HWMS Audio Theatre

“How close have you ever come to death.” It began as an exercise in a writer’s workshop but sparked a bigger debate.  Most people  chose to avoid the question and answer the less profound question “How badly have you ever embarrassed yourself.”  The initial question remained unanswered and this is our attempt to find a response,   Four characters.  All try to make good decisions for their careers.  Strong friendships that age supported good work in the past.  And yet things go badly.  The full version of this story is posted on this page but this version focusses on the seven monologues that drive the narrative.  She has to return constantly to the question that drives this show and return she does.    Cast: Zoe Anastassiou                                Alex Effson Supported by: Margaux Amie, Ron Bianchi, Eric Ward, and Michelle Thomas Hanson. Written and Directed by David Alan Grier HWMS124165

“One Hen. Two Ducks.  Three Squawking Geese.” And the rest is silence.  Eight Chatbots, trained in latest, most efficient ways, undertake to teach a human being how to use a microphone.  In the process, they rediscover the classic “1940 National Broadcasting Corporation Radio Announcer Test”, conflate it with the canonical “12 Days of Christmas”, run roughshod through the western literary canon, retell the story of the Tower of Babel, and recreate their own ordinal poem (which probably has no more meaning than the two texts that form the basis for this show.) Recorded globally on November 8, 2025.   Refined locally in the weeks that followed.   A story that may or may not be a parable for our future with Artificial Intelligence.  Cast Zoe Anastasiou – Bot 7 Debbon Ayer – Bot 1 Ron Bianchi – Bot 6 Monica Dakin – Bot 2 Anastasia DeLoret – Bot 9  Kota Fudauchi – The Human William Moessinger – Bot 3 Michelle Thomas-Hanson – Bot 4 Eric Ward – Bot 8      Daniele Bertolucci – Backup Bot /Written and Produced by David Alan Grier HWMS 25100

A story of life, of family history, of an all too human fall and of a recovery. Cast: Geoffrey Grier, writer and performer

A short from our new show “Pinky and Beta Read Roberts Rules of Order.” Technically, it is a short from “behind the show.”  We’re using shorts to develop the characters, to explore how they operate in a different environment.   Pinky and Beta are the comic relief of the new show.  The expected characters who behave in unexpected ways.  They love meetings, especially board meetings, because of the social possibilities they offer.   Except maybe not this time.   “Maybe the Basquiats” Wow: Zoe Anastassiou Flutter: Kota Fudauchi Produced and Directed by David Alan Grier HWMS24710

How close is close?  A desert.  A forgotten conflict.  A pair of lost souls. One trying to make a make as daring scientist.  The other trying to be forgotten as a loyal soldier.  Neither can get what they want nor can they fulfill the needs of the others.   One name trying to be made.  A second one trying to be forgotten.  Such is the way we make in the world.  You try to follow the examples of others, but your results may vary.  A story of science on the battlefield.  It’s not Afghanistan.  Not Iraq.  Not even the gray and distant world of Vietnam.  It’s about trying to build your reputation and learning that that reputation may not be worth the cost. Cast Margaux Ami – Sgt Emre Zoe Anastassiou –  Professor Alec Effson Debbon Ayer – Dr. Portillo Ron Bianchi – Major C. O Beason Jess Blackwell – Radio Voice 1 Monica Dakin – Seor Ana Deloret – Captain Celi Pritel Kota Fudauchi – Corporal Juma Amanda Garcia – Tano Geoffrey Grier – Major Geo Huber Josh LaForce – Major Eaton Willard Michelle Thomas-Hanson – Eta Tacqua & the Stage Manager Eric Ward – Radio Voice 2 Written and Produced by David Alan Grier Music and Sound Design by Hilbert Space with additional music from Alibi Music under license

A rainy night in Ireland, as if there is any other kind of Irish night.  An American businesswoman and her advisor – Irish, perhaps, or Polish plausibly or Gujrati more likely, stride through the sheets of water to get an early glimpse of a company that is a possible take-over target.  The businesswoman, Rosemary Hawley, had been briefly affiliated with that company some twenty years before when it was led by a dashing but somewhat reckless young man named Jamie Gavin.  In her return, she is trying to determine if there is anything in the company that might make her some money.  She is also curious to see if there is anything left of that dashing young man.  A modern adaptation of “Life is a Dream” by Pedro Calderon de la Barca Cast Margaux Amie                                   Sophia Gavin-Coyle Zoe Anastasiou                                 Toggle Dwiggens  Debbon Ayre                                     Rosemary Hawley  Ron Bianchi                                       Calder Tulley Ana DeLoret                                       Nuela Meade Kota Fudauchi                                    Chaos Geoffrey Grier                                    Gleason Byrne Josh LaForce                                      Jamie Gavin Tehya Merrit                                       Bridget O’Malley  Michelle Thomas Hanson                Old Night Written and Directed by David Alan Grier Music Sound Design by Hilbert Space with material from Sound Audio LLC HWMS22675

It has been too long. Three friends meet on a cold night in Brooklyn.   All have stories to tell.   All have travelled some distance since they last met. The reunion seems to re-bond the old ties until one of them makes a surprising announcement.  Teyha Merritt is an Affiliated Artist with HWMS Audio Theatre and a writer-in-residence.  She is a graduate of Howard University’s Musical Theatre Program. Cast: Rosa: Margaux Amie  Macy: Ana DeLoret Kat: Sahara Ale Waiter: Ron Bianchi   Written and co-produced by Tehya Merritt Directed and Produced by David Alan Grier HMWS23405

Sometimes you talk about Kittens.   They’re cute.   They’re silly. They’re endlessly diverting. Much more entertaining than cats So sometimes you talk about kittens when you should be talking about the cats in the room A short about our new production”Pinky and Beta”  Cast: Beta: Ana DeLoret Pinky: Daniele Bertolucci Produced and Directed by David Alan Grier HWMS24715

Second world war. Battle of the Bulge.  Allied Troops pushed back by Germany’s last desperate offensive. Iin this environment, a group of daring entertainers travelled to the front to support the morale of tired soldiers.    They went to places where the USO would not go.  They often performed standing on the hood of a jeep.   This story is told in the novel Jeep Show by Robert O’Connor.  This is based on an excerpt from that book.   Cast: Announcer: Michelle Thomas-Hanson Narrator: Ron Bianchi Produced and Directed by David Grier HWMS25205

The Psych follows the story of Dr. May, a practicing psychiatrist, and his search for a better foundation for his mental health. Scene 1 Though Doctors help others, they sometimes need help themselves.  Dr.  May meets with a patient and in the process discovers that he may not be as certain of his own health as he believes. Cast Doctor May:                           Eric Ward Bill, the Patient:                     Vernon Medearis Receptionist:                          Phoenyx Rose Written by Geoffrey Grier Produced by San Francisco Recovery Theatre and HWMS Audio Theatre WARNING: This episode contains languages that some users may find offensive.  

Gertrude Blanch. She could have been somebody. A real contender. There was real demand for scientific talent.  A global economic depression.  A world war. If only she hadn’t been a woman.   But only because she was a woman, could she find an opportunity in the Mathematical tables Project, a quirky work-relief office that was intended to give employment to New York City clerks who were unable to find a job.  She turned it into the world’s most power computing organization.  At least the most powerful organization before computing people were replaced by computing machines.   She did calculations for the government, for the military, for scientists and engineers.  They were championed by Einstein, by John von Neuman, professors from Cornell and MIT.  She dined at the White House and sat at tables of power.  Until she was forgotten.  Forgotten by a country that is more constant in its love of technology than it is in its love of people.   A story of Gertrude Blanch, her best friend Ida Rhodes, and their improbably employer, the Mathematical Tables Project.  A story of love, dedication, courage and (brace yourselves) long division.  Cast: (in order of named appearance) Josh Wilson – Chief Whip, Milt Abramowitz Debbon Ayer – Gertrude Blanch Josh LaForce – Dr. Jones, Nurse, Chorus  Zoe Anastasiou – Judy, Orderly, Chorus  Geoffrey Grier –  Leonard Marx, Commissioner, Chorus  Sahara Ale – Sister, Chorus Ron Bianchi – Arnold Lowan, Chorus Kit Kuksenok – Customer, Chorus  Michelle Thomas-Hanson – Arlene, Chorus, Stage Manager Margaux Amie – Ida Rhodes  Noah Masur – Dr. Smith Anastasia DeLoret – Linda, Chorus  Kota Fudauchi – Ken, Chorus Ethan Madds – IBM Guard, Chorus Tehya Merrit – Evie, Chair, Chorus Skippy –Himself Base on the book When Computers Were Human by David Alan Grier from Princton University Press.