The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster, Pt. 1 - "The Air-Ship"

We are thrilled to premier the WORD for WORDcast, a podcast from the Word for Word theater company. We specialize in bringing works of literature to the stage, using every word of a text in a dynamic, evocative style that preserves the original beauty of the prose or poetry. This podcast will be an ongoing series, with upcoming stories planned by Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, Alice Munro, Tobias Wolff, Helen Oyeyemi, and George Saunders (rights pending).

Our featured story is "The Machine Stops" by E.M. Forster. Written in 1909, this is a dystopian look at the future, where everyone lives underground, is controlled by "The Machine," and communicates with each other over vast distances through glowing blue plates. 

To maximize your experience, we recommend listening with headphones or good stereo speakers. Be sure to subscribe or tune in for parts two and three, "The Mending Apparatus" (released 9/24) and "The Homeless" (released 10/1).

If you've enjoyed this podcast, please consider a donation at zspace.org/pod. We are committed to paying the creative staff a profession rate for their work.

Credits:

Directed by Gendell Hing-Hernández

Cast
Carla Gallardo - The Attendant/Ensemble
Susan Harloe* - Vashti
David Everett Moore* - Kuno
Brian Rivera* ** - The Speaker/Ensemble
Ryan Tasker* - The Machine/Ensemble

Sound Design and Original Music by David R. Molina

Sound Engineer - Joe Moore
Production Manager - Colm McNally
Stage Manager - Tyler Miller 
Dramaturgy - Delia MacDougall
Marketing and Distribution - Andrew Burmester
Podcast volunteer - Carly Dreame Brethe

*AEA **SAG/AFTRA