The Truth

Two shock jocks make a big morning mess. Performed by Jon Bander, Alessandro King, Bianca Casusol, Brian Frange, and Elana Fishbein. Written by Ira Gamerman. Produced & directed by Jonathan Mitchell.

Are you hearing voices? You're not alone. Performed by Christian Paluck, Carly Monardo, Tom Stephens, Louis Kornfeld, Jon Keller, Kerry Kastin, Nick Mykins, Aina Rapoza, and Ashley Wilson. With special musical guest Elizabeth Ziman. Written by Louis Kornfeld and developed collaboratively by The Truth, with dialogue improvised by the actors. Produced and directed by Jonathan Mitchell.

A freak accident on a train platform leads to... romance? Performed by Chet Siegel and Peter McNerney, with Willy Appleman, Louis Kornfeld, Lauren Ashley Smith, Sebastien Conelli, Quinton Loder, Jon Bander, and Kim Ferguson. Written by Chet Siegel and developed collaboratively by The Truth, with dialogue improvised by the actors. Produced by Jonathan Mitchell.

A prodigal daughter returns. Performed by Ed Herbstman, Ben Jones, Christian Paluck, Chet Siegel, Louis Kornfeld, Amy Warren, and Asher Herbstman. The story was developed collaboratively by The Truth, with dialogue improvised by the actors. Produced by Jonathan Mitchell.

You're cordially invited to spend New Year's Eve with Walt Avery. To attend, simply play this podcast. Performed by Ben Jones and Tom Ligon, and produced by Jonathan Mitchell. 

A couple goes in search of childhood memories. Performed by Ed Herbstman, Lauren Ashley Smith, and Louis Kornfeld. Story by Jonathan Mitchell with dialogue improvised by the actors. Produced and directed by Jonathan Mitchell.

This is a re-edited version of a previously released story. A taxi driver is working on his anniversary, and gets more than he expected when he picks up a couple in Lower Manhattan. Featuring: Christian Paluck as The Driver, Chet Siegel as Mary, Louis Kornfeld as Frank, and Amy Warren as Morgan. With Ed Herbstman, Melanie Hoopes, Charlotte Rabbe, and Jamie Rivera. Written collaboratively by The Tr...

Two urban explorers enter an abandoned subway. What happens next is our secret. This is the complete version of a story that was previously only available in two parts.

What happens when a corporation becomes a person? In this satire by Tony Award-winning playwright Greg Kotis, we follow a company called Geneva Mutual that becomes a sentient being. Performed by Louis Kornfeld, Rachel Hamilton, Tom Ligon, Chet Siegel, Amy Warren, Ed Herbstman, Christian Paluck, and Rupert Degas. Produced by Jonathan Mitchell.

This story was inspired by a submission from listener Mathew Mercier, for our Halloween/Election crowd-sourcing experiment. It's based on his experience as caretaker of the Edgar Allan Poe estate, and imagines what Poe's last living hours may have been like. Performed by Christian Paluck, Ed Herbstman, Chet Siegel, and Louis Kornfeld. Produced & directed by Jonathan Mitchell.

A canvasser gets the donation she needs, but it will cost her... Performed by Chet Siegel and Tom Ligon, with Matt J. Weir, Quentin Loder, and Melanie Hoopes. From an outline by Chet Siegel. Produced & Directed by Jonathan Mitchell, with sound design help from Brendan Baker.

Produced at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Radio Beyond Radio conference, featuring performances by Amie McKenna, Michele Durman, Michael Whalley, and Martin Dingle Wall. Produced by Ed Herbstman and Jonathan Mitchell.

A teacher gives his students lesson about democracy that they'll never forget. Performed by Peter McNerney as Mr. Mohr, Russ Armstrong as Eric, and Alexis Lambright as Margaret, with  Fiona Bradford, Teddy Shivers, Oscar Montoya, and Ben Jones as the principal. From an outline by Louis Kornfeld. Produced & directed by Jonathan Mitchell.

Mike Coleman is an independent candidate running for Congress, and he's finally getting some attention... from a serial killer. Performed by Ed Herbstman, Chet Siegel, Rick Andrews, Nick Kanellis, Louis Kornfeld, Amy Warren, and Bryn Magnus. Written by Ed Herbstman, and produced by Jonathan Mitchell.

This is a short story written and produced by Hillary Frank, made by combining fictional narration with real interview tape. It was edited by Julie Snyder, and orginally aired on This American Life.

Written by Kurt Andersen, this story was originally heard on PRI's Studio 360. Narrated by Ed Herbstman, with John Ottavino as Nicholas, and Melanie Hoopes as Nancy. The story editor was David Krasnow. Produced and directed by Jonathan Mitchell. The unabridged version was published in Stories: All New Tales , an anthology edited by Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio.

A pair of urban explorers goes underground, in the first part of a continuing story. Starring Emily Tarver, Alex Marino, Louis Kornfeld, Ed Herbstman, Christian Paluck, and Amy Warren. Produced by Jonathan Mitchell.

Two different approaches to making stories that combine improvisation with the recording studio. Total Transparency is a brand new piece, it was completely improvised and recorded in one take, and then edited. It was made up on the spot by Chet Siegel, Ed Herbstman, and Louis Kornfeld. Eye Contact was made using lots of different people telling the same story, that was edited into a fractured mono...

The recording doesn't lie. Performed by Ed Herbstman & Tami Sagher, with Libby Geroge & Christian Paluck. Produced by Jonathan Mitchell, written by Jonathan Mitchell, Ed Herbstman, & Melanie Hoopes. Originally produced for This American Life. Production advisors: Peter Clowney & Kerrie Hillman. Special thanks: Ira Glass, Lisa Pollack, Jonathan Menjivar, and Chris Bannon. Recorded a...

Spin class gets personal. Performed by Chet Siegel, Emily Tarver, and Ed Herbstman. Produced by Jonathan Mitchell, written by Chet Siegel & The Truth.

Terry Bisson's classic short story "They're Made Out of Meat" originally appeared in Omni Magazine in 1991, and our audio version was produced for WNYC's Studio 360 in November 2011. We've re-mixed the story especially for this podcast, and it's followed by an interview with Bisson himself. The story was performed by Russ Armstrong & Miriam Tolan, and produced by Jonathan Mitchell.

A taxi driver is working on his anniversary, and gets more than he expected when he picks up a couple in Lower Manhattan. Featuring: Christian Paluck as The Driver, Chet Siegel as Mary, Louis Kornfeld as Frank, and Amy Warren as Morgan. With Ed Herbstman, Melanie Hoopes, Charlotte Rabbe, and Jamie Rivera. Written by The Truth, and produced by Jonathan Mitchell.

Can coconut cake + random phone calls = love? Find out, when these two Valentine's Day traditions collide.  Produced by Jonathan Mitchell Edited by Hillary Frank Performed by Eliza Skinner, Birch Harms, and Curtis Gwinn Additional voices: Pat Etchill, Jennifer Geller, Hillary Frank, and Jonathan Mitchell Music by Jonathan Mitchell

Episode #1: Moon Graffiti. In our pilot episode, we imagine what may have happened if the Apollo 11 mission ended in tragedy. Featuring performances by Matt Evans, Ed Herbsman, and John Ottavino. Inspired by a real contingency speech written in 1969 by William Safire for Richard Nixon titled “In Event of Moon Disaster."