PLAY: Lucky Liver Lumps Minute Murder Mysteries: The Sounds of Violence
snippet: “…a mystery show’s program director had been done in…”
time: 3:04; specs: 2.8 MB mp3
written and produced by: Tony Jonick; starring: Robin Brady, Jerry Williams!, Shannon O’Hare, Alanna Dill, Tony Jonick, and Cecil Vortex
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Some say “The Sounds of Violence” was Wycliffe Saint Hampstead-Liftgate’s masterpiece. Clearly, it was his most experimental piece — a three-minute one-minute mystery produced literally decades before that became the norm.
This time out, the action turns in on itself as Inspector Jowls is summoned to the BBC to investigate the recent murder of an audio program director. This is rough stuff — replete with the kind of anti-sound-effect-engineer bias so common back in the ’30s. Still, if you listen closely you can literally hear the envelope being pushed back and to the left.
While you’re in this neck of the woods, don’t forget to catch last week’s episode of LLL, and the one afore that, posted two weeks back. Or better yet, ifn ya got the bandwidth, kick back and download all three in one handy, albeit fairly huge combo-file.
Enjoy! And watch the skies, CV.
Category Archives: Engaging Theatricals
PLAY: Lucky Liver Lumps Minute Murder Mysteries: Dead as a Dormouse
snippet: “I found Dinah lapping at the tea in the hat!”
time: 2:39; specs: 2.4 MB mp3
written and produced by: Tony Jonick; starring: Robin Brady, Jerry Williams!, Shannon O’Hare, Emily Jonick, Samantha Jonick, Alanna Dill, Tony Jonick, and Cecil Vortex
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The Dormouse is dead. Alice, distraught. But have no fear — Inspector Jowls is on the case. That’s right, it’s another two-minute “one-minute murder mystery,” from the groovy gourd of the late great Wycliffe Saint Hampstead-Liftgate. If you only listen to one recently rescued 1930s radio show, we say: “let…this…be…the one…that you listen to!” And if you listen to more than one, well then don’t forget to play last week’s episode too. Enjoy! -CV
PLAY: Lucky Liver Lumps Minute Murder Mysteries: Caught in the Trap
snippet: “Henrietta entered before me and was treated to a rum sight.”
time: 2:18; specs: 2.1 MB mp3
written and produced by: Tony Jonick; starring: Robin Brady, Jerry Williams!, Tony Jonick, and Cecil Vortex
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MVRT recently lucked into possession of a set of groundbreaking British radio programmes originally recorded back in the 1930s. Written by Wycliffe Saint Hampstead-Liftgate and starring his soon-to-be-legendary “Inspector Jowls,” these fast-paced pieces broke all the rules. For example, this first “minute murder mystery” is actually two minutes long! And that’s just the start! These are rich, dense, satisfying pieces, worth playing 12 or possibly 14 times. So drink deep! And be sure to watch this space for more LLLMMM episodes…coming soon… -CV
PLAY: Money
snippet: “Hello cutesy-wutesy.”
time: 2:22; specs: 2.2 MB mp3
script, music, and production: Tony Jonick; cast: Bill Cassel, Alana Guy Dill
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In today’s MVRT episode, Money, amble over to a room laced with faint echoes of a tonier time, back when Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant played badminton in the foyer — a room where empires are made and where hearts are broken, all in the name…of money. Enjoy! -CV
(Money is our third offering from The Winsor McCay Sketchbook. From more TWMS mayhem, be sure to check out Love and Marriage.)
PLAY: John, Paul, and Brando
snippet: “Paul, I’ve asked you not to call me ‘Brandy.'”
time: 1:50; specs: 1.7 MB mp3
cast: Bill Cassel, Christian Crumlish, M. Smith, Cecil Vortex
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In April 1976, SNL Producer Lorne Michaels asked the Beatles to reuinite on live TV. Ever since that night, rumors have circulated that John and Paul were watching the show together and seriously considered taking Michaels up on his outrageous offer.
Now, with Marlon Brando’s recent passing, a remarkable, albeit badly battered cassette tape has surfaced, proving once and for all that these rumors were nothing less than fact. For not only were John and Paul together that night, but Brando was there with them, playing a crucial role in their historic non-decision, all while recording every last word.
Absurd? Absolutely. But true nonetheless. And the proof is in the listening!
PLAY: John, Paul, and Brando
Odder still is a recording found on the tape’s flip side. The cassette label, apparently written by Brando himself, is almost entirely unintelligible. Quite frankly, our MVRT scientists are stumped. They can’t explain it. They can barely understand it. But best they can determine, it appears to be a Shroud-of-Turin-esque empathic magnetic pulse projected by Brando’s massive dome onto the tape, reflecting the sounds in that room as he actually experienced them. Neat, hunh?
Brando notes that he’d snacked on a suspect slab of cheese on the ride over to John’s. Might there be a connection between this cheese and the disturbed state of Brando’s mind that fateful night? You be the judge. Enjoy, -CV.
PLAY: John, Paul, and Brando, “Tangy Brie” Remix
PLAY: Marriage
snippet: “Shall I salute you? Shall I salute the soldier?”
time: 2:29; specs: 2.2 MB mp3
script, music, and production: Tony Jonick; cast: Alana Guy Dill, Tom Salazar
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Today’s episode, Marriage, is part of a family of pieces known collectively as “The Winsor McCay Sketchbook.” Journey with us, won’t you? …to the icy border between East and West, where an unnamed man and woman stand on either side of the line discussing guns, knives, chemicals, blow darts, and trained killer thrushes. Enjoy! -CV
PLAY: Everybody Loves Money
snippet: “Would the word ‘nightmarish’ apply?”
time: 4:35; specs: 4.3 MB mp3
script and production: Bill Cassel; cast: Christian Crumlish, Jeff Green, Bee Nisbet, Jolene Phelps, Eric Stone
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“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” So wrote Paul the Apostle, in his First Epistle to Timothy. And I think it’s fair to say, that’s his opinion and he has every right to it. Bill Cassel takes the other side of this lively point-counterpoint in today’s heartwarming segment: Everybody Loves Money.
note: For the bandwidth challenged, we’re also offering this piece in three bite-sized (1.5 mb) morsels: Part A, Part 2, and Part the Third. Watch the skies, -CV.
PLAY: Stack of Mitts
snippet: “Gettin’ my old glove fixed.”
time: 2:17; specs: 2.1 MB mp3
script: Cecil Vortex; cast: Lisa Bush, Rodney K., M. Smith
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Two friends ambling down a leafy path. A casual chat about baseball mitts. Could anything be more innocent?
Yes. A lot of things could.
But fortunately, none of these things lie at the heart of this particular amble, this particular chat, or this particular episode of Monkey Vortex Radio Theater. We give you: Stack of Mitts.
PLAY: Love
snippet: “Oh I’m sorry dear. With all the heat, the glasses have melted.”
time: 1:31; specs: 1.4 MB mp3
script, music, and production: Tony Jonick; cast: Bill Cassel, Eileen Dahl
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Today’s segment, Love, is part of a family of short, two-character, brain-stretching pieces known collectively as “The Winsor McCay Sketchbook.” Here, the action opens in a house where there is simply no escaping the heat. Look for the explosive follow up — Marriage — coming soon to an MVRT near you.
PLAY: Billy Wildebeest in the Land of the Gigantic Duck People, Episode One
snippet: “Billy, the tribe is concerned about the way you’ve been…the way you’ve been acting lately.”
time: 2:10; specs: 2 MB mp3
PLAY: Billy Wildebeest in the Land of the Gigantic Duck People, Episode Two
snippet: “Ducklings come from eggs, you know that.”
time: 2:07; specs: 2 MB mp3
script/music episode one: Cecil Vortex; music episode two: Benson Hurst; cast: Bill Cassel, Benson Hurst, Tony Jonick, R. Stewart
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In this, the second ever official installment of Monkey Vortex Radio Theater, we take a thought-provoking journey to a heavily forested planet somewhere near the Outer Spokes of Coddington’s Nebula. Here we meet a young human named Billy, and Quala, an 8-foot tall duck warrior with a heart as big as all outdoors. Vortex on, -CV