  1. Order your pre-recorded copy to stream or download on-demand

  2. Sign up for a ‘22-’23 Season Pass, and hear all 3 original audio plays of the season!

 
 

FEATURED ON

Click the image above to hear our interview with WGN AM 720’s Dean Richards!

wgn: “behind the curtain” with paul lisnek

ABC 7’s Weekender Report

(clip starts at 2:30)

Roz Varon’s Weekender Report

SYNOPSIS

Based on the true story of Chicago’s notorious multi-murderer. Guiding us through the story is a devilish carnival barker named Hatch. Ticket price includes a “ride” on the Great Wheel. An edifying spectacle not to be missed!

Ben Pitezel scores a bit of luck with a new job in Chicago but soon discovers that his new position with smooth, successful Dr. Holmes is really a deal with the devil. Can Ben reap the rewards of his station without paying the price?

who was H.H. Holmes?

Holmes (1861-1896) was a con artist and alleged murderer who resided in Chicago during the incredible 1893 World’s Fair. He ran the infamous “Murder Hotel” which no longer stands.

Interestingly enough, though many people refer to Holmes as a serial killer, he wouldn’t fit the bill! Motivated by self-advancement rather than psychopathy, Holmes eventually confessed to over 2 dozen murders… though how many of them were real?

CREATIVE TEAM

Top row (L to R): A. Beaubien, E. Carlson, R. Fertitta, K. Jordan, E. Lin, K. Odenkirk, B. Parry
Bottom row (L to R): D. Walker, T. Wilkes, R. Kinnebrew, N. Montopoli, C. Bradberry, J. Sorgen

The Cast: ANNIE BEAUBIEN ETHAN CARLSON ROBIN FERTITTA KATHARINE JORDAN ERIN LIN KEENAN ODENKIRK BRIAN PARRY DYLAN WALKER TAYLOR WILKES

Original Music Composed/Performed by NICK MONTOPOLI
Sound Design by JAKE SORGEN
Publicity: JOHN OLSON COMMUNICATIONS

Written by RICK KINNEBREW
Produced and Directed by COREY BRADBERRY

“As Kane lies in bed with thirty playthings,
Ahmad eats the apple from the inside out.”

 
 

Hear the first 12 minutes of our audio play below:

 
 

SYNOPSIS

A Theater in the Dark’s new audio play, A MURDER IN THE COURT OF XANADU, is a tale of “murder most foul and spoiled revenge”, re-imagining Kublai Khan’s 13th century empire as a 21st-century mega-corporation verging on the brink of bankruptcy. As Xanadu dominates the world markets, an indispensable executive eats the apple from the inside-out and threatens to bring the entire empire tumbling down around him. Written in verse, this modern-day epic drama full of corporate espionage honors the crumbled empire of ancient Mongolia while satirizing modern-day corporate greed.

 
 

who was kublai khan?

The powerful prototype for our play’s protagonist:

Grandson of the great and terrifying Ghenghis Khan, who amassed one of the largest empires the ancient world has ever seen. Kublai Khan is mostly known to the western world through Marco Polo’s adventures from Europe, where he spent decades in the employ of Kublai as a traveling tax collector and merchant.

creative TEAM

L to R: N. Amherst, C. Bradberry, R. Cyprian, V. Ferro, G. Fries, E. Lin, P. Sottnik

The Cast: NESSA AMHERST ROBINSON J. CYPRIAN VAN FERRO GABRIEL FRIES ERIN LIN

Original Music Composed/Performed by PAUL SOTTNIK
Produced & Sound Designed by COREY BRADBERRY
Publicity: JOHN OLSON COMMUNICATIONS

Written and Directed by COREY BRADBERRY

This project is supported in part by a grant by the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency; and supported in part by an Individual Artists Program Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.

A MATTER OF RED HERRINGS

by Greg Garrison Directed by Corey Bradberry // Premiered August 2022

“Like a ripped-up newspaper,
we were only getting half the story.”

 

red herring (Noun)

1 : a herring cured by salting and slow smoking to a dark brown color

2 [from the practice of drawing a red herring across a trail to confuse hunting dogs] : something that distracts attention from the real issue

(from Merriam-Webster)

 

how to enjoy our audio play:

  1. Get your stream link (or you can choose a digital download)

  2. Build a dark cozy space at home

  3. Listen by yourself or with a loved one on your favorite speakers or headphones!

SYNOPSIS

Directed by Corey Bradberry and written by Greg Garrison, with original music by Paul Sottnik, the audio play follows Detective Stainless Steel as she trains a new partner facing down deadly criminals while managing a client she’ll never forget: her ex-wife. From racetracks to rooftops, car chases to funerals, A MATTER OF RED HERRINGS is about identity, forgiveness, and the comedy of courage told with its tongue firmly holstered in its cheek. Starring Amy Gorelow and Julian 'joolz' Stroop as the two detectives, this laugh out loud comedy utilizes the gags and thrills of any Golden Age radio play… with the technology of the 21st century.

A MATTER OF RED HERRINGS is performed entirely without visuals and tells the story combining the written word, the human voice, rich soundscapes, and thrilling original music. In this 80-minute audio adventure, A Theater in the Dark cooks in signature style while painting a hilariously deranged love letter to detectives, criminals, ghosts, and a very anachronistic 1920s Chicago.

Turn off your screen and crank up your speakers as you journey with us into the dark…

TEAM

L to R: C. Bradberry, L Erle, A. Gorelow, G. Garrison, C. Meister, J. Stroop, P. Sottnik

by GREG GARRISON
Directed by COREY BRADBERRY

The Cast:

Detective Stainless Steel: AMY GORELOW
Detective-in-Training Watley Holm: JULIAN ‘joolz’ STROOP
Vesper Kind & others: LAURA MICHELE ERLE
Vincent Valconi & others: CHRISTOPHER MEISTER
Rod Wrong: COREY BRADBERRY
Wilhelm Wrong & Narrator: GREG GARRISON

Original Music Composed/Performed by PAUL SOTTNIK
Soundscape Design: GREG GARRISON & COREY BRADBERRY

Sound Engineer & Producer: COREY BRADBERRY

Publicity: JOHN OLSON COMMUNICATIONS
“Fish with Mustache” Design: BETHANY DAIGLE

 

our audio plays

 

The following audio plays are all available to stream on-demand,
all original scripts with original music!

how to enjoy our audio playS:

  1. Order your copy through our website. All plays offer on-demand streaming, and our newest releases also include a digital download! (Did You Know? you can also join our Patreon for $3.25/month and access our entire original audio play library.)

  2. Our recommendation: build a dark cozy space at home.

  3. Listen by yourself or with a loved one on your favorite speakers or headphones!

 

open seas ADVENTURE

Follow Ishmael’s 3-year journey aboard the Pequod as Captain Ahab hunts his mortal enemy: the dreaded White Whale Moby Dick.

Featuring thrillingly suspenseful original music by Nick Montopoli.

Winner of the 2021 Atlanta Audio Fringe Fest and the 2021 Thornhill Theatre Festival!


21st-century MARTIAN INVASION

Is life on Earth doomed? The Martians certainly think so… H.G. Wells’ classic sci-fi story, brought to modern-day Chicago.

Premiered during the height of the 2020 pandemic, and remounted in 2021.

Featuring other-wordly original music by Ben Zucker.


dickensian HOLIDAY hauntings

Ghosts haunt Ebenezer Scrooge one Christmas Eve. Will he repent, or forge his own eternal chains?

Hear Charles Dickens’ immortal tale like never before.

Featuring joyous and haunting original music by Jake Sorgen.


canadian feminist revenge mystery

Beatrice’ husband was murdered. And she’s gonna find out who did it, no matter what.

Our first audio play, broadcast live each night in May 2020.

This is the one that kicked it all off!


A THEATER IN THE DARK

creates stories through sound, producing both streaming audio plays and in-person in-the-dark theatre experiences. Proudly established in Chicago, 2019.

Our stories combine the written word, human voices, rich soundscapes, and original music.

Before we switched to pre-recorded releases, our online audio dramas were broadcast LIVE to listeners in 40 states, 8 Canadian provinces, and 12 countries!

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A Theater in the Dark excels at the art of radio drama.”
— RescriptedReviews.com

OUR audio plays ARE:

CREATED IN REAL TIME: like live theatre, while connecting actors from across Chicago and beyond. All our stories are forged through a real-time rehearsal and recording process.

ONLINE: connect with us from anywhere on the globe.

AUDIO: the antidote to your visual world. Find a dark cozy space, turn off your screen, and crank up your headphones.

THEATRE: our signature blend of audio fiction is the the intersection of audiobooks, podcasts, and live theatre.

The vibe of iconic pre-TV radio dramas, melded with the intimacy and immediacy of live performance, and the pure joy of being read to as a child. Highly recommended.
— chiIL live shows
There is always something remarkable and noteworthy about A Theater in the Dark’s productions.”
— Ed Tracy, Picks-In-Six

Why the Dark?

One of the oldest traditions in storytelling…

 

…is the use of language as a main character. The descriptive text of Raymond Chandler, H.G. Wells, Charles Dickens, and Herman Melville serve as our set and setting, boosted with both live foley and pre-crafted original music. We lean so hard into the sound, when we’re in person we turn out the lights altogether. (And yes, we do mean 100% dark.)

Our stories use compelling characters, descriptive language, and stunning soundscapes to pierce through the dark. A Theater in the Dark is experiential theatre for audience members seeking a thrill in the dark.

Even if you’re listening at home, we recommend creating a dark cozy space to enjoy our stories, giving a whole new meaning to “the best seat in the house”.

There is always something truly remarkable and noteworthy about A Theater in the Dark’s productions.”
— Ed Tracy, "Picks in Six"
 

Inspired by hard-boiled paperback novels and the radio mystery plays of the ‘30s and ‘40s, A Theater in the Dark invites audience members to tune out today’s visual barrage and explore three dimensional soundscapes combining the human voice, recorded sound, and live foley effects to create a theatre experience audiences will never forget.

Exceptional in engaging the audience and unique in offering low-vis audience members the same experience as the rest of the audience. Don’t be left in the dark: stream on of our audio plays on-demand today!

 

praise for A theateR in the dark

 
 
 
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CHICAGO AUDIENCES REACT to “THREE STORIES UP”:

“THE ULTIMATE AUDIO-BOOK EXPERIENCE… live and immersive”

“…a really extraordinary experience. Everything about it, from the evocative dialogue to the the acting to the sound effects, was top-notch. And the solution to the whodunit was a totally surprising plot twist. This is definitely the kind of unique theatrical endeavor that we need more of! I'm planning to see it (well, listen to it) again”

“I’ve been attending Chicago storefront theatre for 30 years; I’ve never seen anything like this.”

Director Corey Bradberry (L) and actor Bethany Arrington (R, posing for a selfie) speak with WGN Radio’s Dean Richards.

Director Corey Bradberry (L) and actor Bethany Arrington (R, posing for a selfie) speak with WGN Radio’s Dean Richards.

You’ve never seen a show quite like this before, because it’s performed completely in the dark.”
— Dean Richards, WGN Radio AM 720
Photo by VanveenJF on Unsplash.jpg

praise for THREE STORIES UP (2019):

Three Stories Up is a thriller that keeps its audience guessing, but the originality behind the production--and its precise execution--makes it a must see as one of Chicago’s more creative theatre adventures… Theatre in the Dark masterfully succeeds in bringing to life a story that is sure to be different for each end everyone in attendance.” —Ken Payne, Buzz Center Stage

“…the execution of this set up was pretty near perfect. It really was startling to not be able to see anything the entire time… the sound happening all around you is something that wouldn’t come out the same way if I were listening with headphones.” —Kevin Curran, Chicago Theatre Review

“Theatre in the Dark completely lives up to their name… While radio plays are by no means new, the experience of being in a space, in the dark with voices and sounds moving all around you, takes it to the next level. The format is perfect for adventurous theatre-goers looking for a unique experience.” -Taryn Smith, Picture This Post

Three Stories Up has the vibe of iconic pre-TV radio dramas, melded with the immediacy of live performance, and the pure joy of being read to as a child. Highly recommended… pretty ingenious.” —— Bonnie Kenaz-Mara, ChiIL Live Shows

from the low-vision community:

From the low-vision community:

I would happily attend another production where the audience members are all on an even playing field. The entire experience created some interesting discussion for the ride home.”

“I felt like I was on a level playing field with all the members of the audience who were sighted. The acting was quite well done and I was impressed that they did not bump into the audience or chairs as they moved so adeptly around the room. Personally, we should have more of this type of play.”

A group prepares to enter the performance space for THREE STORIES UP before the lights go out and the blindfolds come off…

A group prepares to enter the performance space for THREE STORIES UP before the lights go out and the blindfolds come off…

Audience members entering the darkness for 2019’s THREE STORIES UP

Audience members entering the darkness for 2019’s THREE STORIES UP

from general audiences:

“It was like listening to the old BBC radio plays that I grew up with—though my childhood radio wasn’t playing in three dimensions!”

“Noirish, eerie, moving… is a must-see! Do not miss.” 

“I highly recommend it. Uniquely immersive. Intimate and aurally spatial.”