Productions
My audio theater productions have spanned three different troupes.
Shoestring Radio Theatre is a San Francisco-based, non-profit radio drama company (founded in 1988 by Producer Monica Sullivan) whose productions have aired locally, nationally, and internationally. The program has aired in the Bay Area on various stations over the years and debuted on the Public Radio Satellite Network (which reaches hundreds of public radio stations across the country) in 1993.
I was heavily involved in the Shoestring troupe for about 10 years. In addition to writing, directing, and producing plays, I served as a Senior Associate Producer & Webmaster, which entailed publicizing and promoting the show and developing its website (http://www.shoestring.org).
Below is a list of productions that I have written, directed, and/or produced — and instructions on how to listen to them.
- You can listen to my full-length plays when they air in rotation on Shoestring’s weekly schedule.
- You can listen instantly to several of my shorts and comedy sketches by using the embedded audio player controls below.
Full-Length Plays
Each weekly episode of Shoestring Radio Theater is about 30 minutes long, so a full-length play is either a self-contained story of under 30 minutes or a 60-minute story that airs in two parts. I was involved in the production of all kinds of plays across multiple genres. I wrote many of the plays I directed, but I also directed movie adaptations and original plays by other authors.
Number 13
Summary
A research chemist experimenting on animals has the tables turned in this thriller set in England during World War II. (30 min.)
Broadcast Premieres
- San Francisco: KUSF and KALW – 1991
- 50 stations in more than 25 states via The Radio Works U Network
- Canada, Africa, and Australia via the Canadian organization, La Bande Magnetique
- Radio Arts Festival in Belgium – 1992
- Public Radio Satellite Network – 1993
Live Readings
- Read live on stage twice at charity events in San Francisco – 1994.
Co-writer
Fall, Don’t Splat
Summary
Inspired by “Wayne’s World” and the Bill & Ted movies, this slapstick comedy chronicles the turbulent skydiving expedition of Man and Dude, two goofy Los Angeles airheads. (30 min.)
Broadcast Premieres
- San Francisco: KUSF – 1993
- Public Radio Satellite Network – 1993
Writer | Associate Producer
Natural Selection
Summary
A crazy judge presides over the zany process of jury duty selection at Berkeley Municipal Court in this courtroom comedy with more than 25 speaking parts. (30 min.)
Broadcast Premieres
- San Francisco: KUSF – 1993
- Public Radio Satellite Network – 1994
Writer | Director | Associate Producer
Sci-Fi Comedy Extravaganza
Summary
This comedy special, which premiered locally on KUSF in May, 1994 and nationally on the Public Radio Satellite Network in October 1994, features three sketches with a science fiction theme. (30 min.)
Captain’s Log, Accidental
The crew of the starship Exitprise encounters one obstacle after another while attempting to deliver a vaccine to plague victims in this “Star Trek” spoof.
Mysteries of the Universe
A tabloid TV news series examines the eternal question: which came first, the chicken or the egg?
Remote Control
When an alien species detects life on Earth, they send their top cultural anthropologist to investigate. Will he decide to make contact?
Broadcast Premieres
- San Francisco: KUSF – 1994
- Public Radio Satellite Network – 1994
Writer | Director | Associate Producer
All’s Fair In Love, War & Backgammon
Summary
A romantic pentangle and a vicious serial killer make life complicated for five friends competing in a World Championship Backgammon Tournament being held in San Francisco. This murder thriller, which at the time was the first play Shoestring had post-produced digitally by computer, features startlingly complex sound effects and cinema-quality production values. (60 min.)
Broadcast Premieres
- San Francisco: KUSF – 1994
- Public Radio Satellite Network – 1995
- Berkeley: KPFA – 1995
Writer | Director | Associate Producer
The Woman In White
Summary
In the year 1850, Sir Percival Glide has returned to England from Australia to claim his inheritance: the London estate of Blackwater Park. But wait! He’s an imposter—a greedy psychopath with a thirst for death! This chilling gothic melodrama (adapted by Monica Sullivan) is based on the 1940 film, Crimes At The Dark House, itself an adaptation of Wilkie Collins’ The Woman In White. (60 min.)
Awards
National Federation Of Community Broadcasters’ Golden Reel Nominee For Best Radio Drama Production of 1995.
Broadcast Premieres
- San Francisco: KUSF – 1995
- Public Radio Satellite Network – 1995
Director | Associate Producer
Dead On Arrival
Summary
Accountant Frank Bigelow is trying to solve a murder: his own! In a race against time, Bigelow travels from San Francisco to Los Angeles to unravel the tangled web of dishonesty and deception that will reveal his killer. Adapted from the classic 1949 film noir, D.O.A. (60 min.)
Broadcast Premieres
- San Francisco: KUSF – 1995
- Public Radio Satellite Network – 1995
Director | Associate Producer | Adaptation
Deadline Dilemma
Summary
The pressure is on for Rebecca Star to solve the case of a vicious double homicide. The problem: her four prime suspects—a priest, a psychic, an actress, and a talent agent—all claim to have done it. Can Rebecca determine which suspect really is guilty of the crime before time runs out? (30 min.)
Broadcast Premieres
- San Francisco: KUSF – 1995
- Public Radio Satellite Network – 1995
Director
Dear Ray, Why I Hate You
Summary
When San Francisco businessman Ray Pacer meets the woman of his dreams, he thinks he has found the road to happiness. But then the romance turns sour, and Ray finds himself on a different path, one which is bumpy, winding, and quite treacherous. (60 min.)
Broadcast Premieres
- San Francisco: KUSF – 1995
- Public Radio Satellite Network – 1995
Writer | Director | Associate Producer
The Brian Situation
Summary
Brian Nelson—10 years old, hyperactive and retarded—has been living on the streets with 17-year-old run-away Kristine Hammond for nearly two weeks. Where is his family and why aren’t they looking for him? The paths of two dysfunctional families cross and collide in this intense drama. (60 min.)
Broadcast Premieres
- San Francisco: KUSF – 1996
- Public Radio Satellite Network – 1996
Co-writer (with Nico Pemantle) | Associate Producer
Red Menace From Beyond The Stars
Summary
Is Walnut Creek, California being invaded by aliens or is eight-year-old Tommy Lucero’s hyperactive imagination just getting the best of him? This sci-fi comedy, set in the late 1950s, answers the question. (30 min.)
Broadcast Premieres
- San Francisco: KUSF – 1997
- Public Radio Satellite Network – 1997
Director
Sisters In Blood Only
Summary
When an old college chum is accused of murder, archeologist and part-time crime fighter Richard Becker dons his magic shroud to find the real killer. Episode #1 of the “Shroud” — a 1940s-style radio-noir series. (30 min.)
Broadcast Premieres
- San Francisco: KUSF – 1997
- Public Radio Satellite Network – 1997
Director
A Lover’s Sacrifice
Summary
While exploring a Mayan ruin in Mexico, two young lovers—an academic archaeoastronomer and a free-spirit surfer—discover that there’s a fine line between mythology and reality. (30 min.)
Broadcast Premieres
- San Francisco: KUSF – 1998
- Public Radio Satellite Network – 1998
Director
A Four Star Murder
Summary
Wisecracking private investigator Slick Bracer is hired to solve the murder of a wealthy Metropolisville restauranteur in this witty film noir parody—the first in a continuing series of “Slick Bracer” adventures. (30 min.)
Broadcast Premieres
- San Francisco: KUSF – 1998
- Public Radio Satellite Network – 1998
Director
The Tall Thin Short Fat Man
Summary
In episode #2 of the “Shroud” series, archeologist and amateur sleuth Richard Becker dons the mantle cloak of illusion to solve a string of baffling jewelry store robberies. (30 min.)
Broadcast Premieres
- San Francisco: KUSF – 1998
- Public Radio Satellite Network – 1998
Director
The Case of the Kidnapped Canine
Summary
When the FBI, Interpol, and local police can’t solve a string of dognappings in Metropolisville, the latest victim hires Slick Bracer, wisecracking P.I. extraordinaire, to find her beloved Bichon Frise. This comedy-mystery is episode #2 of the “Slick Bracer” series. (30 min.)
Broadcast Premieres
- San Francisco: KUSF – 1998
- Public Radio Satellite Network – 1998
Director
The Mystery of Some Murdered Guy
Summary
When Slick Bracer’s new partner is murdered before he can even report for his first day at work, the wisecracking P.I. extraordinaire vows to use all his wits and sarcasm to apprehend the killer. Episode #3 of the “Slick Bracer” series. (30 min.)
Broadcast Premieres
- San Francisco: KUSF – 1998
- Public Radio Satellite Network – 1998
Director
Island of the Gods
Summary
While exploring a foreign planet, a team of archaeologists discovers ancient ruins on a deserted island. But is the island really deserted? This sci-fi thriller answers the question. (20 min.)
Broadcast Premieres
- San Francisco: KUSF – 1998
- Public Radio Satellite Network – 1998
Director
Defaced
Summary
When the Medford Police fish a mutilated body out of the Rogue River—a young woman whose face is missing—they begin to wonder if there’s a connection to a respected professor of medicine, whose own daughter recently lost her face in a car accident. Adapted from the 1959 French horror classic “Les Yeux Sans Visage” (“Eyes Without a Face”). (30 min.)
Broadcast Premieres
- San Francisco: KUSF – 1999
- Public Radio Satellite Network – 1999
Director | Adaptation
Intercom
Summary
What could be worse than carpooling to work every day with an annoying windbag who drones on and on about her favorite movie stars, her retired husband, and her gardening projects? Well, for one, mysteriously hearing her every word on your apartment’s intercom in the wee hours of the morning while you and your pregnant wife are trying to sleep. (60 min.)
Broadcast Premieres
- San Francisco: KUSF – 1999
- Public Radio Satellite Network – 1999
Director
The Most Dangerous Game
Summary
A private luxury yacht is shipwrecked off the coast of a remote island, and the sole survivor, world-famous hunter Robert Rainsford, manages to swim to shore. On the island, he unexpectedly discovers an old fortress owned by the enigmatic Count Zaroff, a fellow hunter who offers Rainsford food, shelter, and the chance to hunt the most dangerous game. Adapted from the classic tale by Richard Connell. (60 min.)
Broadcast Premieres
- San Francisco: KUSF – 1999
- Public Radio Satellite Network – 1999
Director | Adaptation
Say Goodbye
Summary
They say that fate is in the stars, that each of our years is planned ahead and nothing can change destiny. Is that true? How many times have you said, “I wish I could live this year over again?” This is the story of a woman who made such a wish at a magic time when the new year of a new century was just beginning. Now that wish is coming true—actress Sheila Page is going to live the last year of the last century all over again … but will she be able to change destiny and save her husband from a fatal gunshot? (90 min.)
Broadcast Premieres
- San Francisco: KUSF – 2000
- Public Radio Satellite Network – 2000
Director
The Chase
Summary
Drifter and World War II veteran Chuck Scott thought he might get a modest reward when he returned the lost wallet of Miami gangster Eddie Roman. Instead, he gets drawn into a nightmarish world of love and death. (60 min.)
Broadcast Premieres
- San Francisco: KUSF – 2000
- Public Radio Satellite Network – 2000
Director
Shorts & Comedy Sketches
When a finished Shoestring play runs shorter than the program’s usual duration, the show typically adds a short production to the end of the episode to fill in the runtime. Writing, directing, and/or producing shorts, especially comedy sketches, was one of my favorite things to do with the troupe. All of my shorts aired locally on KUSF and nationally on the Public Radio Satellite Network (and a few on KALW).
The Bed
A comic vignette in which a little boy embarks on an expedition to explore his bed and gets trapped under the covers.
3 min. – 1991 – Writer
Run, Don’t Walk
A comedy sketch in which Los Angeles airheads, Man and Dude, face the challenge of trying to rent a movie.
4 min. – 1992 – Writer
Skip, Don’t Jump
A comedy sketch wherein Los Angeles airheads, Man and Dude, try to alleviate their perpetual boredom by visiting a new basketball gym.
5 min. – 1992 – Co-writer
Table For One
A comedy sketch about a customer at a restaurant who gets more service than he can handle.
5 min. – 1993 – Associate Producer
The Society of People Who Overthink
A comedy sketch in which the founding members of a support group for overthinkers try to hold a board meeting.
4 min. – 1993 – Writer | Director | Associate Producer
Have A Nice Day
A comic vignette that features a businessman late for a meeting getting stuck in a phone booth.
7 min. – 1993 – Writer | Director | Associate Producer
Chit Chat
A comedy sketch in which a mysterious government bureaucrat is interviewed on a radio talk show.
4 min. – 1993 – Writer | Director | Associate Producer
Coming Soon
A mock movie trailer that spoofs “Jurassic Park”.
3 min. – 1993 – Writer | Director | Associate Producer
The Boy In the Moon
A bedtime yarn in which a grandfather tells his young grandson the story of how the moon came to be.
8 min. – 1993 – Writer | Director | Associate Producer
Department of Overreaction
A comedy sketch chronicling the misadventures of a mild-mannered shopper in a crazy department store.
4 min. – 1994 – Writer | Director | Associate Producer
Department of Underreaction
A dying man tries to get help from 911.
2 min. – 1994 – Director | Associate Producer
More Chit Chat
A comedy sketch that finds “Chit Chat” host Trudy Smith interviewing the U.S. Postmaster General about a new U.S. Post Priority Mail Service.
5 min. – 1994 – Writer | Director | Associate Producer
Eggplant Is Funny
A comedy sketch in which “Chit Chat” host Trudy Smith interviews two renowned scientists about the latest research on vegetables.
5 min. – 1994 – Co-writer | Director | Associate Producer
Privacy
A comedy sketch in which an elderly couple mail orders the Juice-O-Matic TurboJuicer and attempts to enjoy it in the privacy of their own home.
6 min. – 1994 – Writer | Director | Associate Producer
A Bird In the Hand
A comedy sketch in which “Chit Chat” host Trudy Smith interviews three people who claim to have proven some age-old proverbs.
5 min. – 1994 – Director | Associate Producer
1,000 Voices
A comedy sketch featuring renowned voice-over actor Sir Nigel Debernard discussing his 20-year acting career on the BBC with radio host Clarence Rhodes.
5 min. – 1994 – Writer | Director | Associate Producer
B.O.A.
Writer Nico Pemantle’s spoof of the Shoestring radio drama “Dead On Arrival”.
1.5 min. – 1995 – Director | Associate Producer
Call-Dumping
A comedy sketch in which the phone company reveals its newest calling feature.
4 min. – 1995 – Director | Associate Producer
Yet More Chit Chat
A promotional spot for Shoestring’s website in which “Chit Chat” host Trudy Smith interviews a special guest.
1.5 min. – 1995 – Writer | Director | Associate Producer
Surf, Don’t Slip
A promotional spot for Shoestring’s website in which Los Angeles airheads Man and Dude try to alleviate their perpetual boredom.
1 min. – 1995 – Writer | Director | Associate Producer
Psychobabble
A comedy sketch in which a battle of oversized egos erupts when Doctor of Psychology Jamison and Doctor of Psychology Winston meet for a simple cup of coffee.
4 min. – 1998 – Director
Job Interview
Joan Resnick’s job interview at the Donosio Meat Company is anything but business-as-usual in this comedy sketch written by Frank Munnich.
6 min. – 1998 – Director
A Good Job Is Hard To Find
In this comedy sketch, it’s five years from this Monday … and for Richard Hall it’s his first day of work at Allied Surveillance in his new job as Personnel Manager. Did we mention that it’s Monday? It’s gonna be a doozie.
10 min. – 1998 – Director
Little Dreams
A chilling “Rod Serling-esque” short which explores what really is going on at the seemingly noble “Society for the Preservation and Endurance of Marine Life”?
5 min. – 1998 – Director
Real History: The Birth of Psychoanalysis
A comedy sketch in which writer Frank Munnich explores the beginnings of Psychoanalysis as Og, a Cro-magnon man, visits his therapist, a Neanderthal.
7 min. – 1999 – Director
Real History: Albert Schweitzer’s Charity Clinic
This installment of “Real History” — written by Frank Munnich — provides a startling look back at the charity clinic of Dr. Albert Schweitzer, renowned the world over for bringing free medical care to the poorest reaches of Africa in the first half of the 20th century.
7 min. – 2000 – Director
Crunchy Frog Comedy is a comedy troupe I founded in 1998 to produce audio shows for the web, everything from short comedy sketches to full-length plays. In addition to running the troupe, I wrote many of the scripts, directed and produced all of the productions, and designed and developed the show’s webpage, where you can listen to the episodes listed below.
If a Tree Falls
A collection of Monty Python-esque comedy sketches.
17 min. – 1998 – Writer | Director | Producer
Psychobabble
A collection of Monty Python-esque comedy sketches.
16 min. – 1998 – Writer | Director | Producer
Message from God
Gilbert Jennings gets the surprise of his life when he finds a message on his answering machine … from God. Even more surprising is what happens when Gilbert returns the call.
11 min. – 2002 – Writer | Director | Producer
The Boy with Bionic Socks
Simon Lebopowitz is more than your run-of-the-mill teenage boy thanks to a pair of bionic socks which give him amazing crime-fighting abilities. But will Simon’s socks be enough to help him thwart the evil plans of the notorious international criminal known as The Mime?
26 min. – 2003 – Director | Producer
Seriously Strange Audio Theater is an audio theater troupe I co-founded in 2019 to produce quirky comedies, edgy science-fiction, and gripping dramas. I also designed and developed the show’s website, where you can listen to the episodes listed below.
Table For One
A comedy sketch about a customer at a restaurant who gets more service than he can handle.
6 min. – 2019 – Director | Co-Producer
Message From God
Gilbert Jennings gets the surprise of his life when he finds a message on his answering machine … from God. Even more surprising is what happens when Gilbert returns the call.
11 min. – 2019 – Director | Co-Producer
Shout, Don’t Talk
Airheaded college students Man and Dude are so bored that they decide to visit their campus for the first time to attend a class.
6 min. – 2020 – Writer | Director | Co-Producer
The Most Dangerous Game (A Star Wars Story)
While on an exotic moon in the Mid Rim, the infamous mercenary Johhar Kessen accepts the hospitality of a like-minded hunting fanatic who offers him the chance to hunt the most dangerous game.
53 min. – 2020 – Adaptation | Director | Co-Producer