How We Manage Stuff

“The Closest I've Come to Death?” A query that comes with a story of impatience, indiscretion or poor judgement. For Alec Effson, it is a question that repeatedly asks why she is on a battlefield, what she expects to gain from the experience and who she will be when she returns to a life that […]

Not as expected. Battles never go as planned. A research team in the field adds another complication to the story. Partly fighters. Partly observers, though not exactly innocent. Our professor is retreating through the back country, looking forward to seeing her friend and sharing her accomplishments. But this is the end. And it ends the […]

Small shows.  A single vehicle and a couple of entertainers. But they were the ones who engaged the front line troops.  They went to the battle, to the, places where the USO didn't go.  They saw the war as it was and helped the soldiers to their do their job.  They also found themselves in […]

The day has come.  The hour has arrived.  The troops are deployed against an insurgent stronghold.  And Professor Effson has gone to the battlefield to study, to observe, to see how the residents behave in combat.  One small change and with that change, her work hangs in the balance.    Act 5 of   “Your Results […]

A preliminary visit.  A warning shot at an awkward time.  A suggestion that the local population might not as welcoming as they might appear.  An angry research director, who had to drag a research team to the battlefield when they claimed that they could do conflict research from the safety of their laboratories.  Military and […]

The end of the town.  Don't go down.  Don't ever go down, as the song says, if you don't go down with me.  Preparing to visit the battle.  Learning  to negotiate a small town only a few miles from the conflict.  Two things that are not that different when  the town is Kapu Varo.  Alec […]

The Dark Angel visits the battlefield.  She carries her paperwork and her description of research to be done.  How close does one ever come to death?  Can we refuse to accept it just the way we refuse a mistaken delivery? Alec Effson has her own questions.   Act 2 of “Your Results May Vary.”   Cast, […]

The story begins. A distance battlefield. A recent defeat. And a woman who needs an answer to the question “How close I have been to death?”     First act from the show “Your Results May Vary.”   Cast, in order of appearance: Zoe Anastassiou–  Professor Alec Effson Ron Bianchi – Major C. O Beason […]

Professionals need professional help.   Dr. May visits his colleague Dr. X-Tra over his psycholinguistic crisis that is driven by one, very specific word.   Dr. X-Tra, in his turn, has many ways of thinking about this issue. A third scene from the practice of a San Franciscan Black Psychiatrist.    Cast, in order of […]

One a scale form 1 to 7, how is close is close? This is warfare.  Mostly death is far, far away.  A score of 7 on a Likert Scale.  But there are moment, moments when it is much more intimate.  This is warfare. Hours of boredom punctuated by moments of shear terror. That is warfare. […]

“To everything there is a season.” So we've been told. A time to sit.  A time to stand.  A time to stay in camp.  A time to go down to the end of the town,  And, of course, a time to come back  A military camp is a novelty to Alec Effson.  It holds stories […]

The Records Clerk of Death. Such people exist you know. And they are not to be taken lightly. When they come for a visit, they need to be treated well Monologue from the upcoming production by HWMS Audio Theatre: “Your Results May Vary.”         Cast, in order of appearance: Zoe Anastassiou – […]

How do you measure the distance to death? How close is close? How can you possibly make a clear decision when the dark cloud passes by your door? And how you possibly study it when its effects swirl about you? Monologue from the upcoming production by HWMS Audio Theatre: “Your Results May Vary.”   Cast, […]

For any mental heal professional, one patient follows another. When the walls are thin enough, (as they often were for Black doctors in the 1960s, one patient can hear the session can hear the prior session. So now our psych faces a patient who objects to the advice given in the an earlier patient. He […]

San Francisco Once the Harlem of the West. Once a city with a vibrant and exciting Black culture. It then faces the Civil Rights movement. The Black Power Movement. And a pair of Black Psychiatrists trying to make sense of of this thing called racism Cast, in order of appearance: Phoenyx Rose – Office Assistant […]

Rosy Fingered Dawn stretches her hand across the morning sky.  As least that is what one of Chorus believes.  (He's kind of that way.  The other is not so sure.) A little snippet of a classic story in a modern setting about a timeless conflict. “Life is a Dream (or at least a wee nap”) […]

What is real? When we're awake?  Or when we're asleep. A Dublin business has spent twenty years carefully crafting her company, her position, her identity. No one questions her role.   She gets the business.  She gets the revenue.  She pays the salaries. She is in control of all, until a memory from the past […]

Dublin. Rain. Business. Money. Power.  Two lost souls wandering the streets and getting wet. A first look at a new show on an old  subject with a classic approach.   Cast, in order of appearance: Kota Fudauchi – Chaos Michelle Thomas-Hanson – Old Night   [22671.p1]    

Fancy Club. Fatty Foods. Formal Music in the Background. This is where business is done. Or where we believe business is done. Or perhaps where we pretend that something like business might be done on a good day with a favorable wind. Three investors try to out bluff each other.   Cast, in order of […]

Bread Crumbs. Paths we find for ourselves. Paths we leave for others. The lessons we learn along the way. The gratitude we find with each step. A monologue of an African American Family history by Geoffrey Grier of San Francisco Recovery Theatre in collaboration with AfroSolo. Take from a live performance at Potrero Stage, San … Continue reading Resurrection →

What holds friends together? Common background? Common history? A common vision of what they are? Three friends explore the different roles they have with each other.  They are moving into adulthood.  They are shaping their lives and their identities.  They also suddenly realize how delicate their common bonds may be. A New Audio Drama From … Continue reading Mother's Milk →

We know the story. Three women. A London Office. A missing colleague. And a pandemic. Three women wake one morning to discover that a colleague has vanished in the night. Gone. Poof. Not a bit of a trace. The clue to the story lies in a play that has just opened in a London Theatre. … Continue reading A Bustle, A Corset, & The London Necropolis Express →

She could have been somebody. A real contender. If there hadn't been a global economic depression. If the world hadn't been engaged in a world war. And if she hadn't been a woman.  Through Fate or Good Fortune or the simple dedication of someone who was not discouraged by rejection, she came to lead the … Continue reading Add Subtract Unite Divide →

New Drama.  New Story.  And it's about arithmetic.  And work relief.  And Organizations.  And Power.  And National Security.  Plus it's a Love Story.  A short preview of what is going to come.  Told as only the HWMS Audio Theatre can do it.  We're Theatre Like You've Never Seen.  Cast: Zoe Anastasiou  – Computer Ron Bianchi – … Continue reading Preview: Add Subtract →

A suitcase on the sidewalk. A weary traveller looking for an answer. A stage manager, looking for dessert. Introducing Kota Fudauchi to the audio drama Embisivle Friend.   Cast: Kota Fudauchi – Himself Michelle Thomas Hanson – Stage Manager Skippy – Himself [21913]

A school.  A slightly unusual school. (Business curriculum.  Silicon Valley.)   A principal, slightly stressed.  A teacher. (ditto) Broken plumbing.  A friend with a yellow car.  A successful corporate leader offering advice to a young protégé while pulling the funds from another.   And a little girl shall lead them all.   Just another day … Continue reading Embisivle Friend: A Place for Innovation →

What's to be done? Waiting at an old train station.  Not for a train of course.  But will she come? Does she ever come? To New Jersey. Deepest New Jersey.   A peek into the Audio Drama Embisivle Friend.  Cast Zoe Anastassiou – Zoe Josh LaForce – Josh Michelle Thomas Hanson – Stage Manager Skippy – … Continue reading Waiting for Lillian Moller Gilbreth →

Cermack Road, Cicero, Illinois Once it was the center of the high tech world. Now it is a shopping mall. A mall that is barely making ends meet. Not a promising future for Silicon Valley.  But a useful place to introduce a new cast member.   A peek into the Audio Drama Embisivle Friend.  Cast … Continue reading Embisivle Work →

Every now and then you need to assess.  Take a look backwards. Ask “who did that character become?”  With this episode, we return to the world of the adult Madison Insullie and see her dealing with adult problems.  The 11th episode of the Audio Drama Embisivle Friend.  Cast Sahara Ale – Consuela Zoe Anastasiou – Maddie … Continue reading Embisivle Friend: Playing the Role →

We've lost our faith in books.  We've lost faith in texts.   May may have even lost faith in problem sets. Learning by doing.  Learning by interning.  Learning by being mentored.  It's what you demand when you're an 8 year old entrepreneur.   And a plasma steel cutter, just for good measure.  The 10th episode … Continue reading Embisivle Friend: Additive Education →

Is a statue a startup if it doesn't start up in a startup garage? In an effort to answer this question, Josh LaForce and the Stage Manager explore the streets of Palo Alto. Cast Josh LaForce – Himself  Michelle Thomas-Hanson – Stage Manager Skippy – Fury & Himself [21907]

“Don't let your kids take capital from strangers.” It's the warning that parents should give their kids in Silicon Valley.  But parents may reason “if the kids get the investment, could things really be that bad?” Aravinda finds herself tested in the newest episode of the audio drama that puts our business future squarely in … Continue reading Embisivle Friend: Securing the Future →

How does it feel?  They made tup the first stair but not the second.  And who is there to hold them when they fall?  As we follow the story entrepreneurship and innovation, we start the story of a Investor's Representative, a famous former CEO, who goes through the world doing the things that need to … Continue reading Embisivle Friend: The Hand That Rocks The Cradle →

The show is about the Stage Manager.  Every show is.  So our manager steps up to the microphone in the HWMS auditorium to  explain this Audiodrama Embisivile Friend. Introduction to the next section of the drama Cast Michelle Thomas-Hanson – Stage Manager Skippy –  Himself [21911]

Out Stage is Silicon Valley. Our actors are titans of Industry.   Some titans.  Fictional titans. And some kids who believe that they are titans and that the earth shudders when they walk. And a dog.  And a school.  And an actor who wants to give you a tour.  Ana DeLoret talks about the audio … Continue reading The Embisivle School →

Career Management.  But it's more than that.  Manage plans.  Manage hope.  Manage accomplishments.  And here's the part you didn't anticipate:  Manage Boyfriend before the boyfriend manages you. An ambitious Principal faces an unexpected development in the 7th episode of the audio drama Embisivle Friend. Cast Sahara Ale – Lyra of Silent Partners Debbon Ayer – Penelope … Continue reading Embisivle Friend: The Job Suits You →

What does it mean to help a friend?  Listen to their problems?  Give unwanted advice? Give them a ride in your yellow car? And what do you do, when they ask you to mentor a troublesome student?  The 6th episode of the audio drama Embisivle Friend. Cast Zoe Anastasiou – Maddie, the 8 year old CEO … Continue reading Embisivle Friend: I Look Good in Yellow →

Where are Mom and Dad?  Any drama that features independent kids have to answer that question.  The reasons are not always pretty but with a little help, they can be “neatened up a bit.” “Neatening” doesn't help here, as a friend of Maddie's father tries to explain  The story of independent kids on the 5th … Continue reading Emvisivle Friend: The Picture Goes Everywhere →

There's a deal to be made here.  If only all the parties would see it.  One is looking for a crown.  The other is hoping to find the exit.  The problems of finding a common ground and a common agreement on the fourth episode of the audio drama “Embisivle Friend”.  Cast: Zoe Anastassiou – Maddie, the … Continue reading Embisivle Friend: Where Deals Are Made →

Influencer A career that inspires the children of our age.  Roughly equal in status to those of astronaut, video game designer, and ballet dancer. Tehya Merrit from our cast visits center stage of influence.  The Twitter headquarters to explain our drama.  A lovely lobby.  A decent café. And a place where influence is born. A … Continue reading Embisivle Influence for an Embisivle Drama →

Ordinary Day.  Not so ordinary school. Not much happening. Though the fifth graders… that’s another story. And an aspiring CEO decides that Adam Smith might have something useful to say about her arithmetic quiz. Crowdsourcing an exam on the Third Episode of our series on Maddie, the 8 year old entrepreneur. Cast: Sahara Ale – Vice … Continue reading Embisivle Friend: Only Hire The Best →

Another day. Another chance for a Senior Executive Meeting. Held on the  Playground of the Lillian Moller Gilbreth School for Disruptive Innovation. Another opportunity to fight over key resources.  And one of those resources is the meeting table itself. Second Episode of our series on Maddie, the 8 year old entrepreneur. Cast: Zoe Anastasiou – … Continue reading Embisivle Friend: Friends and Family →

Zeppelins. Silicon Valley was once the home of Zeppelins. Giant Airships would silently glide out of their hanger and rise into the sky, undertaking cutting edge missions for the U. S. Navy.  It was a sign of the areas importance, a sign of its role in creating new technologies. And of course, that era is … Continue reading Embisivle Tech from an Embisivle Drama →

Your attorney is sitting next to your bed. You knew it was going to be a peppy day, but maybe you thought that you would at least have time for a shower? So begins the story of Embisivle Friend.  Once upon a time, there was an 8-year-old girl named Maddie who dreamed of becoming a … Continue reading Embisivle Friend: Angel of the Morning →

It was once a big part of Silicon Valley culture. It may someday be part of that culture again. For the moment, it’s merely a shuttered memory. Cast member Sahara visits the Bay Area Makers Faire to explain a new story for the Audio Drama “How We Manage Stuff.”  It’s a story set on the … Continue reading Embisivle Friend at the Fair →

We’ll do many things to get an audience. Many things. Cast member Noah Masur takes the Caltrans commuter train into Silicon Valley and tries to recruit a few new listeners for our new audio drama. At least he’s gotten you.  That’s a positive thing. The rest?  They’ll be coming soon, when we start releasing episodes … Continue reading Embisivle Friend: Noah Promo →

Ever tried to raise money in Silicon Valley? Our cast, led by Zoe Anastassiou, works the central intersection of the tech world – Page Mill Road and El Camino Real – while explaining the new series, Embisivle Friend. It’s a story about real places and real characters who are played by real actors.  It’s Embisivle … Continue reading Embisivle Friend: Street Theatre with Zoe Anastassiou →

A new story is coming. And part of it takes place in the City by the Bay. Cast member Geoffrey Grier gives a quick tour of the landscape of the audio drama “Embisivle Friend” Cast: Geoffrey Grier –  Himself Skippy – Himself [21906]  

A little girl with big dreams. A hardened veteran of business who has taken his share of punches. And two actors talking about these characters. A little preview of our upcoming story line: Embisivle Friend.   Cast: Zoe Anastassiou – Herself (& Maddie) Geoffrey Grier –  Himself (& Vinny) Skippy – Himself [18804]  

End of the line.   The enemy is vanquished.  The Office is packed.  The Ship is riding on the outgoing tide.  The Prodigal returns.   If we may invoke multiple images to announce the last episode of this story.   The final episode of the audio drama “What Big Tech Doesn’t Know About Washington.”  Cast: … Continue reading Big Tech: The Prodigal Returns (Closing Episode) →

There comes a time. A time when you have to face the bull. You can’t have a corporate leader who terrorizes employees, makes policy in public, and cuts unauthorized deals.  And when the time comes.  Only one person can do the job The episode 28 of the audio of the audio drama What Big Tech Doesn’t … Continue reading Big Tech: Bull Fight →