Today's episode features the fourth installment of "Listening in the Shadows," which is "An Oddity of Fear," written by James Barton and directed by Haley Dawn Parker.
Today's episode features the fourth installment of "Listening in the Shadows," a five-part series of radio dramas produced as part of our Fall 2020 season. The play is "An Oddity of Fear," written by James Barton, directed by Haley Dawn Parker, and starring Emma Siler as The Host, Danny Flaggert as Father Magnus, Tristan Clark as Father O'Brian, Adam Brown as Father Maxwell, and Robyn Medeiros as Mother Marianne.
Production Credits:
Project Director—Matthew Shifflett
Project Coordinator—Haley Parker
Production Manager—Jared Spears
Sound Designer and Editor—Kurt Davis
Foley Artist—Fel Macias
The Department of Theatre & Film is grateful for its patrons and corporate sponsors. As a department we are committed to the high quality instruction that our students receive. Investing in the students’ education and these quality productions helps us move toward our common goal of graduating successful, creative adults who are lifelong learners. If you are interested in contributing to these efforts, please visit https://umfoundation.givingfuel.com/theatreandfilm.
From the Department of Theatre & Film at the University of Mississippi, this is stage and screen.
Katherine Stewart:
Hello, hello and welcome to Episode 5 of Stage & Screen. I'm your host Katherine Stewart and I'm a little bit sad today because it is our last episode of “Listening in the Shadows.” If you're new to the podcast, “Listening in the Shadows” is a series of original radio dramas written and performed by our students for our Fall 2020 season. So if you haven't heard the other dramas, you should definitely go back a few episodes and check them out. Today's drama is called “An Oddity of Fear.” It was written by James Barton and directed by Haley Dawn Parker. Here is “An Oddity of Fear.”
The Host:
Welcommmme listenerssss, to The beyond, To the place of unimaginable horror, where
nightmares are reality, we are at the end of time and the beginning of eternity, This is
the Oddities of Fear (thunder sound effect)
I am your gracious and bloodcurdling host.
(another thunder strike)
(beat)
We see ourselves as weak and frail beings but some, some see themselves as
righteous and powerful. These people gain such huge egos whether it be because of
them sitting on a throne, or being a man “close” to god (chuckles) But no man can
escape their crimes, and no man can escape their punishment. As one poor mortal
found out the hard way.
The Host:
We find ourselves on a dark and stormy night, in a graveyard. Home of the departed,
home of the lost, those who either died naturally or by other meansss. We find a
disgraced man of the cloth, now with no such luxuries, Father Magnus Watson. he
walks past so many lost souls, like them, He once was a shining beacon of the
community but now he finds himself a drunkard still carrying around his last bastion of
hope, His cross as well as an old love, a bottle of devil’s blood. Red Wine. Why has he
come here, What has brought him to this haggard and wasteless state.
(the sound of crunching leaves and twigs as well as rain sound.)
Father Magnus Watson:
They may not forgive me but god certainly has. But still I must pay my respects. Its the
least I could do
(Ghostly wailing wind)
Father Magnus:
Damned wind, why must it always speak to me.
Father Maxwell
(past echo on voice)
Watch Where you are driving
Mother Marianne:
(Past Voice)
You drunken fool
Father O’Brian:
(Past Voice)
LOOK OUT!!!
(we hear what sounds like a car crash)
(loud wine gulp)
Father Magnus:
(repeats to himself three time as he continues to walk through the dead leaves)
The Lord Forgives, it is all in the past, Must pay respects
The Host:
Father Magnus killed 4 people that night, three of his fellow clergy, Father Maxwell,
Father O Brian, and a nun named Mother Marianne. There was a 4th unnamed john
doe who was pinned to the tree by his car, he had been sitting by the tree. .John Doe
was hit head first, his face completely destroyed. Magnus was tried for manslaughter
but escaped on a technicality. But the damage to his reputation was done.
The Host:
Magnus continued past the graves of the damned and ended up in a small clearing. It
was the home of a memorial. Their names were there, he stared at their names for what
seemed like hours.
(another loud wine gulp)
Father Magnus:
The Lord Forgives
(a ghostly wind mixed with the voice of Maxwell)
Forgives
Father Magnus:
It is all in the past
(a ghostly wind mixed with the voice of O’ Brian)
In the Past
Father Magnus:
Must Pay respects
(ghostly wind mixed with Marianne)
Respect.
Magnus:
SIlence wind, Foul monster do not speak to me
(we hear the wine bottle crash against stone)
Magnus:
It wasn’t my fault, it was the drink’s, and your talking. If you had all just been quiet, I
could have gotten us there fine but you wouldn’t shut up. Now my life is ruined, No
church wants me. Even the lord has turned his back on me.
The host:
Magnus pulled out his cross, and looked at with the same stare he gave the graves of
the lost. He pondered it, wondered about it, and then as he did with his wine bottle, he
threw it out the grave
(metal clangs against stone)
Magnus:
I AM NOT A MONSTER, I SHOULD NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE, IT WAS GOD’S
FAULT. HE MADE ME THIS WAY.
The Host:
Magnus hooted and hollered some more nonsense at nothing. He threw his fist to the
sky and debased himself. As he began to walk away, the ground began to shake
Magnus:
What in god’s name
The Host:
From the graves, there came what at first looked like mist but slowly and surely took
form. The mist transformed into three floating, transparent creatures, it was Father
Maxwell, Father O’ Brian and Mother Marianne. They were covered in scars and bruises
as far as the eye could see. Scars he had given them, by accident or not. He stared at
them with disbelief and they stared at him with pure disgust and hatred in their dead
eyes.
Magnus:
You monsters, you stay away
(Rain sounds begin)
The Host:
They did not respond, they stared even more, their stares burning holes in Magnus’s
soul. It felt like time had stopped. They just stared.
Magnus:
You think you can scare me, its just my mind playing tricks on me. I do not fear you like i
do not fear a drink
The Host:
They stared, saying nothing; The silence with destroying him. He knew they were
judging him like everyone had. Judging him for something that “wasn’t his fault. He
knew he couldn’t last in this mind-numbing silence for long.
Magnus:
WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME.
Father Maxwell:
You killed us
Father O Brian:
You are the reason we are dead
Mother Marianne:
You are the reason your reputation is ruined
Magnus:
Shut Up
Father Maxwell:
You can blame us
Father O’ Brian:
You can blame god
Mother Marianne:
But it’s your fault
Magnus:
SHUT UP!!!!
The Host:
They stared at him, their disgusted stares turned to repulsion and pity, And then they
began to move towards him
Magnus:
What are you doing
Father Maxwell:
We are here to punish you
Father O’ Brian:
Everyone pays for their crimes
Mother Marianne:
We are going to drag you to hell.
Father Magnus:
No stay away STAY AWAY
(trip sound effect)
The Host:
Father Magnus was on the ground, He had fallen, he would not be able to escape now,
He knew what was coming, he was ready to accept his fate until he saw it next him. His
cross. He picked it up and held it at the apparitions. They stopped. (pause) suddenly,
they stopped moving. Father Magnus was given a moment of respite.
Magnus:
God still favors me you fools, he let me get away with the accident and he lets me get
away from your punishment
(the ghosts began to laugh)
Maxwell:
You may stop us
O’ Brian:
But you will not escape punishment
Marianne:
His wrath will always be felt
Magnus:
Well It won’t be felt by me.
(running sound)
The Host:
He ran. Magnus ran as far as he could. Even if he had this safety net, how long could it
keep him safe. He kept running and running and running. Until he found himself in a
familiar woods, a familiar place. He thought about everything that had just happened
and he began to laugh.
(magnus laughing)
Magnus:
I’ve beaten ghosts, i’ve basically beaten death. I was in the right, God’s light shines on
me.
(Continues to laugh)
The Host:
Magnus, feeling tired and safe, sat against a familiar tree.and got rest. He laughed more
to himself, thinking he had truly won, he had beaten god. He was a god. That’s what he
thought, but only for a moment.
O Brian:
LOOK OUT!!!
The Host:
Magnus looked up in shock and saw two lights heading right for his tree. He had no time
to get up and escape. He could only take the time to see who was driving the car that
pinned him to the tree like a flower on a prom date. He couldn’t believe his eyes. The
driver, the driver was him.
(Car crash sound)
The Host:
Those who commit heinous acts will always find punishment. They think they won’t but
no one can escape justice. What they don’t tell you though is, sometimes the worst
punishments come from ourselves. (evil laughter) good nightmares dear listeners
(maniacal laughter)
The End
Katherine Stewart
Alright, that was “An Oddity of Fear,” written by James Barton, directed by Haley Dawn Parker and starring Emma Siler as The Host, Danny Flaggert as Father Magnus, Tristan Clark as Father O'Brian, Adam Brown as Father Maxwell, and Robyn Medeiros as Mother Marianne.
And again, if you haven't heard the other four dramas in the series, I highly encourage you to go back and give them a listen. They're really quite fun.
So now that we're finished with “Listening in the Shadows,” we're going to be moving into a more traditional podcast format and doing interviews with faculty, staff, students, alumni, and special guests to give you an inside look at everything we have going on here in the Department of Theatre & Film. Our first guest will be a new member of our faculty, Cody Stockstill, who is assistant professor of scenic design. Cody's had a really interesting career thus far and we talked about that and a bunch of other things. I think you'll really enjoy hearing from him.
So stay tuned for our next episode. Subscribe if you haven't already. Also, if you haven't already, we would so much appreciate it if you leave us a review.
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Until next time this is Stage & Screen.