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The Truth

The Truth

THE TRUTH makes movies for your ears. They're short stories that are sometimes dark, sometimes funny, and always intriguing. Every story is different, but they all take you to unexpected places using only sound. If you're new, some good starting places are: Silvia's Blood, That's Democracy, Moon Graffiti, Tape Delay, or whatever's most recent. Listening with headphones is encouraged!

We're a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.

The Truth Podcast

THE TRUTH makes movies for your ears. They're short stories that are sometimes dark, sometimes funny, and always intriguing. Every story is different, but they all take you to unexpected places using only sound. If you're new, some good starting places are: Silvia's Blood, That's Democracy, Moon Graffiti, Tape Delay, or whatever's most recent. Listening with headphones is encouraged!

We're a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX.

The Truth Podcast
70hr 30min
Thumbnail for "Pariah No. 2".
Measuring the depth of perception.
Thumbnail for "The Missed Lives of Max and Judy".
New on BBC Radio 4 from the director of The Truth
Thumbnail for "Pariah No. 3".
The performance of a lifetime.
Thumbnail for "Pariah No. 1".
In performance art, if you die you get buried.
Thumbnail for "Instruction Manual for Jason".
Read thoroughly before attempting operation.
Thumbnail for "Degenerates".
A vintage car and a second chance.
Thumbnail for "Heat Meet".
Every hot sauce is somebody’s path to enlightenment.
Thumbnail for "The Talk".
A father comes to the rescue when three teenagers take things a little too far.
Thumbnail for "Keep Running".
Running from Wisconsin to Indiana: 80 miles, 12 hours, 1 day.
Thumbnail for "Tough Crowd".
Comedy is hard.
Thumbnail for "The Mutiny".
The kids take a stand.
Thumbnail for "Mall Santa".
A disenchanted mall Santa gets a surprise gift from SantaCon.
Thumbnail for "Still On".
All late-night TV needs is a little new blood.
Thumbnail for "I'm Not That Guy".
He's a jock stuck in a nerd's body.
Thumbnail for "Mark the Creep".
Cheater. Pervert. Bubble bath.
Thumbnail for "Journey into Kalanu".
Real fans will get it.
Thumbnail for "Happy Happy".
At this bar, every night is ’90s night.
Thumbnail for "Snoop".
Make yourself comfortable. Go wild.
Thumbnail for "Swallowed".
Jonah’s in a whale, but he’s not alone.
Thumbnail for "Newts!".
A surf rock audio drama about the end of the world.
Thumbnail for "Thankless".
Maybe you've heard of her brother?
Thumbnail for "Danslang".
Are you vohuuga mu hondan?
Thumbnail for "About the Pond".
Happy birthday?
Thumbnail for "What About Ruth?".
Nobody told her about a pandemic.
Thumbnail for "The Best Truth Story Ever (so far)*".
*as voted by listeners.
Thumbnail for "The Truth 10th Anniversary Special".
Our listeners discuss their favorites.
Thumbnail for "My Perfect Dad".
I just have a few notes.
Thumbnail for "The Disruptors Part 2".
This time, it's personal.
Thumbnail for "The Grand Finale".
Everything is possible.
Thumbnail for "Here Lies Me".
Middle school will bury you.
Thumbnail for "The Look-alike".
Trapped behind his own famous face.
Thumbnail for "End of the Hum".
It’s just waves.
Thumbnail for "Fruit of Knowledge".
Not all secrets stay buried.
Thumbnail for "Fairy Godmother of Justice".
Your wish is her command.
Thumbnail for "Phonebank Kismet".
Closure is a phone call away
Thumbnail for "The Chosen One".
A very boring man has a very strange encounter.
Thumbnail for "Zoe Butterfly".
No one has time for Zoe’s daydreams.
Thumbnail for "Echo of the Hum".
Will they finally be safe?
Thumbnail for "The Disruptors".
The universe is against you.
Thumbnail for "How We Make The Truth".
Get to know us!
Thumbnail for "Breakfast in Wartime".
Meanwhile, as the world was changing...
Thumbnail for "The Noise and The Signal".
Is it all just noise?
Thumbnail for "Like Me".
You gonna do this new challenge?
Thumbnail for "Irish Water Spaniel".
Take care.
Thumbnail for "Private Thoughts".
Gaze into each other’s eyes.
Thumbnail for "Caligula the God".
Tell him what he wants to hear.
Thumbnail for "CrossBread".
A Christian Hip Hop duo's rise and fall.
Thumbnail for "Shadow of the Hum".
Being alone can do strange things to a guy.
Thumbnail for "Love in Hollywood".
All’s fair in love and reality TV.
Thumbnail for "Gods and Mortals".
You could be The Greatest God.
Thumbnail for "Remember the Lakehouse".
It’s all in the memory palace.
Thumbnail for "Santa's Nine".
‘Twas the heist before Christmas.
Thumbnail for "Appearances".
An introduction to a new series from Sharon Mashihi.
Thumbnail for "Salamanca".
The plaza is where you find love.
Thumbnail for "Bad Hair".
Small talk. Big Consequences.
Thumbnail for "Married Alive".
Freezing to death has its virtues.
Thumbnail for "The Halves".
Every family tree has hidden branches.
Thumbnail for "Into the Hum".
You can't run from the sky.
Thumbnail for "After the Hum".
Face your fears.
Thumbnail for "The Session".
A voiceover gig from hell.
Thumbnail for "Anywhere in the World".
Love in virtual reality.
Thumbnail for "What's Wrong with Nicole Berkman?".
Seriously: what is wrong with her?
Thumbnail for "The Fraud".
You are a fraud.
Thumbnail for "LIVE: The Hilly Earth Society".
Performed at On Air Fest 2020
Thumbnail for "Clustr".
The latest gig in the gig economy.
Thumbnail for "The Wedding Objector".
Who will make it to “I do”?
Thumbnail for "Chester".
What if dogs could be more human?
Thumbnail for "Lucky Penny".
I gave you everything I could.
Thumbnail for "The Choice".
You may choose yes or no.
Thumbnail for "Robocalls".
Always ask if they’re real.
Thumbnail for "Museum of You".
Curate your life story.
Thumbnail for "Passenger List".
A missing plane. A cabin full of suspects. A search for the truth.
Thumbnail for "Three Seconds to Nowhere".
The story of teleportation's First Man.
Thumbnail for "Meet Cara".
She hears everything.
Thumbnail for "Possessive".
Friends forever ...and ever and ever.
Thumbnail for "Under the Influence".
An influencer finds unlimited influence.
Thumbnail for "Double Feature of Darkness".
Two stories come back from the dead.
Thumbnail for "Self-Made Man".
He’s a self-made man. Literally.
Thumbnail for "Your Ears Are Burning".
What are they saying about you?
Thumbnail for "Poofed".
What if they all just... disappeared?
Thumbnail for "BONUS: The Fitzroy Diaries".
Dispatches from the inner-city suburbs of Melbourne.
Thumbnail for "Hush Little Baby".
Not every bundle of joy is a bundle of joy.
Thumbnail for "Moon Graffiti".
What if Apollo 11 crashed on the Moon?
Thumbnail for "Persuasive Tactics".
How well do you understand people?
Thumbnail for "BONUS: The Shadows".
The anatomy of a relationship
Thumbnail for "The Body Genius, Part 5".
A Good Body
Thumbnail for "The Body Genius, Part 4".
Rivals
Thumbnail for "The Body Genius, Part 3".
The Future of Fitness
Thumbnail for "The Body Genius, Part 2".
The Film That Wouldn't Die
Thumbnail for "The Body Genius, Part 1".
The Bad Breakfast
Thumbnail for "The Other Fran".
Jog your mind...
Thumbnail for "Meet Cute ".
Falling in love is easy.
Thumbnail for "The Cavern".
Where do you go when the lights go out?
Thumbnail for "The Curse of Numb".
A fairy tale about waking up.
Thumbnail for "The Unremarkables".
One last shot at significance
Thumbnail for "BONUS: All Your Questions Answered ".
How we make The Truth
Thumbnail for "November 31st".
You fall you gotta get back up.
Thumbnail for "Murder at Cakery Bakery".
The customer is always right. Until they’re dead.
Thumbnail for "The Saint of Machine".
There's no such thing as miracles... right?
Thumbnail for "The Off Season, Part 4".
Notes from the Network
Thumbnail for "The Off Season, Part 3".
Young Man, You're Doing Fine
Thumbnail for "The Off Season, Part 2".
Breaking In
Thumbnail for "The Off Season, Part 1".
Banished to the Hamptons
Thumbnail for "BONUS: Everything Is Alive".
Meet Louis, a can of generic cola.
Thumbnail for "Wonderworld, U.S.A.".
Where the fun and the mental are fundamental.
Thumbnail for "Fish Girl".
Don't tap on the glass.
Thumbnail for "The Jesse Eisenberg Effect".
How a 9-year-old boy changed the course of history.
Thumbnail for "Visible & Drive Straight Ahead".
A seeing eye app, and a *very* personal GPS.
Thumbnail for "The Matter of Tyco".
Inherit a parrot with a past.
Thumbnail for "Justice Battalion".
Form of: a Saturday morning cartoon!
Thumbnail for "The Runaways".
Don't let the future get in your way.
Thumbnail for "The Hilly Earth Society".
Some people are just too interesting to be left alone.
Thumbnail for "Rideshare".
Take a ride in a stranger's car.
Thumbnail for "Nuclear Winter".
Nuclear missile silos can be spooky. Especially when they're haunted.
Thumbnail for "The Co-op".
Getting in was the easy part.
Thumbnail for "BONUS: The Polybius Conspiracy".
The Polybius Conspiracy is a seven-part series, from Radiotopia's Showcase.
Thumbnail for "Mall Santa".
Seasons greetings from the mall!
Thumbnail for "Troll".
It feels good to feel better.
Thumbnail for "Game Night".
It's a show of mystery, fun, and bad memories!
Thumbnail for "The Decider".
Happiness is just a number.
Thumbnail for "Magic Hugs".
Maybe a hug really can be magic. Maybe.
Thumbnail for "Brain Chemistry".
A cryogenically-frozen man is revived in the future, to a world that is not quite what he expected. Written by Eric Molinsky, and produced by Jonathan Mitchell. Performed by Scott Adsit, Amy Warren, and Ed Herbstman, with Anna Neu, Billy Griffin,...
Thumbnail for "Possible Side Effects".
Intestilax is a miracle cure for stomach pains. But be careful: it may have side effects. Written by Casper Kelly, and produced by Jonathan Mitchell. Performed by Adam Wade, Hannah Chase, Mariette Strauss, Elana Fishbein, Dennis Pacheco, Anne...
Thumbnail for "Influencers part 1".
Imagine a near future where media influencers are sent to an internment camp. This episode was made in collaboration with Benjamen Walker, and part 2 is available now on his podcast Theory of Everything. Featuring Michael Delisle, Ann Carr, T.J....
Thumbnail for "Do the Voice".
The voice of a cartoon boy takes a shot at live action. Starring Erica Schroeder as Betsy and Happy Louie. With Brian Dykstra, Marc Thompson, Justin Morgan, Rosie Whalen, Susan J. Jacks, Chris Kipiniak, Lorena Russi, Eric Molinsky, Kerry Kastin, Asher...
Thumbnail for "Intimacy Challenge".
On the island of Thassos grows a very rare variety of the Lotus flower, Nymphaea Anamnesis. If you drink its extract, whatever you say or do for ten minutes after drinking it, you won’t remember. It's kind of like Snapchat but "in life". On this...
Thumbnail for "Hey Bumblebee".
Spring is in the air and so are the bees. To celebrate, we made this collection of comedy sketches! Learn how Quantum Mechanics can help solve that familiar dilemma: scone or muffin? Meet the most conscientious mom on the playground. And hear the only...
Thumbnail for "Scavenger Hunt".
What will they find? Performed by Rebecca Robles and Louis Kornfeld. Story by Louis Kornfeld, produced by Jonathan Mitchell. Recorded on location in New York City.
Thumbnail for "Miracle on the L Train".
A subway ride becomes divinely dangerous. With Joanna Hausmann as Alice and T.J. Mannix as God. Written by Sarah Siskind with Louis Kornfeld, and produced by Jonathan Mitchell. 
Thumbnail for "A Drop in the Ocean".
A submarine crew goes deeper than they thought possible. Written by Louis Kornfeld and Chris Kipiniak. Performed by Gregory Jones, Chris McKinney, Russell G. Jones, Billy Griffin Jr., Reynaldo Piniella, and Michael Cullen. Produced by Jonathan Mitchell.
Thumbnail for "The Dark End of the Mall".
Shopping can make you work up a thirst. Performed by Lauren Adams and Peter Grosz, written by Casper Kelly, and produced by Jonathan Mitchell.
Thumbnail for "The Sweet Music of Friction".
A man mysteriously transports himself into the body of a prison inmate. Performed by Khalil Kain and Craig muMs Grant, with Keith Randolph Smith, Shamika Cotton, Chris McKinney, Louis Kornfeld, and Jaymes Jorsling. Written by Jaymes Jorsling, produced...
Thumbnail for "Naughty or Nice".
An elf named Spark has just been promoted to the "Naughty or Nice" division of Santa's workshop. But when he finds out how Santa determines if you've been bad or good, he makes it his mission to change the system. Written by Jonathan Mitchell and Seth...
Thumbnail for "Commentary Track".
A (fictional) Director's Commentary from the (fictional) short film that inspired the (fictional) big budget feature romantic comedy "Then I Saw Her Face". Performed by Birgit Huppuch, with Maurice Jones and Libby Woodbridge. Written by Chris Kipiniak...
Thumbnail for "Cor-wrong-ct!".
A mixtape made especially for you, with five short comedy sketches produced by The Truth. Featuring performances by Scott Adsit, Tami Sagher, Ed Herbstman, Laura Grey, April Matthis, Peter McNerney, Lane Kewerdis, Al King, Becca Schall, Willie...
Thumbnail for "Sleep Some More".
Dan's college roommate won't stop talking. Even when he's asleep. Performed by Brian Miskell and Mark Gessner, with Lusia Strus and Hannah Chase. Written by Chris Kipiniak, and produced by Jonathan Mitchell.
Thumbnail for "The Making of That's Democracy".
A new short film has been made based on our story "That's Democracy", and to celebrate we produced this documentary about how the original story was made. Including interviews with Louis Kornfeld, Peter McNerney, and filmmakers Jon Bowden & Cliff...
Thumbnail for "The Man in the Barn".
A mysterious man appears in the barn of an elderly Irish couple. This story was commissioned by RTE's Drama on One, and recorded in Kilfinane, County Limerick, Ireland. Performed by Sarah Reynolds, Joe Mullins, Maeve McGrath, Diarmuid McIntyre, and...
Thumbnail for "Man V. Nature".
Three men are stranded in a lifeboat. Adapted from a short story by Diane Cook, our adaptation is by Diana McCorry. Performed by David Pasquesi, Ed Herbstman, and Mark Gessner. Produced by Jonathan Mitchell. "Man V. Nature" is from the collection of...
Thumbnail for "Visible & Drive Straight Ahead".
Two stories: A blind man gets a Seeing Eye App, and a personal GPS gets really personal. With performances by Russell G. Jones, Ann Carr, Rachel Hamilton, and Kerry Kastin, and writing by Louis Kornfled & Diana McCorry, and Jonathan Goldstein,...
Thumbnail for "Where Have You Been?".
Everyone thought you were missing, maybe even dead. And now you’re back. Performed by Ed Herbstman, Ben Jones, Christian Paluck, Chet Siegel, Louis Kornfeld, Amy Warren, and Asher Herbstman. Produced by Jonathan Mitchell. Also on this episode,...
Thumbnail for "Starburst".
Where's your costume? Dressing up is the best part of these things! Performed by Matt Antonucci and Angela DeManti, with Kerry Kastin, Alejandro Kolleeny, and Louis Kornfeld. Written by Louis Kornfeld and produced by Jonathan Mitchell.
Thumbnail for "Enjoy the Suffering".
Greetings, souls of the damned! This story is about a young woman who always looked up to her older sister, until they found themselves in Hell. Performed by Bianca Casusol, Kate Emswiler, Louis Kornfeld, Jake Hart, Blanche Ames, Jimmy...
Thumbnail for "Dark Matter".
No one knows what it is, or why we can't see it. All we know is that without it, the universe would fall apart. Performed by Kevin Corrigan, Chet Siegel, Ed Herbstman, Dennis Pacheco, Alexis Lambright, Rob Webber, and Anna Sale. Written by Diana...
Thumbnail for "You're Not Alone".
Are you hearing voices? You're not alone. Performed by Christian Paluck, Carly Monardo, Tom Stephens, Louis Kornfeld, Jon Keller, Kerry Kastin, Nick Mykins, Aina Rapoza, and Ashley Wilson. With special musical guest Elizabeth Ziman (of Elizabeth and...
Thumbnail for "Remember the Baby".
You're having a stroke. Performed by Ann Carr, Louis Kornfeld, and Amy Warren. Written by Louis Kornfeld, and produced by Jonathan Mitchell.
Thumbnail for "The Last Job".
It's the Age of Leisure, and keeping it that way is a full time job. Performed by Peter McNerney, Dave Hill, Louis Kornfeld, India Kotis, Rebecca Robles, Alex Marino, Phoebe Tyers, T.J. Mannix, and Rupert Degas. Written and produced by Jonathan...
Thumbnail for "Tape Delay".
The recording doesn't lie. Performed by Ed Herbstman and Tami Sagher, with Libby George and Christian Paluck. It was produced by Jonathan Mitchell, and written by Jonathan Mitchell, Ed Herbstman, and Melanie Hoopes. This story originally aired on This...
Thumbnail for "Can You Help Me Find My Mom?".
A girl is lost and can't find her mom. Why won't anyone help her? Performed by Bee Herbstman, Melanie Hoopes, Ed Herbstman, Evan Sudarsky Abadi, Gregory C. Jones, and Blanche Ames. Written by Diana McCorry, Produced by  Jonathan Mitchell....
Thumbnail for "Living the Dream".
Hoping the dream date never ends... until it doesn’t. Performed by Adam Wade, Chrissie Gruebel, and Dan Fairall. Written by Alejandro Kolleeny, and produced by Jonathan Mitchell. http://www.thetruthpodcast.com
Thumbnail for "Don't Touch a Thing".
A hoarder's daughter digs through the past. Performed by Amy Warren, Armando Diaz, Jackie Hoffman, Louis Kornfeld, and Noel Dinneen. Written by Louis Kornfeld, produced by Jonathan Mitchell.
Thumbnail for "Falling".
An accidental love story. Performed by Chet Siegel and Peter McNerney, with Willy Appelman, Louis Kornfeld, Lauren Ashley Smith, Sebastian Conelli, Quinton Loder, Jon Bander, and Kim Ferguson. Written by Chet Siegel, and produced by Jonathan Mitchell.
Thumbnail for "The One about the Dead Dog".
Who knows... maybe it's true. Written by Diane McCorry. Performed by Phoebe Tyers and Dennis Pacheco, with Nick Mykins, T.J. Mannix, and Chris Dwane. Produced by Jonathan Mitchell.
Thumbnail for "Naughty or Nice".
An elf gets a new job in the Naughty or Nice division of Santa's workshop. This story was commissioned by NPR's All Things Considered. It was written by Jonathan Mitchell and Seth Lind, and directed & produced by Jonathan Mitchell.
Thumbnail for "The Death of Poe".
Edgar Allen Poe's death has always been shrouded in mystery. In this episode, we imagine what may have happened. It was inspired by listener Matthew Mercier, who spent time as the caretaker of Poe's last home. Performed by Christian Paluck, Ed...
Thumbnail for "Silvia's Blood".
Based on Philip K. Dick's short story "Upon the Dull Earth," originally published in 1954. Performed by Andy Moskowitz, Rebecca Robles, Diana McCorry, Ben Jones, and Al King. Produced and directed by Jonathan Mitchell.
Thumbnail for "Cold Read".
A psychic love story. Performed by Alex Marino, Christina Dabney, Blanche Ames, and T.J. Mannix. Written by Louis Kornfeld, and produced by Jonathan Mitchell.
Thumbnail for "That's Democracy".
A teacher gives his students lesson about democracy that they'll never forget. Performed by Peter McNerney, Russ Armstrong, Alexis Lambright, Fiona Bradford, Teddy Shivers, Oscar Montoya, and Ben Jones. Written by Louis Kornfeld, produced by Jonathan...
Thumbnail for "Moon Graffiti".
45 years ago this week, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon. To commemorate, we're sharing our pilot episode which asks the question: What if they crashed? This story is based on a real speech written for Richard Nixon in 1969 called "In...
Thumbnail for "Chaotic Neutral".
A game of Dungeons and Dragons is thrown into chaos. Peformed by Elana Fishbein, Jon Bander, Justin Moran, and Matt Shafeek. Written by Alejandro Kolleeny, and produced by Jonathan Mitchell.
Thumbnail for "Voyager Found".
The Voyager spacecraft has landed: meet the aliens who found it. Performed by Chet Siegel and Peter McNerney. Produced by Jonathan Mitchell.
Thumbnail for "Everybody SCREAM!!!".
Keep your knees in, chest up, stay low, elbows soft... let's go, let's GO! Performed by Chet Siegel, Emily Tarver, and Ed Herbstman. Written by Chet Siegel, produced by Jonathan Mitchell.
Thumbnail for "The Extractor".
The sounds we make don't just fade away; they're embedded in the wood around us. Performed by Ed Herbstman, Kevin Cragg, Annemarie Cullen, Dennis Pacheco, and Rebecca Robles, with Melanie Hoopes, Bea Herbstman, Alex Marino, and Kerry Kastin. Music...
Thumbnail for "Eat Cake".
If you've ever been alone on Valentine's Day, this story is for you. It's performed by Eliza Skinner, Birch Harms, and Curtis Gwinn, who improvised all of the dialogue. It was originally produced in 2009 for Weekend Amercia, Hillary Frank was the...
Thumbnail for "It's Your Funeral".
Live the death you've always wanted. Performed by Andy Moskowitz, Jackie Hoffman, Ben Jones, Damon Ketron, Phoebe Tyres, Shacottha Fields, Blanche Ames, and Rebecca Robles. Written by David Wilcox. Produced and directed by Jonathan Mitchell.
Thumbnail for "Biological Clock".
Adam and Allie would do anything to have a baby. Performed by Tami Sagher, Ed Herbstman, Louis Kornfeld, and Kerry Kastin. Written by Ira Gamerman. Produced and directed by Jonathan Mitchell. 
Thumbnail for "Naomi's World".
A trip to the museum takes a surreal turn. Performed by Isabel Frohnhofer, Tom Ligon, Elana Fishbein, Imran Chowdhury, Laura Parker, Philipp Goedicke, Dennis Pacheco, Blanche Ames, Ron Palais, Willy Appelman, Andrew Yurman-Glaser, and Phoebe Tyers....
Thumbnail for "The Devil You Know".
A collection of horror stories that take place in the world of electoral politics. This one-hour special was produced in 2012 for broadcast on public radio, and made possible by the generous support of the Public Radio Exchange (prx.org) and...
Thumbnail for "The Talk".
A father comes to the rescue when three teenagers take things too far. Performed by Christian Paluck, Dmitry Shein, Willy Appelman, and Elana Fishbein. Written by Louis Kornfeld, and produced by Jonathan Mitchell.
Thumbnail for "Sweets for the Cheat".
Two shock jocks make a big morning mess. Performed by Jon Bander, Alessandro King, Bianca Casusol, Brian Frange, and Elana Fishbein. Written by Ira Gamerman. Produced & directed by Jonathan Mitchell.