Open Season: A Joe Gunther Novel

Announcing: Open Season the Audio Drama

An old lady tormented by lewd phone calls blasts a man with a shotgun as he walks in through the door, and Brattleboro's everyman detective, Joe Gunther, is called out to investigate.

It's clear that not everything is as it seems - the description of the phone calls and the dead man outside don't match up.

And even stranger, the dead man and the old lady were jurors on the same controversial trial three years ago.

So begins "Open Season," the inaugural Joe Gunther novel from Archer Mayor (THE PRICE OF MALICE, OCCAM'S RAZOR), an author who has earned lofty praise from The New York Times and Chicago Tribune.

Listen to the FIRST EPISODE of this New Production:

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Running Time: 28 minutes

Download the Joe Gunther Pilot! (MP3)

Credits:

Written by Archer Mayor, audio adaptation by Fred Greenhalgh. Produced and Directed by Fred Greenhalgh.

• Bill Dufris as Joe Gunther
• Christopher Price as Patrol Officer, Patrolman, and JP
• Philip Hobby as Katz and Gould
• Burke Brimmer as Sergeant
• Kym Dakin as Reitz
• Christine Marshall as Mrs. Philips

Field recording by Randall Farr, original score by James Munro. Holiday music by Kevin Macleod.

Something Different in Audiobook Publishing

In a startling divergence from traditional audiobook production, Vermont Audio Drama Podcasting commissioned FinalRune Productions to produce a pilot episode for what will become a serialization of the novel "Open Season."

This pilot was recorded in FinalRune's signature on-location recording style at an old house in South Portland, Maine (courtesy of Mad Horse Theater Company) with a compliment of excellent Maine-based actors including Audie-award winning narrator Bill Dufris.

Actors crowded into the back seat of a car and drove through the snow, got out of cars and walked up stairs while shouting lines, and acted off one another in claustrophobic rooms - much like recording a movie, only without the camera.

Field Recording Production Photos:

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Why Record This Way?

Recording on-location imparts a sonic reality and level of richness impossible to achieve in a traditional sound studio. The finished production sounds much more like an "audio movie," resulting in a more engrossing listening experience.

The episodic nature of the project is also uniquely suited to the way we listen today. This serial will be easily listened to on an iPod, Kindle, iPad, or other mobile device. Like the old time radio days, installments will about 30 minutes long, leaving listeners eager to hear what will happen next!

I Want More!

If you'd like more information on the audio pilot, or to hear more of it, contact Vermont Audio Drama Podcasting.

We're also starting a mailing list, if you want to hear when more news is available on this project, just drop in your email below (we will use it for NOTHING else!).

And there's plenty more good audio available right now produced by FinalRune - check out our stories page to get listening.

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(Suspense/Horror)
Written by George Toudouze, adapted for radio by James Poe

Three men who tend the light at a reclusive island off the coast of French Guiana see a rogue ship adrift in the Atlantic. The reason for the derelict ship soon becomes obvious - it has been overrun by hundreds of thousands of ferocious ship's rats.

The rats land on the isle and soon we are in for a claustrophobic tale of terror as the three men struggle to keep their minds from cracking under the pressure of thousands and thousands of squeaking, scratching, hungry rats.

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Running Time: 24 minutes
Three Skeleton Key - MP3 Download

"Three Skeleton Key" is among the most famous of old time radio tales, and making something anew here was a challenge. FinalRune's approach was to take a group of talented actors from the Mad Horse Theater Company and recording them in and around a real lighthouse to enhance the acoustic reality and physicality of the performance.

Many people have chronicled how much this story scared the bejesus out of theme when they were young. Learn much more about its history on the Escape and Suspense! Blog.

Great pictures of this location recording are available in FinalRune's photo gallery and on Flickr.

Credits:

Producer and Director: Fred Greenhalgh

Cast:

• Burke Brimmer as Jean
• Craig Bowden as Louis
• Philip Hobby as Auguste

Field recordist Randall Farr, Musical Score by Barb Truex.

Recorded on location at Goat Island Lighthouse off the coast of Cape Porpoise, Maine. Special thanks to the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust and lighthouse keepers Scott and Karen for use of the facility.

To learn more about the Mad Horse Theater Company, visit their website, www.madhorse.com

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In Halloween, 2009 FinalRune Productions hosted our first live radio drama at the University of Southern Maine's Talbot Lecture Hall in Portland, Maine.

Hear this bone-chilling audio experience in its entirety:

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Running Time: 1 hour, 28 minutes
Download Halloween Live Radio Drama 2009 (MP3)

See photos from this production.

The Stories in the Show:

• The Ghost Behind the Black Door by Roger Gregg
  A couple from the city moves to a mansion in the countryside only to find that things are not all as they expect... a spoof on the classic horror meme.
• Leaving You is Hell by Fred Greenhalgh
  A dark retelling of the myth of Orpheus inspired by the classic jazz tune "St James Infirmary." A man in New Orleans is doomed to keep falling in love with the same woman and seducing her to her death.
• Bone Lake by Mark LaFlamme
  The ice fishing's going well on Bone Lake, until a man comes from the winter's night looking for a very strange catch.
• Third Shift by Kevin Anderson
  A company will sell you very efficient workers at a bargain price. Just don't send the living to check out their work.
• H1NSane by Fred Greenhalgh
  It was all going so well until the zombies showed up. Don’t drink the agave nectar!

The Talented Cast:

• Announcer - John Hickson
• Representing WMPG - Dale Robin Lockman

Ghost Behind the Black Door:

• Payeur - Tom Power
• Colleen - Christine Marshall
• Herbert - Philip Hobby
• Ghost Man - Burke Brimmer
• Ghost Woman - Janice Gardner

Losing You is Hell

• Man - Burke Brimmer
• Woman - Christine Marshall
• Madame Genevere - Janice Gardner
• Lost Souls - John Hickson

Bone Lake

• Carlton - Tom Power
• Rupert - Burke Brimmer
• Joseph - John Hickson
• Tony - Burke Brimmer
• Everett - Philip Hobby

Third Shift

• Alan - Burke Brimmer
• Helen - Janice Gardner
• Customer - Philip Hobby

H1NSane

• Fred Greenhalgh - Self
• Joe - Burke Brimmer
• Voice from Crowd - Janice Gardner
• Sally - Christine Marshall
• Operator - Janice Gardner
• SFX Person - Paul Drinan
• Scientist - Philip Hobby
• Zombie Kid - Burke Brimmer
• Corporal - Burke Brimmer
• Navy Seal - Philip Hobby

Live Sound Effects and Music

Live sound effects by Paul Drinan and "Goober," computer FX by Michael Townsend, live music performed by Barb Truex.

Mixing: Dave Bunker. Additional production assistance by Dianne Ballon.

Special Thanks to WMPG

WMPG, Portland, Maine's community radio arranged for the venue and provided the live stream and radio broadcast of this show.

The show was a fundraiser for WMPG's PowerUP! Campaign, which seeks to raise $250,000 to upgrade the signal strength of the station's main transmitter and move it to a better location.

If you like this show, don't miss the chance to donate to WMPG! We hope to bring this show back in 2010.

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(Suspense/Horror)
Written by Lucille Fletcher (Who Else?)

A retelling of the classic from Suspense!

A bedridden neurotic woman dials a number and is accidentally connected to a call between two men who are plotting a murder. She becomes increasingly frantic as no one takes her fright seriously and time begins to run out.

Prepare to be spooked all over again in this thrilling adaptation!

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Running Time: 27 minutes, 30 seconds
Sorry, Wrong Number - MP3 Download

Producer and Director: Fred Greenhalgh

Cast:

• Christine Marshall as Mrs. Stevenson
• Tootie Van Reenen as Operator
• Craig Bowden as Man 1 and Man 3
• Philip Hobby as Man 2
• Burke Brimmer as Chief Operator and Cop
• Barb Truex as Information and Nurse

Field recordist Randall Farr, Musical Score by Barb Truex.

Recorded on location in the Greater Portland Maine area the summer of 2009.

To learn more about the Mad Horse Theater Company, visit their website, www.madhorse.com

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FinalRune had the awesome opportunity to collaborate with Portland, Maine-based Mad Horse Theater Company in the re-creation of some classic old-time radio plays.

Two of the stories came straight out of the radio canon - Three Skeleton Key and Sorry, Wrong Number, with the lesser-known The Most Dangerous Game rounding out the project.

Production wrapped in September 2009. Read up about the field production or see a photo slideshow.

Productions Available:

The Most Dangerous Game

Wealthy big-game hunter Sanger Rainsford falls off his boat in the middle of the Caribbean and finds himself on a curious island. He finds the mansion of General Zaroff, a Cossack who has a taste for the hunt, and will go to any extreme to keep himself entertained.

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More Info on The Most Dangerous Game

Sorry, Wrong Number

A bedridden neurotic woman dials a number and is accidentally connected to a call between two men who are plotting a murder. She becomes increasingly frantic as no one takes her fright seriously and time begins to run out.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

More Info on Sorry, Wrong Number

Three Skeleton Key

Three men who tend the light at a reclusive island off the coast of French Guiana see a rogue ship adrift in the Atlantic. The reason for the derelict ship soon becomes obvious - it has been overrun by hundreds of thousands of ferocious ship's rats.

The rats land on the isle and soon we are in for a claustrophobic tale of terror as the three men struggle to keep their minds from cracking under the pressure of thousands and thousands of squeaking, scratching, hungry rats.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

More Info on Three Skeleton Key

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

(Adventure)
Written by Richard Connell, New Audio Adaptation by Fred Greenhalgh

Adapted anew from the short story - a retelling of the story heard in the 1940s on Escape and Suspense!

Wealthy big-game hunter Sanger Rainsford falls off his boat in the middle of the Caribbean and finds himself on a curious island. He finds the mansion of General Zaroff, a Cossack who has a taste for the hunt, and will go to any extreme to keep himself entertained.

A thrilling tale with a lot of history (thank you Wikipedia)

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Running Time: 28 minutes
Download The Most Dangerous Game (MP3)

Producer and Director: Fred Greenhalgh

Cast:

• Burke Brimmer as Whitney
• Craig Bowden, as Rainsford
• Brent Askari, as General Zaroff

Field recordist Randall Farr, Musical Score by Barb Truex, Classical Music by Kevin MacLeod

Recorded on location in the Greater Portland Maine area the summer of 2009.

To learn more about the Mad Horse Theater Company, visit their website, www.madhorse.com

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(Comedy-Drama)
Written and Produced by Frederick Greenhalgh

An unexpected storm throws Norman D. Waits off his course to... somewhere.

The island where he lands is nice enough, with old sea salts that welcome him with open arms and a bar that's always open. But as it becomes increasingly clear that no one ever seems to leave the island, Norman finds himself in a fight to get moving to some distant shore or remain trapped in this half-baked paradise forever.

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Running Time: 30 minutes

Download "Waiting for a Window" (MP3)

Purchase "Waiting for a Window" on Echo Fiction

Cast:

• Ed Patterson as Norman
• Bill Dufris as Rob
• Philip Hobby as Bob
• Joe Duley as Davey
• Charly Duley as Molly
• CarlaRose Dubois as Woman
• Kristi DeVille as Suzy
• Chris Newcomb as Patron 1 and Man
• Toby Paradis as Patron 2
• Adam Ferguson as Patron 3
• Wayne De Jagger, Rebecca Titcomb and Amy Titcomb as members of the bar

Original Music Composed by Barbara Truex

Audio Engineering by Randall Farr

Additional Production Assistance by Adam Ferguson

Sound recorded on location in and around Portland, Maine.

Special thanks

• To Roger Gregg and Tom Lopez for inspiration and insight
• To WMPG for use of talent and broadcast resources
To Port Harbor Marine and The Bloody Marble Collective for use of their space
• To all of the other friends, family, comrades and creditors who made this production possible.

(Horror)
Written and Produced by Frederick Greenhalgh

FinalRune's latest tale of terror eclipses everything we've attempted so far, with a story that is chilling to the bone, the best performances to date, a stellar score and terrifying field FX recording on location on foggy and mysterious stretches of Downeast Maine.

Two teenage friends start scaring each other on the drive to a dismal "haunted" house on the coast of Maine. But when their innocent fun starts to become all too real, they soon realize what true terror is. A nod to Stephen King in a tale inspired by a true story too haunting to forget.

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Running Time: 21 minutes
Download Dark Passenger

Cast:

• Narrator: John Coons
• David: Christopher Reiling
• Matt: Philip Hobby
• Girl: Rowan Hoyt
• Father: Rob Hoyt
• Boy: Gabriel Whitman
• Mother: Stacy Ann Strang

Sound Effects:

• Record on-location in Old Orchard Beach, Maine
• Supplemental effects courtesy of Sounddogs.com

Music:

• Original Music by Stu Mahan and James Munro

Special Thanks:

• Peter and Marge Titcomb
• WMPG
• Roger Gregg, David Schinn, Richard Fish, and the whole crew of NATF

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(Fantasy)
Written and Produced by Frederick Greenhalgh

Sir Grace was the most valiant of all knights, decked in glorious armor that glowed in the sun and a record of dragon-slaying and maiden saving on par with none. But a battle with a renowned wizard with ambiguous ambitions forces Sir Grace to consider things he never imagined, and face his greatest enemy yet: himself.

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Running Time: 24 minutes
Fall of the Hero

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12.00

Cast:

• Narrator: Ian Carlsen
• Sir Grace: Philip Hobby
• Squire: Fred Greenhalgh
• Roland D'Arcanus, Imp: Corey Anderson
• The Maiden: Mia Perron
• Voices: Andriana Colucci

Sound Effects:

• Record on-location
• Supplemental effects courtesy of Sounddogs.com

Music:

• Original Music by Michael Beaudoin

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(Comedy) Running Time: 27m20s
Written by John Coons, Adapted by Frederick Greenhalgh

Welcome to Williamsville, where tradition and routine dictate the ebb and flow of life. Yet, Williamsville is not without its stories... How do one repressed arsonist, a sexually-charged geriatric, a slimy drug dealer and a soccer mom on steroids combine in the most exciting thing to happen in Williamsville since 1936? Starring a cast of talented and twisted University of Southern Maine students.

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Running Time: 28 minutes
Download Tales from Williamsville (MP3)

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Order a CD! (Shipping Included)
12.00

Cast:

• Narrator: John Coons
• Michael/Announcer 2: Corey Anderson
• Mrs. Jaworski/Announcer 1/Judith: Rachel Stults
• Abigail Tweeter/Mother 2: Catherine Goetschius
• Girl/Mother 1: Mia Perron
• Rick Lovely/Joe Williams XI: Nathan Amadon
• Helen Bintliff: Stacy Ann Strang

Sound Effects:

• Recorded on-location
• Supplemental effects courtesy of Sounddogs.com

Music:

• Original Music by Tony Michaud
• Supplemental Music by SoundRangers.com

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(Drama) Running Time: 15m07s
Written and Produced by Frederick Greenhalgh

The unconventional Christmas story of a business man whose life is changed by a random encounter with a stranger. Narrated by the ineffable John Coons.

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Running Time: 16minutes
Download Drizzle (MP3)

Cast:

• Narrator: John Coons
• DJ: Matt Little
• Man: Frederick Greenhalgh
• Angry Driver: Errol Murphy
• Boss/Bum: Philip Hobby
• Clerk: Thaian Vu

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(Horror) Running Time: 12m
Written and Produced by Frederick Greenhalgh

A chilling audio horror story: A young man's joyride one October night turns into a hell he could never imagine. Originally published in Blue Murder Magazine.

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Running Time: 12 minutes
The Blind Man's Confession

Cast:

• Narrator: Fred Greenhalgh
• Killer: John Coons

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(Drama) Running Time: 66m24s
Written and Produced by Frederick Greenhalgh

A tale inspired by the myth of Orpheus. A young man heads to New Orleans in search of his missing lover, and finds something he never expected: himself.

This was my senior thesis for my BA, and I have a site with essays on New Orleans, radio drama, and the myth or Orpheus to complement Day of the Dead.

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Running Time: 1 hour, 6 minutes
Day of the Dead

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Day of the Dead Promo

Cast:

• Narrator/The Kid: Fred Greenhalgh
• Messenger: Mark Krasnoff
• Paps: Charles Grant
• Emily: Kateri Valliere
• Bus Driver: Jason Elvin
• Taxi Driver/Bouncer: Donald "Errol" Murphy
• Hustler 1/Clerk 2: Braden Biddings
• Mr. Mike: David Howley
• Performer/English Guy/Hustler 2: Philip Hobby
• Clerk/Cop/Wolfman/Hustler 3: Barry Hilton
• Irishman/Drifter 1: Joshua Force
• Hustler 4/Drifter 2/Drunk: John Coons
• Devil's Sister: Stephanie Sample
• Stranger: George Ingmire
• Priestess LaBeau: Casey Turner

Music:

• Blues Guitar/Vocals: Claude Galinsky
• Harmonica: Myron Samuels
• Club Beat: Primal Musik

Special Thanks:

• Instructors/Advisors: Jessica Lockhart, Jeannine Uzzi, Elisabeth Wilkins, Kaitlin Briggs
• Technical Assistance: Nat Ives
• My friends in New Orleans and elsewhere: Jan Ramsey, Dane Ruegger, James, and the Crescent City Technologies Crew, George Ingmire, Marian Howley, Monique Verdin, Martha Ward, Bill Lambert.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download