The 3:57 by William E. Spear

I Will Not Dance, Episode 01 - Two Hundred Feet Over four episodes, an Unnamed Service Personnel will tell of leaving family and dying in battle. Although the events are set in the Second World War, and the Narrator is from New Jersey, U.S.A., the story could be told of any conflict and the warrior could be from any country. Join us as the Narrator celebrates a family wedding and historical roots in Episode One titled TWO HUNDRED FEET. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SEVENTEEN - Episode 08, His Final Mission In the basement of Gunderson High School, Tenny is reliving battles only he can see while struggling to deliver a decades-old message to Superintendent Millicent di Stefano from her deceased brother, Tony. He is surrounded by Di Stefano, Principal Baker, History Teacher Clarke Evans, and Jennifer Hargrove, Tenny’s job coach. That's when the bomb exploded. Enjoy the Eighth, and Concluding, Episode . . . HIS FINAL MISSION. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SEVENTEEN - Episode 07, Augering In Superintendent di Stefano's argument with Principal Baker has decayed into a confontation with Tenny. He slams onto a table a large wooden box labeled Paterson Firearms Company. History Teacher Clarke Evans says that's not necessary but Tenny demands, “Need now.” That's when di Stefano heard him say, "For you." Enjoy Episode Seven . . . AUGERING IN. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SEVENTEEN - Episode 06, Hostilities are Resumed The central character is Severin Vincent Tennyson. Nicknamed “Tenny,” he is a sixty-four-year-old non-verbal, cane-using janitor at Gunderson High School in central New Jersey. Previously, Jennifer Hargrove, Tenny’s job coach and a junior at the high school, followed him two floors below the auditorium. She found him ramming his head into a locker and yelling “No”, “No!”, “NO!” Grudgingly his hand gestures revealed seeing Superintendent di Stefano for the first time in over forty years triggered a flood of memories. Also, and leaving the auditorium, the aforementioned Superintendent di Stefano and Principal Baker continued their verbal slugfest. Enjoy Episode Six . . . HOSTILITIES ARE RESUMED. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SEVENTEEN, Episode 05 - The Clenched Fist The central character is Severin Vincent Tennyson. Nicknamed “Tenny,” He is a sixty-four-year-old non-verbal, cane-using janitor at Gunderson High School in central New Jersey. In a previous episode, the appearance of the newly hired Superintendent Millicent di Stefano, triggered Tenny to run from the auditorium thumping his chest shouting “Seventeen.” By the way, no one in the school had seen him even walk without his cane, let alone run. Nor had anyone ever hear him speak. Along the way, he left the super’s Chief of Staff sprawled on the floor like a jigsaw puzzle missing a few pieces. Also, Jennifer Hargrove, Tenny’s job coach and a junior at the high school, quietly slipped out of the auditorium and followed him. Enjoy SEVENTEEN, Episode 05 - The Clenched Fist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ROMANCE 20 MINUTES INTO THE FUTURE, Episode 04 - A Person's A Person Even If Digital The Messenger gets even with The Boss and vengeance is sweet. So everything turned out right? Stick around for the after credit scene just to make sure. Enjoy Episode 04 - A Person's A Person Even If Digital Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ROMANCE 20 MINUTES INTO THE FUTURE, Episode 03 - How Did It So Soon Get To Be So Late So Quickly? With a quadruple payday on the line, The Messenger's digital self and two clones are still stuck inside of a computer and the mission seems hopeless. Then, hold the mobile phone, the real reason for the assignment becomes apparent. And guess who rides to the rescue! Enjoy Episode 03 - How Did It So Soon Get To Be So Late So Quickly? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ROMANCE 20 MINUTES INTO THE FUTURE, Episode 02 - I Would Not, Could Not Wear My Hair Like That! The Messenger has been digitized into a computer and isn't happy. Even at quadruple pay. And the promised staff - Fred and Frieda - turn out to be clones of The Messenger. Compounding the challenge, the client's contacts - Jason Lines and Laura Flow - are emotional train wrecks. Is rebooting an option? Enjoy Episode 02 - I Would Not, Could Not Wear My Hair Like That! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ROMANCE TWENTY MINUTES INTO THE FUTURE, Episode 01 17 February 2024 Welcome to a new series from The Messenger. Titled ROMANCE 20 MINUTES INTO THE FUTURE, it is another case for the retired now un-retired Messenger who must help one of the firm' most prestigious clients get a new product launch back on track. But The Messenger must navigate the rigors of a staff and the impact of computerization. Sit back and listen to Episode 01 - No! No! No! A Thousand Times, A Million Times, A Bazillion Times NO! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ROMANCE TWENTY MINUTES INTO THE FUTURE 21 January 2024 Starring Fred and Frieda. Out of retirement and fresh from successfully saving Jim and Francine's Place in THE MESSENGER DINES OUT series, the Messenger is asked to save one of the firm's oldest and most prestigious clients. This means becoming a digital personal assistant (DPA) for two of the client's brightest stars: - Jason Lines - Successful introverted designer who works hard but fears human interaction. - Laura Flow - Successful introverted operations executive whose best friends are spreadsheets. This also means having a staff: Fred and Frieda. Much like The Messenger, they are also DPAs. Sit back and enjoy, in their own words, the trailer for ROMANCE TWENTY MINUTES INTO THE FUTURE. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ROMANCE TWENTY MINUTES INTO THE FUTURE 21 January 2024 Starring Fred and Frieda. Out of retirement and fresh from successfully saving Jim and Francine's Place in THE MESSENGER DINES OUT series, the Messenger is asked to save one of the firm's oldest and most prestigious clients. This means becoming a digital personal assistant (DPA) for two of the client's brightest stars: - Jason Lines - Successful introverted designer who works hard but fears human interaction. - Laura Flow - Successful introverted operations executive whose best friends are spreadsheets. This also means having a staff: Fred and Frieda. Much like The Messenger, they are also DPAs. Sit back and enjoy, in their own words, the trailer for ROMANCE TWENTY MINUTES INTO THE FUTURE. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ROMANCE TWENTY MINUTES INTO THE FUTURE 21 January 2024 Starring Fred and Frieda. Out of retirement and fresh from successfully saving Jim and Francine's Place in THE MESSENGER DINES OUT series, the Messenger is asked to save one of the firm's oldest and most prestigious clients. This means becoming a digital personal assistant (DPA) for two of the client's brightest stars: - Jason Lines - Successful introverted designer who works hard but fears human interaction. - Laura Flow - Successful introverted operations executive whose best friends are spreadsheets. This also means having a staff: Fred and Frieda. Much like The Messenger, they are also DPAs. Sit back and enjoy, in their own words, the trailer for ROMANCE TWENTY MINUTES INTO THE FUTURE. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Spirited - Episode 01, Breaking News Release date: 28 December 2023 Start of excerpted transcript: (Theme for the ANNUAL HOLIDAY READINGS comes up and goes under) Hello and welcome back to the Agricultural and Literary Institute of Hunterdon County, New Jersey. The home for this year's holiday readings. And a reminder that THE LEGEND OF THE CHRISTMAS TREE by Lucy Wheelock is coming up next. Now the conclusion of . . . A CHRISTMAS CAROL. (Theme for the ANNUAL HOLIDAY READINGS comes up and goes under) “Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world. Some people laughed to see the alteration . . .” (Theme for BREAKING NEWS comes up and goes under) Hello. This is William Spear of The Three Fifty-seven news desk and we interrupt our regular programming for this special bulletin. Unconfirmed reports indicate protesters are planning to disrupt the annual reading of A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Neither the number of protesters, nor their motives, have been determined. Charles Dickens created The cast of iconic characters in 1843. Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig, Tiny Tim and others are as vibrant and alive today as when the story was published. We now return you to A CHRISTMAS CAROL. End of excerpted transcript. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

IT SUITS HER, Episode 22 Release date: 23 December 2023 Start of excerpted transcript: (Theme for It Suits Her fades up and under) Hello. My name is William Spear and I am the host of The 3:57. You are listening to the current series titled IT SUITS HER. Maxie and Agnes are stumbling through an awkward and unplanned reunion after ten years of a mutually absent marriage. For differing reasons, neither had done much to look for, or reconcile with, the other. Compounding the emotional desert, there are lingering traces of hostility. Truth be told, it was closer to a tsunami of sarcasm. Hers was aimed at him. His was aimed at himself. Despite his personal journey with alcoholism, losing his career, and losing his family, Maxie still has an unwavering belief in his relationship with Agnes. How will she react to that? Find out in Episode Twenty-two, the final episode, of . . . IT SUITS HER. (Theme for Nick's Italian Bistro fades up and under) Maxie stared at the bottom of his empty glass and went for broke: "Look, I, uh, I was wondering . . . " He wasn't at his most verbally graceful and Agnes didn't help: "Well?" Maxie went on: "I’m not really good with words." Agnes warned him: "Don't tell Tony or he might change his mind about casting you." "What I mean," said Maxie. "I’m not good with words unless they’re in a script. But I was thinking about . . . well . . . maybe sometime soon, not tomorrow or Christmas, but in the next week, might I . . . might I stop by to say hello to the kids." End of excerpted transcript. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

IT SUITS HER, Episode 21 Release date: 19 December 2023 Start of excerpted transcript: Hello. My name is William Spear and I am the host of The 3:57. You are listening to the current series called IT SUITS HER. Maxie is sitting with his estranged wife, Agnes, in his friend's restaurant. She asked why he drank so much, ran around, and never came home. His answer will reveal his deepest fear. How will Agnes react? Find out in Episode Twenty-one of . . . IT SUITS HER. (Theme for Nick's Italian Bistro fades up and under) Maxie remembered his whirlwind acting career and success at portraying "the nice guy next door." The interviews, the parties, and the people he met all came flooding back. As did the changes he experienced. He stared in his glass of tonic water and spoke to the nearly melted ice: "I was afraid that you wouldn’t think I was as good as the characters I played." Agnes smiled at his willingness to be human at all times. His years of drinking had not changed that. She allowed a sliver of her own humanity to enter the conversation and she spoke: End of excerpted transcript. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

IT SUITS HER, Episode 20 Release date: 12 December 2023 Start of excerpted transcript: Hello. This is The 3:57 and I am your host, William Spear. You are listening to the current series called IT SUITS HER. Maxie's "performance of his life" was experienced only by his wife, Agnes, and him. There were no awards. No photographers calling "Over here, Mr. Williams. Over here!" No interviews on national and international magazines. Instead, he answered her question about working at Scherzer's, the high-end department store in Flemington. He told her he couldn't sell a glass of water to a man in the desert then added he made customers laugh and they usually bought a shirt or tie. He spoke of working with some of the best people he'd ever known. Funny and creative, like an ensemble. Around them, he had gotten his timing back. They had encouraged him to audition for Tony's play. He stared into his tonic and lime hoping to survive his emotions. What he got was the courage to ask Agnes a question. What did he ask? Find out in Episode Twenty of . . . IT SUITS HER. (Theme for Nick's Italian Bistro fades up and under) He stared into his glass, took a sip of tonic with lime, and asked: "Why are you here?" End of excerpted transcript. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A DECEMBER FORCE OF POETS Release date: 9 December 2023 Poetry with a December focus from Emily Jane Brontë, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, and Mary Bridges Caned Slade is highlighted in this edition of A DECEMBER FORCE OF POETS. William Spear narrates TO A WREATH OF SNOW, OUT IN THE COLD, and WHAT DECEMBER SAYS from Brontë, Harper, and Slade, respectively. The first poem is Emily Jane Brontë's TO A WREATH OF SNOW. Brontë was born in Yorkshire, England in 1818 and wrote nearly 200 poems and the novel WUTHERING HEIGHTS. TO A WREATH OF SNOW was written in 1837 and published after Brontë's death. The second poem is Frances Ellen Watkins Harper's OUT IN THE COLD. Harper was born in Baltimore, Maryland USA in September of 1825. Her work included poetry, short stories, and novels. OUT IN THE COLD includes Harper's reflections upon women who have been "Wrecked and ruined, wronged and betrayed". The third poem is Mary Bridges Caned Slade's WHAT DECEMBER SAYS. Slade was born in Fall River, Massachusetts USA in 1826 and was a teacher and musical composer. Slade implores readers to "open our hearts" in WHAT DECEMBER SAYS. Sit back and enjoy A DECEMBER FORCE OF POETS. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A DECEMBER FORCE OF POETS Release date: 9 December 2023 Poetry with a December focus from Emily Jane Brontë, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, and Mary Bridges Caned Slade is highlighted in this edition of A DECEMBER FORCE OF POETS. William Spear narrates TO A WREATH OF SNOW, OUT IN THE COLD, and WHAT DECEMBER SAYS from Brontë, Harper, and Slade, respectively. The first poem is Emily Jane Brontë's TO A WREATH OF SNOW. Brontë was born in Yorkshire, England in 1818 and wrote nearly 200 poems and the novel WUTHERING HEIGHTS. TO A WREATH OF SNOW was written in 1837 and published after Brontë's death. The second poem is Frances Ellen Watkins Harper's OUT IN THE COLD. Harper was born in Baltimore, Maryland USA in September of 1825. Her work included poetry, short stories, and novels. OUT IN THE COLD includes Harper's reflections upon women who have been "Wrecked and ruined, wronged and betrayed". The third poem is Mary Bridges Caned Slade's WHAT DECEMBER SAYS. Slade was born in Fall River, Massachusetts USA in 1826 and was a teacher and musical composer. Slade implores readers to "open our hearts" in WHAT DECEMBER SAYS. Sit back and enjoy A DECEMBER FORCE OF POETS. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A DECEMBER FORCE OF POETS Release date: 9 December 2023 Poetry with a December focus from Emily Jane Brontë, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, and Mary Bridges Caned Slade is highlighted in this edition of A DECEMBER FORCE OF POETS. William Spear narrates TO A WREATH OF SNOW, OUT IN THE COLD, and WHAT DECEMBER SAYS from Brontë, Harper, and Slade, respectively. The first poem is Emily Jane Brontë's TO A WREATH OF SNOW. Brontë was born in Yorkshire, England in 1818 and wrote nearly 200 poems and the novel WUTHERING HEIGHTS. TO A WREATH OF SNOW was written in 1837 and published after Brontë's death. The second poem is Frances Ellen Watkins Harper's OUT IN THE COLD. Harper was born in Baltimore, Maryland USA in September of 1825. Her work included poetry, short stories, and novels. OUT IN THE COLD includes Harper's reflections upon women who have been "Wrecked and ruined, wronged and betrayed". The third poem is Mary Bridges Caned Slade's WHAT DECEMBER SAYS. Slade was born in Fall River, Massachusetts USA in 1826 and was a teacher and musical composer. Slade implores readers to "open our hearts" in WHAT DECEMBER SAYS. Sit back and enjoy A DECEMBER FORCE OF POETS. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

IT SUITS HER, Episode 19 Release date: 3 December 2023 Start of excerpted transcript: (Cold opening) Hello. You are listening to The 3:57. I am the host, William Spear, and this is the current series called IT SUITS HER. This part of the story has no music, no theme songs, and no segues. It is one person facing a moment ten years in the making. The protagonist, Argosy Maxwell Williams, is sitting in his friend's restaurant. Nicknamed Maxie, he once had a career envied by most. He acted opposite the finest performers of his generation. He worked for legendary directors and turned down scripts from the most powerful studios in the world. Maxie also drank himself out of his career and lost his family. He's been sober for five years but hasn't seen his wife in ten. While in the restaurant, his wife unexpectedly sits at his table. With no preparation and no rehearsal, this is the performance of his life. Enjoy Episode Nineteen of IT SUITS HER and Maxie . . . it's all yours. (Cold throughout) Thanks, William. I begged Tony not to leave but it didn't work. With no alternative, and not wishing to draw attention to myself, I sat. There was no choice but to talk with Agnes. She started: "How’ve you been for the last ten years . . . Maxie?" I answered with phony amazement: "Look at the time." Agnes stared at me and I had to answer: "Oh, you know. A little of this and a little of that." "Working?" she asked expecting me to say "No". My discomfort was growing. I faked a yawn and continued: "It really is kind of late." She stared. Defeat thy name is Maxie. End of excerpted transcript. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.