The Truth

A mountain climbing couple gets caught in an avalanche. Will they survive? Will their relationship? Oh, and also—they’re not alone.

Written by Davy Gardner.

Performed by Margaret Burrus, Federico Rodriguez, …

When a sitcom star is contacted by his long-lost relatives, he discovers that gaining a new family is a lot more than he bargained for.

…

When the sky itself becomes deadly, survival depends on how much you can trust strangers.

Written by Louis Kornfeld.

Performed by Michael …

In a post-apocalyptic world, a young woman faces her fears of the outside world in order to save her sister.

Written by Mary McDonnell.

Performed by Marisa Brau, Jessica Morgan, James Dwyer, Gregory Jones, …

When two actors on different coasts show up to a mysterious voiceover audition, a sadistic director keeps making things weirder.

Written by Laura Grey.

Performed by Liz Leimkuhler, Casey Jost, Chris Kipiniak …

A virtual reality company can send you anywhere in the world from the comfort of your own home. So when a celebrity uses it for escape and ends up finding love, he goes to great lengths to hang onto his new …

A woman gets trapped in an inter-dimensional game show. To leave, she must win the game by figuring out: what is wrong with her?

Written by

When an artificial intelligence grad student becomes a finalist for a big robotics award, her empathic AI robot starts calling her a fraud, and she must figure out how to overcome its nasty, counterproductive …

The Truth was live at On Air Fest in March 2020, with a performance of “The Hilly Earth Society” followed by a Q&A with writer Louis …

A new app allows you to earn real money just by participating in social events. But what the events are—and who shows up—makes it difficult …

A woman paid to ruin weddings decides instead to help a groom salvage his… and finds love along the way.

Written by Mary McDonnell.

…

When Kyra gets Beth an “enhanced emotional support” dog to help her get over her recent funk, the gift goes over a little too well.

Written by Timothy Michael Cooper

Performed by Tanyika Carey, Ellen Winter, …

A son tries to make contact with his dad deteriorating in the throes of dementia. He makes new connections and discoveries, and as he says goodbye to his father, he is granted a long-awaited wish.

Written and …

After three friends make a mysterious yet simple choice, they must make sense of the inconceivable results.

Written by Davy Gardner

…

Eddie Doyle is being targeted by bots that are getting smarter all the time.

Written by Louis Kornfeld

Performed by Tom Ligon, Amy Warren, Louis Kornfeld, Tanyika Carey, Rebecca Robles, Rich Armstead, Jon …

It’s difficult to convey who you are in a two-dimensional dating profile. So a brand new dating service brings you into the third dimension, …

Atlantic Flight 702 has disappeared mid-flight between London and New York. Kaitlin Le, a college student whose twin brother vanished with …

If you want to get from point A to point B, teleportation sounds like a good idea. But if you ever get the opportunity, just take a cab. Learn what happened to teleportation’s First Man.

Written by Louis …

Get to know our associate producer Cara Ehlenfeldt, and hear outtakes from the past year of The Truth.

Make your mark. Go to radiotopia.fm to donate today.

Eve, Jay, and Michael used to be close friends until life moved them in different directions. They are brought together by the death of an …

Rory, an influencer with over 2 million followers, discovers she has the incredible ability to rewrite history through social media. But …

Down in the dusty crypt of The Truth, we uncover the remains of two haunting stories. In the first, a mother's most precious possession is discovered. In the second, a blood ritual conjures up angels...

“Don’t …

The mysterious founder and CEO of a tech company is about to tell the world the secret of his latest product… and his past.

Written by Luke Burns

Performed by Richie Moriarty, Josh Perilo, Jon Cook, Daniel …

Tony's always had a hard time reading the room. But then a mysterious man tells him about a podcast that plays back everything people say about you when you're not there.

Written by Mac Rogers

Performed by …

After helping a woman on a subway platform, a busker discovers that her ukulele has a strange power.

Written by Rachel Wenitsky

Performed …

A woman walks, baby strapped to her chest, through the streets of Fitzroy and Carlton. As she walks, she notices the way the skyline edges upward, nudged by the cranes of developers. And she notices the history …

Joanna thought she was prepared for her new baby. But the baby has plans of her own.

Written by Marina Tempelsman

Performed by Ann Carr, Erica Schroeder, David Ebert, Katie Hartman, Louis Kornfeld, Leslie …

Our story was inspired by a real contingency speech written in 1969 by William Safire for Richard Nixon titled “In Event of Moon Disaster." …

A psychology student must clear her name using the power of persuasion.

Written by Mary McDonnell.

Performed by Kimberly Chatterjee, Jeff …

For today’s episode, we’re featuring an episode from another podcast: The Shadows.

Kaitlin Prest, creator and host of the Prix-Italia winner The Heart, presents the first audio fiction from CBC Podcasts. The …

Questions are answered and blood is spilled backstage at the 15th Annual Octane Awards.

Performed by Chris Cafero, Eli James, Damon Ketron, Claire Burns, Chris Kipiniak, Jeremy Bent, Johan Matton, Connor …

The walls close in on Evan, and new revelations shed light on the short, sad career of Wesley Stern.

Performed by Chris Cafero, Eli James, …

Clues, conspiracy, and cutting-edge Swedish fitness technology await Evan at the Straffmotor Showroom.

Performed by Chris Cafero, Marina …

Evan’s great body and surprisingly decent brain team up to investigate rumors and strange goings-on on the set of “Immortal Cop.”

Performed by Chris Cafero, Joanna Bradley, Marina Gasparyan, Alli Brown, T.J. …

Evan is the most sought after personal trainer in Hollywood. His brain has always been good at bodies. But can it solve a murder?

Performed …

When a lawyer (Jo Firestone) attends her 20th high school reunion, a former classmate mistakes her for another person, and nostalgically …

Kate finally talks to that cute guy at the bowling alley, and he even asks her out on a date. It’s just like a movie romance until something unexpected happens…

Written by Becca Schall.

Performed by Ariel …

After her husband goes missing while on a tour of Ellsworth Caverns, a woman seeks to uncover the secret of the caves.

Written by Luke Burns.

Performed by Ann Carr, Rebecca Robles, Max Brand, Ed Herbstman, …

A modern day hero awakes from a Curse,
And looks for adventure. Oh! And there’s verse!

Written by Mary McDonnell. Performed by Marisa Brau, Alison Cimmet, Liz Leimkuhler, Rachel Botchan, Alana Raquel Bowers, …

It's bad enough that Alice and Mort find themselves in their late 50s with no jobs, and ruinous medical debt. But they're also buckling under a feeling of utter insignificance, that the world ignores them. Then …

In this special episode, Jonathan Mitchell and Davy Gardner answer listener questions, and talk about how the show is made.

"Commitment" was written by Davy Gardner. Performed by Margaret Burrus, Jack …

After a humiliating defeat, an MMA fighter is eager for a rematch. But will the haunting memories of her loss get in the way?

Written by Georgie Aldaco and Davy Gadner
Performed by Ariana Rodriguez, Taylor …

After murdering an annoying customer in a moment of rage, Meg must finish her bakery shift and destroy the corpse while being haunted by the dead customer’s ghost.

Written by Mary McDonnell, and produced by …

A reality tv producer travels to a small Texas town to find a man who can perform miracles. But there’s no such thing as miracles... right?

Written by Louis Kornfeld, and produced by Jonathan Mitchell.
Our …

“Notes from the Network”

As a storm rages outside, a visit from the head of the network complicates Erica's big story and Bruce's attempt at a comeback.

A four-part limited series from The Truth.
Starring …

“Young Man, You're Doing Fine”

Erica interviews Bruce. Is she getting to the truth of his story? Or just helping a serial abuser get back on television?

A four-part limited series from The Truth.
Starring …

“Breaking In”

Meet Erica. She’s an aspiring journalist who enjoys squatting in vacant Montauk homes during the off season. And on the …

“Banished to the Hamptons”

After being accused of sexual harassment live on air, television host Bruce Alvarez retreats to the Hamptons …

Meet Louis, a can of generic cola. For this special bonus episode of The Truth, we’re introducing you not only to an inanimate object, but a …

Explore Wonderworld, U.S.A., where the fun and the mental are fundamental!

Featuring stories by Chris Kipiniak, Becca Schall, Louis Kornfeld, Lila Newman, and Davy Gardner.

A girl finds an unlikely friend in a porcupine puffer fish.

Written by Becca Schall, produced by Jonathan Mitchell.

Performed by Bee Herbstman, Alison Cimmet, Scott Richardson, and Ed Herbstman.

In 1993, a young boy named Jesse Eisenberg wrote a fan letter to an NBA star that would change the course of history. Written and performed …

Two stories: What if there were an app for blind people that could describe to them what they can’t see? Not just directions like a GPS, but …

When you inherit a parrot with a past, you never know what you might hear.

Written by Lila Newman and produced by Jonathan Mitchell.

Performed by Lila Newman, Erica Hernandez, Joel Bernstein, Margaret …

How far is too far in the fight for Truth, Justice, and the American Way? This episode asks some serious questions by taking the form of a Saturday morning cartoon.

Written by Casper Kelly, and produced by …

A couple tries to make a break, without the future getting in their way.

Performed by Chris Henry Coffey and Jenny Mudge
Written by Chris Kipiniak
Produced by Jonathan Mitchell

This episode was sponsored in …

Some people are just too interesting to be left alone.

Written by Louis Kornfeld and produced by Jonathan Mitchell. Performed by Michael …

Ordering a rideshare seems like a safe choice. But really, it's just getting into a stranger's car.

Performed by Dana Kaplan-Angle, Amir Darvish, and Boris Khaykin.

Written by Lila Newman, directed and …

The end of the world didn't scare them. They were nuclear launch officers, that's their job. What scared them was the ghost.

Written by …

A couple moves into a Co-op apartment that becomes more than they bargained for.

Performed by Hannah Chase, Dennis Pacheco, Amy Warren, …

An investigation into the origins of the Polybius legend leads to Bobby, who claims the game was responsible for his abduction as a …

A disenchanted mall Santa gets a surprise gift from SantaCon.

Written by Louis Kornfeld, produced by Jonathan Mitchell.

Performed by Tom …

Everything would be fine if everyone would just listen.

Written by Chris Kipiniak, and produced by Jonathan Mitchell.

Performed by Abby …

It’s a show of mystery, fun, and bad memories! Written by Davy Gardner, produced by Jonathan Mitchell and Kerry Kastin.

What if a device could tell you exactly how satisfied you’d be with any decision? What if you could carry the future around in your pocket? …

Maybe a hug really can be magic. Maybe.

Performed by Austin Pendleton, April Matthis, and Jenny Lee Mitchell.

Written by Louis Kornfeld and produced by Jonathan Mitchell

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 …

Intestilax is a miracle cure for stomach pains. But be careful: it may have side effects.

Written by Casper Kelly, and produced by Jonathan …

Imagine a near future where media influencers are sent to an internment camp. This episode was made in collaboration with Benjamen Walker, …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

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. 

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 …

Shopping can make you work up a thirst. Performed by Lauren Adams and Peter Grosz, written by Casper Kelly, and produced by Jonathan Mitchell.

A man mysteriously transports himself into the body of a prison inmate. Performed by Khalil Kain and Craig muMs Grant, with Keith Randolph …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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. …

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 & …

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 …

Where's your costume? Dressing up is the best part of these things! Performed by Matt Antonucci and Angela DeManti, with Kerry Kastin, …

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 …

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, …

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 …

You're having a stroke. Performed by Ann Carr, Louis Kornfeld, and Amy Warren. Written by Louis Kornfeld, and produced by Jonathan Mitchell.

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, …

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 …

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, …

Hoping the dream date never ends... until it doesn’t. Performed by Adam Wade, Chrissie Gruebel, and Dan Fairall. Written by Alejandro …

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.

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 …

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.

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 & …

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. …

Based on Philip K. Dick's short story "Upon the Dull Earth," originally published in 1954. Performed by Andy Moskowitz, Rebecca Robles, …

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.

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 …

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 …

A game of Dungeons and Dragons is thrown into chaos. Peformed by Elana Fishbein, Jon Bander, Justin Moran, and Matt Shafeek. Written by …

The Voyager spacecraft has landed: meet the aliens who found it. Performed by Chet Siegel and Peter McNerney. Produced by Jonathan Mitchell.

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.

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, …

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 …

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 …

Adam and Allie would do anything to have a baby. Performed by Tami Sagher, Ed Herbstman, Louis Kornfeld, and Kerry Kastin. Written by Ira …

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, …

A collection of horror stories that take place in the world of electoral politics. This one-hour special was produced in 2012 for broadcast …

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 …

Two shock jocks make a big morning mess. Performed by Jon Bander, Alessandro King, Bianca Casusol, Brian Frange, and Elana Fishbein. Written …

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 …

A freak accident on a train platform leads to... romance? Performed by Chet Siegel and Peter McNerney, with Willy Appleman, Louis Kornfeld, Lauren Ashley-Smith, Sebastien Conelli, Quinton Loder, Jon Bander, and …

A prodigal daughter returns. Performed by Ed Herbstman, Ben Jones, Christian Paluck, Chet Siegel, Louis Kornfeld, Amy Warren, and Asher …

You're cordially invited to spend New Year's Eve with Walt Avery. To attend, simply play this podcast. Performed by Ben Jones and Tom Ligon, and produced by Jonathan Mitchell. 

A couple goes in search of childhood memories. Performed by Ed Herbstman, Lauren Ashely Smith, and Louis Kornfeld. Story by Jonathan Mitchell with dialogue improvised by the actors. Produced and directed by …

This is a re-edited version of a previoulsy released story. A taxi driver is working on his anniversary, and gets more than he expected when …

Two urban explorers enter an abandoned subway. What happens next is our secret. This is the complete version of a story that was previously only available in two parts.

What happens when a corporation becomes a person? In this satire by Tony Award-winning playwright Greg Kotis, we follow a company called …

This story was inspired by a submission from listener Mathew Mercier, for our Halloween/Election crowd-sourcing experiment. It's based on his experience as caretaker of the Edgar Allan Poe estate, and imagines …

A canvasser gets the donation she needs, but it will cost her... Performed by Chet Siegel and Tom Ligon, with Matt J. Weir, Quentin Loder, and Melanie Hoopes. From an outline by Chet Siegel. Produced & …

Produced at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Radio Beyond Radio conference, featuring performances by Amie McKenna, Michele Durman, Michael Whalley, and Martin Dingle Wall. Produced by Ed Herbstman and …

A teacher gives his students lesson about democracy that they'll never forget. Performed by Peter McNerney as Mr. Mohr, Russ Armstrong as Eric, and Alexis Lambright as Margaret, with  Fiona Bradford, Teddy …

Mike Coleman is an independent candidate running for Congress, and he's finally getting some attention... from a serial killer. Performed by …

This is a short story written and produced by Hillary Frank, made by combining fictional narration with real interview tape. It was edited …

Written by Kurt Andersen, this story was originally heard on PRI's Studio 360. Narrated by Ed Herbstman, with John Ottavino as Nicholas, and …

A pair of urban explorers goes underground, in the first part of a continuing story. Starring Emily Tarver, Alex Marino, Louis Kornfeld, Ed Herbstman, Christian Paluck, and Amy Warren. Produced by Jonathan …

Two different approaches to making stories that combine improvisation with the recording studio. Total Transparency is a brand new piece, it was completely improvised and recorded in one take, and then edited. …

The recording doesn't lie. Performed by Ed Herbstman & Tami Sagher, with Libby Geroge & Christian Paluck. Produced by Jonathan Mitchell, written by Jonathan Mitchell, Ed Herbstman, & Melanie Hoopes. …

Spin class gets personal. Performed by Chet Siegel, Emily Tarver, and Ed Herbstman. Produced by Jonathan Mitchell, written by Chet Siegel & The Truth.

Terry Bisson's classic short story "They're Made Out of Meat" originally appeared in Omni Magazine in 1991, and our audio version was produced for WNYC's Studio 360 in November 2011. We've re-mixed the story …

A taxi driver is working on his anniversary, and gets more than he expected when he picks up a couple in Lower Manhattan. Featuring: Christian Paluck as The Driver, Chet Siegel as Mary, Louis Kornfeld as Frank, …

As we finish up some new stories for the podcast, here's a selection of three short pieces from the archives. These pieces are a little different than the stories we normally present on The Truth. They were all …

Can coconut cake + random phone calls = love? Find out, when these two Valentine's Day traditions collide. 

Produced by Jonathan Mitchell

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Episode #1: Moon Graffiti. In our pilot episode, we imagine what may have happened if the Apollo 11 mission ended in tragedy. Featuring …