Otherworld Theatre Podcasts

TRANSCRIPT: LEIGH HELLMAN is a queer writer, originally from the western suburbs of Chicago, and a graduate of the MA Program for Writers at the University of Illinois at Chicago. After gaining the ever-lucrative BA in English, they spent five years living and teaching in South Korea before returning to their native Midwest. Leigh’s short … Continue reading Gateways: “Qualia” by Leigh Hellman read by Kat Evans →

TRANSCRIPT: Amber Palmer’s plays have been seen across the US, including at Activate Midwest, Flint Repertory Theatre, Bristol Valley Theatre, and Tipping Point Theatre. A monologue from their play “It’s a Small World (or The Robot Play)” is published in Best Men’s Monologues of 2019. Awards and publications include Best Men’s Monologues of 2019, City … Continue reading Gateways: “Star Sucker” by Amber Palmer read by Jasmin Tomlins and Coco Kasperowicz →

TRANSCRIPT: Alex B Reynolds has been writing and producing comedic theatre in Chicago for 15 years. They have been a contributing writer for The Flaming Dames burlesque troupe, the Meet/Cute sitcom podcast, and the Paragon short play festival. Full-length plays include Old Hobbits Die Hard, Kings & Thrones & Shit, and The Incredible Hank for … Continue reading Gateways: “What We Do In The Cosmos” By Alex B Reynolds read by Ryan Bond →

TRANSCRIPT: Plagued by Catholic guilt and a love of whiskey, Terry writes about social & environmental problems through the lens of fantasy and science fiction. The former anthropologist and Fulbright grantee currently contributes reviews and interviews at Chicago’s own Third Coast Review, and would very much like to sign an agent sometime before they die. … Continue reading Gateways: “The Left Hand of Death” by Terry Galvan read by Courtney Lynn →

TRANSCRIPT: Magdalen Vaughn is an Actor, Writer and Science fiction devotee. She has been practicing all types of science fiction writing during the pandemic and she will be creating science fiction performance pieces during her MFA starting this fall. She loves working with the talented folks at Otherworld theatre, long be their reign! Find more … Continue reading Gateways: “Letter to a Young Vampire” by Maggie Vaughn read by Nathan Shelton →

TRANSCRIPT: Jim McDoniel is a writer of monsters and mirth, not always in that order. He also writes radio plays. He holds a Masters degree in Writing and Publishing from DePaul University. He is a writer for the podcasts Our Fair City and Unwell. He was a finalist in Deathscribe 10 for his piece, “Monstruos.” … Continue reading Gateways: “The Vampires of Earth” by Jim McDoniel read by Ansel Burch →

TRANSCRIPT: Today’s writer, Leah Lopez is a Chicago writer and the playwright-in-residence at EDGE of Orion Theatre. “So, it’s magic?” I replied. “No. And yes,” my uncle returned, pushing his wire-rimmed glasses back up to his nose. I turned the heavy gold medallion in my hand. It looked like a doubloon. “You’re not very helpful,” … Continue reading Gateways: “What the Moon Said” by Leah Lopez read by Lauren Davies →

TRANSCRIPT: This story is written by Vishesh Abeyratne. Born and raised in Montreal, Vishesh holds a BFA in Playwriting from Concordia University. His plays include Indifference (Newmarket National 10-Minute Play Festival), The Procrustes Pitch (Between Us Productions, New York), Exposure (published by YouthPLAYS in Los Angeles), and Divide and Rule, which was one of the … Continue reading Gateways: Minion of the Grind by Vishesh Abeyratne read by Alex B. Reynolds →

Andy knew she was dead. That still didn’t stop her from jumping when she heard the automated voice saying three words she had never thought she would hear. “Welcome to Heaven.” Although she didn’t believe in life after death, on some strange spiritual level, she had somehow moved on. Where she had moved onto, however, … Continue reading Gateways: “Deadend” by Molly Southgate read by Gaby Fernandez →

TRANSCRIPT: John Harden is a screenwriter and director whose work has screened & garnered awards at top-tier festivals around the world. John’s work is informed by his love of speculative fiction and his background in visual arts, design, journalism and marketing. He is a San Francisco Bay Area native living in Santa Rosa, CA.- johnfilms.com, … Continue reading Gateways: “Anything You Want” by John Harden read by Rob Southgate →

Highlights of Isaac Rathbone‘s work include Captain Ferguson’s School For Balloon Warfare (Off-Broadway and remount at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival), The Gnome (Barter Theatre), Breakfast For Dinner (NYC Fringe Festival), and Undeclared History (Hofstra University). He is no stranger to speculative drama, as his genre one-acts such as Deb & Joan (about a lovesick android), … Continue reading Gateways: “Their World, Astral” by Isaac Rathbone ready by Courtney Lynn →

TRANSCRIPT: Rob McLemore has been consistently fascinated with sci-fi and fantasy for as long as he can remember and works it into just about everything he writes.  The majority of Rob’s work consists of comedy, both sketch and serial, and can frequently be heard with Locked Into Vacancy Entertainment. Terry and Jay stood for a … Continue reading Gateways: “Hearts, Stars and Horseshoes” by Rob McLemore read by Nathan Shelton →

TRANSCRIPT: Cameron Evesque Davis is a multi-talented artist based in Chicago. They are the owner of the media production company Hela’s Hand Productions, and create a variety of art, like music, stories, and films. They have one published novel, “Blasphemy”, an urban fantasy book about a pantheon of new gods, the end of the world, … Continue reading Gateways: “Choices, or A Lot to Lose” By Cameron Evesque Davis read by Alex B Reynolds →

TRANSCRIPT: Joe Johnson is a fourth year resident in the city of Chicago and an original cast member of Improvised Dungeons and Dragons performing at Otherworld. His love for science fiction and fantasy began with Star Wars and Marvel and has grown to include such authors as Timothy Zahn, Ray Bradbury, Ann Leckie, and many more. … Continue reading Gateways: “Meske’s Duel about Nothing” By Joe Johnson read by Kim Fukawa →

TRANSCRIPT: Russ Kaminski has a degree in film production and has written primarily for short film and theater. He also has written and performed standup comedy. Russ tells us he is most interested in stories of relationships and answering “what if” questions. This is “AlphaZip Training Video 1”. Hello! Welcome to your first day as … Continue reading Gateways: “AlphaZip Training Video 1” by Russ Kaminski read by Morgan Fuller →

TRANSCRIPT: **A content note before we begin: this story touches on eating disorders, weight and body image issues. This story will be challenging to some listeners who may wish to skip this episode. ** Lindsay Morris is a local playwright and storyteller who lives in Andersonville. She prefers dark comedy and loves to write about … Continue reading Gateways: “Fantasy Me” by Lindsay Morris read by Kat Evans →

TRANSCRIPT: Brendon Connelly is a scriptwriter from Norwich in the UK. He was a film journalist and blogger for over 20 years, met Kermit the Frog three times – and only fainted one of those times, and graduated from the University of Oxford with a first in Creative Writing.  Once upon a time, there was … Continue reading Gateways: “Beauty Mark” by Brendon Connelly read by Coco Kasperowicz →

Zack Peercy is a legally blind playwright based in Chicago. He has a residency at Three Brothers Theatre, where his play That’s Fucked Up premiered in May 2019. His play Kubrickian was recently presented as part of Intrinsic Theatre Company May Play Podcast reading series. He has placed in a few contests you haven’t heard … Continue reading Gateways: “John Quincy Adams High School Presents “Little Shop of Horrors Junior”!” by Zack Peercy read by Aydan Quinn →

Jim McDoniel is a writer of monsters and mirth, not always in that order. He also writes radio plays. He holds a Masters degree in Writing and Publishing from DePaul University. He is a writer for the podcasts Our Fair City and Unwell. He was a finalist in Deathscribe 10 for his piece, “Monstruos.” and … Continue reading Gateways: “Of The Legumen” by Jim McDoniel read by Ryan Bond →

TRANSCRIPT: Isaac Rathbone is mostly a playwright and also has a few short films under his belt. He tells us he is always searching for challenging environments for great characters to grow in and is a stickler for creating the right dialogue. His work has been featured at Paragon Fest and you can find examples … Continue reading Gateways: “Shangri-La” By Isaac Rathbone read by Keenan Odenkirk →

Hadley Frost (they/them) is a TTRPG and Visual Story Telling creative writer and producer. He is currently personally studying creative writing. WIth little professional experience, he hopes to grow his portfolio in both a professional setting and novel writing. He is currently developing a visual story tell festival to take place in 2021. Hadley Frost … Continue reading Gateways: “Utopia Ain’t What it’s Cut Out To Be” by Hadley Frost read by Rachel Granda-Gluski →

Patrick B. McLean is thrilled to be taking part in Gateways this month with his mirco short story, Stop and Catch. Patrick received his BFA in Playwriting while attending The Theatre School at DePaul University in Chicago. He is currently an Artistic Associate with The Arc Theatre along with being the Chicago Correspondent for No … Continue reading Gateways “Stop and Catch” by Patrick B. McLean read by Jacob Bates →

TRANSCRIPT: Daniel Mendoza is an up and coming Latinx storyteller, based in Chicago, Il. Daniel is thrilled to be included in Gateways Story-writing series. He spends the little free time he has writing D&D campaigns and feeding his cat. People are dying to get into Summer Grove. A diverse, healthy, affordable gated community, where anyone … Continue reading Gateways “The Bluff of Summer Grove” by Daniel Mendoza read by Evin McQuistin →

TRANSCRIPT: Zack Peercy is a legally blind playwright based in Chicago. He has a residency at Three Brothers Theatre, where his play That’s Fucked Up premiered in May 2019. His play Kubrickian was recently presented as part of Intrinsic Theatre Company May Play Podcast reading series. He has placed in a few contests you haven’t … Continue reading Gateways: “Community Service” by Zack Peercy read by Jasmin Tomlins →

TRANSCRIPT: Connor Andrei primarily writes children’s fantasy and the occasional flash fiction piece for contests and for fun. He has also written a play that was a finalist in the Indiana Repertory Theatre’s “Young Playwrights in Progress” contest. He aims to bring engaging and accessible stories to children while feeling like a writer of “Serious … Continue reading Gateways: “On Hermit Crabs and Old Boxes” by Connor Andrei read by Martha Southgate →

TRANSCRIPT: Cat McKay specializes in gays and sci-fi, both as an actor and as a writer. (If it’s not broke …) Favorite roles include Diana Barry in Anne and Diana Were Totally Doing It (FemSlash Fest at Otherworld), Bella in Valkyries: Badasses on Bikes, and Alien in Engage! A Choose Your Own Sci-Fight Adventure! Her … Continue reading Gateways: “Watch Your Back” by Cat McKay read by Devon Elizabeth and Tabitha Burch →

TRANSCRIPT: Lindsay Morris is a local playwright and storyteller who lives in Andersonville. She prefers dark comedy and loves to write about all the ways her vagina has screwed her. She’s performed in dozens of shows in Chicago and recently had a play workshopped with the Agency Theater Collective. She describes her work as “Larry … Continue reading Gateways: “Waiting” by Lindsay Morris read by Jasmin Tomlins →

TRANSCRIPT: Jessie McCarty is a writer and aspiring power point performer for stage and screen. They were crowned bagel queen of the midwest by montreal playwright Joe Bagel. Jessie is a company member of runways lab theater and BFA of creative writing at SAIC. “TOO MANY BUTTONS, NEVER ENOUGH SHOES: a short story of how … Continue reading Gateways: “Too Many Buttons Never Enough Shoes…” by Jessie McCarty read by Kat Evans →

Jeff Harris is the properties artisan at the Goodman Theatre, and a longtime collaborator with Otherworld Theatre building props, costumes, and masks. But once, in the long-long-ago, he was a writer and director, and is all too happy for the opportunity to put on is old suit of armor. As well as writing a short … Continue reading Gateways: “The Greenwood Knight” by Jeff Harris read by Rob Southgate →

TRANSCRIPT: Michael Strange was born a storyteller. His strength is in telling a story verbally and he has risen to the challenge of translating his skill to the page. Tonight, we are thrilled to take his writing and give it back to voice.  When I got first meal after learning she was gone, I overheard … Continue reading Gateways: “The Pearl Box” by Michael Strange read by Rachel Granda-Gluski →

TRANSCRIPT: Kate Akerboom is a multi-creative individual living in Chicago. As a Certified Interpretive Guide, she tells stories for a living but cherishes every opportunity she has to write them down. You can interact with her on social media as @hestionfire on Instagram, @katie_akerboom on twitter, and listen to her voice reading Shakespeare as Managing … Continue reading Gateways: “Moving Day” by Kate Akerboom read by Kim Fukawa →

TRANSCRIPT: Michael Jachowicz has written sketches and comedy scripts for podcasts as well as some comic strips. You can hear some of his scripts with Starlight Radio Dreams, a Chicago based comedy podcast. He tells us, “I found a quarter today, and I’m just happy to be here.”  Content Warning: This story depicts drug use. … Continue reading Gateways: “A Story in Which Nothing Happens” by Michael Jachowicz read by Kate Akerboom →

TRANSCRIPT: Ashley Retzlaff is an English and Theatre teacher who writes a lot of poetry. A scrambling enthusiast who owns more half-filled notebooks than any hoarder could, she creates worlds where reality and hope clash. The miniature worlds she creates lie dormant in the notebooks until brought to life by a reader’s voracious eyes and … Continue reading Gateways: ” One Bad Pickup Line” by Ashley Retzlaff read by Coco Kasperowicz →

TRANSCRIPT: Eliza Marley lives in Rogers Park and spends her time drinking tea by the lake when it’s not closed and watching old horror movies. She is a graduate of Loyola University Chicago’s creative writing program. She is a writer of magic realism and likes to explore the folds in the fabric of reality and … Continue reading Gateways: “Don’t Worry About the Frogs” by Eliza Marley read by Gaby Fernandez →

This is part two of a special three part reading of the classic short story Rappaccini’s Daughter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. This is one of the first ever speculative fiction stories to be published in English and has shades of some characters you may recognize from the pop culture of today. This story is a fascinating … Continue reading Gateways: “Rappaccini’s Daughter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne read by Ansel Burch Pt 3 →

This is part two of a special three part reading of the classic short story Rappaccini’s Daughter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. This is one of the first ever speculative fiction stories to be published in English and has shades of some characters you may recognize from the pop culture of today. This story is a fascinating … Continue reading Gateways: “Rappaccini’s Daughter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne read by Ansel Burch- Part 2 →

This is part one of a special three part reading of the classic short story Rappaccini’s Daughter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. This is one of the first ever speculative fiction stories to be published in English and has shades of some characters you may recognize from the pop culture of today. This story is a fascinating … Continue reading Gateways: “Rappaccini’s Daughter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne read by Ansel Burch- Part 1 →

TRANSCRIPT: Welcome to Gateways, a short story reading series from Otherworld Theatre. Our quest is to give science fiction short stories a place to shine through voice. For this special episode, we are reading a piece from Ruari McDonnell who has contributed to the series before. She is one of her favorite stories to have … Continue reading Gateways: “Entanglement” By Ruari McDonnell read by Ansel Burch →

Welcome to Gateways, a short story reading series from Otherworld Theatre. This story was submitted by Cameron Evesque Davis, one of the writers who participates in our usual, prompt based submission process. For this special release I will be reading one of their favourite stories to have written.  Cameron Evesque Davis is a multi-talented artist … Continue reading Gateways: GLOR by Cameon Evesque Davis read by Ansel Burch →

TRANSCRIPT: This story is written by Leigh Hellman. Leigh is a queer writer, originally from the western suburbs of Chicago, and a graduate of the MA Program for Writers at the University of Illinois at Chicago. After gaining the ever-lucrative BA in English, they spent five years living and teaching in South Korea before returning … Continue reading Gateways: “Bloodletter” by Leigh Hellman read by the Gateways Cast →

TRANSCRIPT: This story is written by Bryce Read. Bryce Read is thrilled to be featured in Gateways! Bryce has been acting, improvising, teaching, and coaching for years, and is now getting back around to one of his first loves– writing! He also likes digging up, and collecting old bottles. How weird is that? You can … Continue reading Gateways: Powerless by Bryce Read read by Rob Southgate and Ensemble →

TRANSCRIPT: This story is written by Brendon Connelly. This story is written by Brendon Connelly. [Brendon Connelly is a scriptwriter from Norwich in the UK. He was a film journalist and blogger for over 20 years, met Kermit the Frog three times – and only fainted one of those times, and graduated from the University … Continue reading Gateways: New Blood by Brendan Connelly read by Alex B. Reynolds →

TRANSCRIPT: This story is written by John Keefe. John has written comedy for several years for sites such as The-Editing-Room.com, Cracked, and Chicago Literati. He also writes radio serials for Locked Into Vacancy Entertainment. He describes himself as “Excruciatingly imaginative”. This is “An Iteration”. This is The Dancer’s God The congregation’s eyes were upon the … Continue reading Gateways: “The Dancer’s God” by John Keefe read by John Keefe and Jasmin Tomlins →

TRANSCRIPT:This story is written by Ruari McDonnell.  Ruari is a recent graduate from DePaul University with a BA in English that is finally being put to use. She narrates shows for the Adler Planetarium and throws axes for Ragnorok Axe Throwing in Chicago among various other strange jobs that support her cat’s instagram modeling career. … Continue reading Gateways: “Metamorphosis” by Ruari McDonnell read by Kim Fukawa and Nathan Shelton →

TRANSCRIPT: This story is written by Gwen Kelly-Masterton. Gwen Kelly-Masterton is a director, playwright, and all-around Theater Person from Chicago. She would like to thank Gateways for once again providing her with that essential element all writers crave– a deadline. This is “Living Creatures”   The first miracle takes place two weeks after a huge … Continue reading Gateways: “Living Creatures” by Gwen Kelly-Masterton read by Jasmin Tomlins →

TRANSCRIPT: This story is written by Rachel A Schrock. Rachel is a Chicago-based writer, actress, comedian, and musician. You can check her out on Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram, all @Razmatini. This is “Daedalus”. As a Content Note: this story contains violence and may not be acceptable for all audiences. Thank you for attending to self … Continue reading Gateways: “Daedalus” by Rachel A Schrock read by Evin McQuistion →

TRANSCRIPT: This story is written by Irene L Pynn. Irene’s plays include I, Cockroach, The Church of Saint Bearer, Enter, Pursued by a Whale, The Train, How to Field Dress an Android, and several ten-minute shorts. She is a member of the Dramatists Guild, and her work has been produced throughout the United States and … Continue reading Gateways: “Chicken is Served” by Irene L Pynn read by Kat Evans →

TRANSCRIPT: This story is written by Ben McCauley. As a child, Ben was told he could be whatever he wanted to be, and so, he decided to be an airplane. When that didn’t pan out, he went into theater. Ben has been writing stories and plays since his middle school days. Most, if not all … Continue reading Gateways: “A for Effort” by Ben McCauley read by Coco Kasperowicz →

Content Note, please be aware that this story is of a frank, sexual nature and may not be suitable for all audiences. TRANSCRIPT: This story is written by Cassandra Rose. This bisexual playwright has had over 300 of her plays performed across the US. That includes the hundreds of micro-plays that made up all five … Continue reading Gateways: “The Heart Wants” by Cassandra Rose ready by Rachel Granda-Gluski and Alex B. Reynolds →

Content Note, please be aware that this story is of a frank, sexual nature and may not be suitable for all audiences. JACOB: This story is written by John Weagly. John Weagly has been heard as the voice of HarperCollins/ HarperKids Publishers, Wendella Sightseeing and on multiple podcasts including High Country Drama and Lumpy & … Continue reading Gateways: “The Morning After Eggsperience” by John Weagly read by Jacob Sturgeon →

Content Note, please be aware that this story is of a frank, sexual nature and may not be suitable for all audiences. TRANSCRIPT: This story is written by Leigh Hellman. Leigh is a queer writer, originally from the western suburbs of Chicago, and a graduate of the MA Program for Writers at the University of … Continue reading Gateways: “A Most Proper Communication Between a Lady Author and Her Editor, Alt-1871” by Leigh Hellman read by John Weagly →