PleasureTown

Well...shoot. Thanks for listening to our yarnin’, travelers. This last one has been a long meandering road, full of unexpected twists and turns and yet here we are standin’ at the end of it. It’s a wonderful thing, listeners, finishing a story. Almost as wonderful as starting a new one. We may be finished up with this tale, but there’s always a new one to tell, if you know where to look. So keep a weathered eye on the horizon.Thanks again for coming with us on this journey. But don’t get too cozy. I’ve a feelin’ we’ve got another one coming right around the bend.

Frantic and alone, Remy is driven to the wilderness by a betrayal and her voices.

Unable to combat Daniel’s demons by herself, Bethany gets a little help from a demon of her own. Meanwhile, Enid Wallace presents Amelia with a once-in-a-lifetime offer.

Eli, Eve, and Flo reflect on their pasts and futures, hopes and reservations, faiths and follies. Meanwhile, Ms. Wallace joins Mr. Goose at one of PleasureTown’s more secretive venues to celebrate her railroad.

With the town in desperate need of financial help, the Clerk holds a State of the Town address to lay out the pros and cons of the new railroad. Meanwhile, as Bethany aids the lost spirits of PleasureTown, Daniel continues to ensnare them.

This week on PleasureTown, Remy is challenged when one of the more troubled members of her support group rejects help. Meanwhile, Amelia blows the dust off her gloves and goes a few rounds with her old friend, Ma Barker.

This week on PleasureTown, Skippy, the town clerk, takes stock of what is left of in the wake of the Great Fire, all the while trying to manage the out-of-touch founders. Meanwhile, Elijah, leader of the newly displaced residents, strikes a deal with Enid Wallace to secure provisions for those under his care.

Amelia and Remy bond over making their totems for the Feast of the Wretched. Meanwhile, the medium Daniel encounters a spirit who tries to console his lovesick heart.

Tip of the hat to you listeners, and thanks again for joining us! Now, pop in those headphones and prepare to embark on another voyage into PleasureTown! This week, we follow Remy as her struggle with the voices that plague her brings life in PleasureTown to a fever pitch. Now, Remy must confront her inner demons with the help of a familiar face, or else succumb to the darkness within

An opportunity to stimulate the floundering economy of PleasureTown presents itself in the form of Enid Wallace, a wealthy railroad baroness who wishes to build her tracks through the town. How will the townspeople react to her proposal?

Meet Bethany and Daniel, two amorous teens from Louisiana who are gifted with the ability to speak to the dead. Meanwhile, Claude and Cyrus struggle to find the finances for repairs as the town shows increasing signs of wear.

In the season premiere, Amelia relives her childhood and her father’s abusive self-interest to tell how she came to be the proprietor of the town’s Inn. Also, Remy, daughter to a family of wealthy English aristocrats, is sent away to live in the States after showing signs of mental illness.

A nudist who is known for her pink parasol describes an encounter with a pair of Irish siblings. One loves her, and one wishes to possess her.

PleasureTown may be a playground for the liberated, but for one young man, being born into a world so focused on pleasure made life nearly unbearable. This is his story.

In this minisode, we meet a nameless PleasureTown resident as he recounts a chance meeting with a tormented Claude, who is haunted by memories of his father...and what he did. This minisode was written by PleasureTown Super Friend Richard Izzo.

Fear and hate go hand in hand. This is a lesson Hong, a Chinese immigrant, must learn as he traverses the Wild West to build a new home in Oklahoma. Will Hong be able to conquer the perils of his adopted land or will he succumb to the hatred of its people?

This week on PleasureTown, we join Clara, a young mathematician and PleasureTown native, as she decides to leave her family and community behind. Although Clara sets out to forge her own identity, it begins to dawn on her that life might have an all-encompassing symmetry that isn’t so easy to escape.

We've missed you. Stop. We'll be back soon. Stop. Follow us on Twitter. Stop. @PleasureTownOK Stop. And Nerdette is back! Stop. Joy abounds! Stop.

In the season finale, Bulger and Rudd discover the Cintamani Stone, sending them on a collision course with Alvin Pilfer and Warren Featherbone III.

Veiled by the magic of the Cintamani Stone, Adrianne enters Bulger’s store to make contact with her estranged brother. Later, the stone’s elusiveness manages to push Alvin Pilfer to the brink of insanity.

It's Oklahoma's 10th anniversary, and President Roosevelt is visiting as part of his campaign to drum up favor for the War. The citizens of PleasureTown are abuzz...as are the spirits who watch over them.

In The Hunt of the Hunter, a sinister figure walks in Rudd’s footsteps. Will this be the comedian’s last laugh? Meanwhile, the shantytowners stage a revolt, bringing their dismay to Claude’s doorstep. Can the city clerk save his friend and mollify the angry mob?

It’s the Feast of the Wretched! A stranger on her way to town encounters Jeb, who has become a man on the run. Through a tale of family and fire, he warns her against what she might find in PleasureTown. Meanwhile, Alvin, masquerading under the guise of Warren Featherbone, continues on his singular mission to recover the Cintamani Stone, which he believes will relieve him of the real Featherbone’s treachery.

In this week’s episode, we visit with Goldie as she examines the reflection of her violent past with former lover Alvin. Waist deep in an ocean of regret and sorrow, Goldie laments failed resolutions, paths not taken and decisions that would inevitably haunt her until the end. After all, a heart of gold is easy to tarnish.

In this week’s episode of PleasureTown, we join the Bartender as he ruminates on the retribution that fate has dealt him for his years spent as a hitman. Also, a withdrawn Cyrus is confronted about his reclusive ways by a mysterious yet familiar figure. What will old Cy make of this strange encounter?

In this week’s thrilling episode of PleasureTown, Mudd plans on spending his earnings from a recent heist but instead encounters an individual possibly more devious than himself. We then walk with Jebediah as he recalls the bloody night that led to his arrival in PleasureTown.

In the garden of life, some people are petals...and others are thorns. This time, Shiner returns to share details of her legendary romance and her legendary death. Next, we listen as Mudd and Rudd as they strike up an unusual friendship, which leads them to the stage. Finally, we are introduced to Evelyn, whose sister meets a smooth-talking man who threatens to tear them apart. Join us, won't you?

More often than not, it is those that we least expect that are our undoing. In this week’s episode, we rejoin the town’s stoic Bartender as he is confronted by the widow of the man he murdered. Will she be the one to give the Bartender the conclusion he has been bracing himself for? And later, we meet Warren Featherbone, a treasure hunter whose predisposition towards the arcane may be more hindrance than help. Will his dangerous profession catch up with him? Find out this week on PleasureTown.

In the second episode of Season 2 of PleasureTown, we become reacquainted with Jebediah, a blind man whose father exploits his preternatural ability to taste what others are feeling. Also, Claude digs up a memory of a long-held keepsake that nearly took his life...and saved another.

Claude and Cyrus are back with another season of strange and twisted tales from PleasureTown's past. In the Season Two premier, we begin by flashing back -- way back -- to hear a story of loss and bloodshed from a man whose people predate the Oklahoma utopia. Next, we hear from Rudd, a charismatic jokester whose lost his thrill for the stage. Finally, we end the only way we know how... with a train heist. Just jumping on the PleasureTown bandwagon? Give a listen to Season One, and join the story at www.pleasuretownshow.com.

In PleasureTown's seventh and final "minisode," we meet a young New York City couple with big dreams of small town living. But money is tight and trouble abounds. Will the couple make it to the fabled utopia, or will they get lost along the way? Written by Bob Garick, this is part of our "Write an Episode" contest.

In the thrilling conclusion to the Fantasy Fair & Freak Show trilogy, tough-talking Frank and the mysterious Mirella come to Pete’s aid while Mr. Blythe attempts to confront Buster about their altercation. Will the unlikely trio be able to rescue Sal, Buster and all the other children from the clutches of Crandle Philing? This installment marks a collaboration with the Reading Out Loud podcast.

In PleasureTown’s fifth minisode, we are introduced to smooth-talking huckster Nicholas Morrison, a new arrival who makes his living as a slinger of suspicious solutions. Soon after his arrival, Nicholas enlists the help of aging Darlin and drunken Mortimer to help con his way into the hearts and minds of the PleasureTowners. Will this not-so-saintly Nicholas succeed in relieving the citizens of their hard-earned money? Special thanks to Matthew Aaron Glover who wrote this minisode as part of our “Write an Episode” contest.

In PleasureTown's fourth "minisode," we continue the story of Crandle Philing’s Fantasy Fair and Freak Show. Suspicions rise among the carnival workers as more strange happenings occur among the children. Will Buster, Sal and Pete escape, or will they remain trapped forever as one of Crandle's diligent servants? This installment marks a collaboration with the Reading Out Loud podcast.

In PleasureTown's third "minisode," we flash forward to the present, where we meet young Mason Bowen, a student at Enid State University. As part of his college thesis, he interviews Mr. Johnstone, an elderly man who visited the fabled PleasureTown as a boy. But is Mr. Johnstone's account as credible as he'd like Mason to believe? Written by Richard Izzo, this is part of our "Write an Episode" contest and features music by the band Axons.

In PleasureTown's second "minisode," a local shopkeeper with an axe to grind has a run-in with a band of youthful hoodlums. But there's opportunity to set the children on the straight and narrow when a traveling carnival rolls into town and offers to take PleasureTown's young miscreants under its care. This installment marks a collaboration with the Reading Out Loud podcast. Join the Story: www.Pleasuretownshow.com/submit

In PleasureTown's first "minisode," we meet Esther, the town seamstress, who spins a yarn about her lost heritage and life under the watchful eye of the menacing Miz Janine. This is part of our "Write an Episode" contest, which follows the completion of our first season. Listen to Season One: https://soundcloud.com/pleasuretown/sets/season-1Join The Story: http://pleasuretownshow.com/submit/

In the season finale, an apocalyptic premonition could alter the course of Claude and Cyrus' lives forever. Meanwhile, the battle between the virtuous and the fallen comes to a head as Angie must save her beloved -- and PleasureTown itself -- from the clutches of the treacherous Sheriff.

Two of PleasureTown's long-time residents reach the end of the road. Ma Barker visits the grave of her deceased husband, Henry, and reflects on a life of hard knocks. Meanwhile, Shaman Jon's spiritual awakening reaches a new level of transcendence as the town convenes for a memorial.

A mystery unfolds in PleasureTown as one of the pillars of this hedonistic society is found dead due to strange circumstances. Meanwhile, residents cope with the aftermath of a large and destructive fire. All is relayed by a new reporter, who brings her own unique, yet familiar flare for storytelling (yes, this is certainly an homage to This American Life).

Tensions come to a head between the PleasureTown founders, as Claude and Cyrus duke it out in a battle of words for control of the town. Meanwhile, the children of PleasureTown embark on an adventure and make a wish that could change the course of their lives.

A sudden revelation threatens the future of PleasureTown's star-crossed lovers, the Doctor and the Reporter. We hear from the Reporter's side of the story and discover just how their magnetic attraction first came to fruition all those years ago. Meanwhile, the somber and stoic Bartender shares his tale of violence and misery.

As PleasureTown grew, it began to attract a different breed of wanderer. No longer were those drawn to the settlement society's rough and grizzled outlaws and misfits. Dreamers, poets and artists had begun to flock to PleasureTown to carve out their homes. Angie was one such dreamer, and she harbored a power far greater than anyone could have imagined.

In this episode, we learn the birth story behind PleasureTown's original holiday, The Feast of the Wretched. Meanwhile, Mattie Barker has left town, putting aside her frying pan to take up a pair of boxing gloves. Also, Shaman John begins a new ritual while in self-exile. Plus, a strange love affair sweeps the reporter off his feet, and Claude visits the barber for a trim... and leaves with a bruised ego.

In this episode, we meet PleasureTown's barber, who tells the story of how he and his blind brother fled to the settlement after a particularly hairy run-in with a local bigot. We also revisit Shaman John and hear his tale of loss and woe. To cope, the Mormon-turned-mystic smokes an herbal mix and wanders into the woods... only to find himself face-to-face with the Devil himself. Will he give up his soul for the one thing he misses most?

As the population of PleasureTown continued to swell, the settlement began to see an uptick in violence, lawlessness and murder. In this episode, town founders Cyrus and Claude engage in a heated battle of words, with one advocating for rule and order while the other holds firm on the town’s ethos of unfettered freedoms. We also meet Deuteronomy, an outsider who has been called to town for a special purpose. Unbeknownst to the residents, his arrival could very well mark the beginning of the end of their beloved community.

As PleasureTown transformed into a budding settlement, the community began to see a flood of diverse immigrants. With all the activity, it didn’t take long for the media to catch wind of the diamond in the red dirt, and so a reporter from New York City ventured out West to immerse himself among the eccentrics of the budding community. While he is no stranger to experimental townships -- such as the likes of Oneida and the Harmony Society -- he recognizes in PleasureTown a unique charm. We also meet the town’s resident doctor and hear of his peculiar origins as well as the surprising secret he harbors within.

As word spread of the strange, hedonistic town, more and more lost souls gravitated toward a place they believed could be their home. In this episode, we follow Shaman John, once a man of faith turned mystic, through his first day as a Pleasure Town resident. Meanwhile, Matilda Barker tells her tale of love, pain and the strange brew concocted when you mix the two. After years of silence, her husband Henry gets an opportunity to recount his side of the story.

In this episode, Claude and Cyrus invite listeners to join them in retracing the steps that lead them to PleasureTown. Despite their contrasting personalities, both Claude and Cyrus share histories rooted in hardship. As the son of a Mississippi slave owner, Claude’s guilt drives him to search for a place where men are equal and the bourbon always flows. Similarly, Cyrus, a sharp but penniless misfit from New Mexico, is stricken by wanderlust and dreams of life beyond the futility of hard labor. After a chance meeting in a bar, the two dream up a place “to go after their happy.” Join Claude and Cyrus as they relive the moments leading up to meeting each other and their search for a place to call their own: PleasureTown.

Unfamiliar with PleasureTown? If you ask some, PleasureTown was paradise on Earth, a place where anyone could be and do whatever they wanted without fear of judgment or retribution from their fellow man or woman. If you ask others, it was a powderkeg of sin just waiting to explode. And if you ask others still, it’s an interactive serial podcast that takes the best of classic radio shows and mashes it up with the dark sensibilities of a contemporary cable television drama. How are we interactive? Well, we invite our listeners to join the story by submitting original art, writings, videos…heck, you name it. Oh, and we are part of the WBEZ podcast network.