Bob Neufeld – Spoken Realms https://spokenrealms.com Thu, 03 Oct 2024 11:15:16 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://i0.wp.com/spokenrealms.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/cropped-logo-purple-black-white-outline.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Bob Neufeld – Spoken Realms https://spokenrealms.com 32 32 136118765 Once on a Time https://spokenrealms.com/2024/10/07/once-on-a-time/ https://spokenrealms.com/2024/10/07/once-on-a-time/#respond Mon, 07 Oct 2024 17:12:00 +0000 https://spokenrealms.com/?p=24875

“But you have not read the best one.” Milne was especially fond of ‘Once on a Time’, which he wrote during WWI. It is one of those “children’s books” that children will enjoy almost as much as adults. In that respect, Milne compared it with ‘Alice in Wonderland’, ‘Treasure Island’ and ‘The Wind in the Willows’. It is a fairy tale about two kings who bluster and stumble into a hilarious non-war, a princess who finds true love in an unexpected place, and a conniving, beautiful Countess whose poetry was stolen by Shelley. The plot is driven by a bent ginger whisker, seven-league boots, two cloaks of darkness, and stiff notes. The characters are three-dimensional; the satire is gentle and wise. There is whimsy in every minute.

Audible/Amazon

]]> https://spokenrealms.com/2024/10/07/once-on-a-time/feed/ 0 24875 Taking Back the Bullet; Trajectories of Self-Discovery https://spokenrealms.com/2023/03/24/taking-back-the-bullet-trajectories-of-self-discovery/ https://spokenrealms.com/2023/03/24/taking-back-the-bullet-trajectories-of-self-discovery/#respond Fri, 24 Mar 2023 17:37:00 +0000 https://spokenrealms.com/?p=21815

This contemporary, character-driven novel is about people who are stigmatized. However, once they discover their true identities, each is empowered to begin the journey of life’s purpose.

The main characters are police officer Tom Jennings, obese as a mutant Idaho potato in a jiggling gelatin suit; James Odessa-Smith, with his schizoaffective disorder; and young Suanna Morningcloud, a person with albinism, half Nez Perce Indian and half Caucasian.

Meeting during a botched bank robbery in Prairie Grove, Kansas, they experience tragedy and trauma. Forever changed and connected, they are forced to ask, “Who am I and where do I belong?”

”Taking Back the Bullet” explores the themes of stigma, identity, and self-discovery. The multi-layered stories are an escape into reality.

Amazon/Audible • iTunes

]]> https://spokenrealms.com/2023/03/24/taking-back-the-bullet-trajectories-of-self-discovery/feed/ 0 21815 Deputy Jennings Meets the Amish https://spokenrealms.com/2022/11/24/deputy-jennings-meets-the-amish/ https://spokenrealms.com/2022/11/24/deputy-jennings-meets-the-amish/#respond Thu, 24 Nov 2022 18:38:00 +0000 https://www.spokenrealms.com/?p=20800

Deputy Tom Jennings, a patrol officer for the Cottonwood County Sheriff’s Office, is a caring cop. He doesn’t understand the Old Order Amish. After being assigned to investigate the theft of soil from a county ditch, he meets Mrs. Rebecca Borntrager Yoder. Rebecca and Adam, her husband, help Jennings begin to learn how the Amish and the English are different and alike.

Amazon/Audible • iTunes

]]> https://spokenrealms.com/2022/11/24/deputy-jennings-meets-the-amish/feed/ 0 20800 The Storm https://spokenrealms.com/2021/04/29/the-storm-voicesoftoday/ https://spokenrealms.com/2021/04/29/the-storm-voicesoftoday/#respond Thu, 29 Apr 2021 17:50:00 +0000 https://www.spokenrealms.com/?p=16070

Translated by Constance Garnett

Although his work has somewhat fallen into obscurity, Alexander Ostrovsky (1823-1886) is considered to be one of the greatest of Russian dramatists. He was one of the pioneers of a realistic style, which later found exponents in celebrated European dramatists like Ibsen and Strindberg. Of Ostrovsky’s 47 plays, one of the best known is The Storm, the portrait of an idealistic young woman trapped in a world of crushing and venal orthodoxy. The Storm formed the basis of Janacek’s opera, Katya Kabanova.

Featuring:

Marty Krz as Vanya Kudriash and First Person

John Burlinson as Savil Prokofievitch Dikoy

Robert Curran as Boris Grigorievitch

Bob Neufeld as Kuligin

Jennifer Fournier as Feklusha, Old Woman and a Woman

Erin Marie White as Katerina Kabanova and Glasha

Aisling Gray as Marfa Ignatievna Kabanova

David Shears as Tihon Kabanov

Terah Tucker as Varvara

and Denis Daly as the Narrator, Shapkin, and Second Person.

Music composed and performed by Marty Krz.

Audio edited by Denis Daly.

Amazon/Audible • iTunes

]]> https://spokenrealms.com/2021/04/29/the-storm-voicesoftoday/feed/ 0 16070 A Christmas Carol https://spokenrealms.com/2020/12/21/a-christmas-carol-theonlinestage/ https://spokenrealms.com/2020/12/21/a-christmas-carol-theonlinestage/#respond Mon, 21 Dec 2020 19:46:38 +0000 https://www.spokenrealms.com/?p=15247

Charles Dickens’ classic Yuletide tale is one of the most popular tales of personal redemption in world literature, and has been adapted many times for presentation on film and on stage.

This dramatic reading features the voices of the Online Stage. All proceeds from the sale of this audiobook will be donated to Concerns of Police Survivors, a non-profit organization which provides support for the families of police officers who lose their lives in the line of duty.

The cast of narrators includes Bob Neufeld, Ron Altman, Ed Humpal, Alan Weyman, Elizabeth Klett, Chyanne Donnell, K. G. Cross, Evie Maria, Denis Daly, John Burlinson, Beth Thomas, Charlotte Duckett, Jeff Moon, Amanda Friday, Marty Krzywonos, Becca Maggie, Jennifer Fournier, and Brett Downey.

Amazon/Audible • iTunes

]]> https://spokenrealms.com/2020/12/21/a-christmas-carol-theonlinestage/feed/ 0 15247 The Ring and the Book https://spokenrealms.com/2018/08/21/the-ring-and-the-book-voicesoftoday/ https://spokenrealms.com/2018/08/21/the-ring-and-the-book-voicesoftoday/#respond Tue, 21 Aug 2018 17:18:19 +0000 https://www.spokenrealms.com/?p=9272 The Ring and the Book, by Robert Browning, presented by Voices of Today.

The Ring and the Book is a verse novel of sex, lies, and murder, authored by Robert Browning, and it is widely considered to be one of the greatest literary works of the 19th century. It’s a “true crime” story based on the proceedings of a Roman murder trial held in 1698.

Each of the 12 books consists of a dramatic monologue in the voice of a different character involved in the tale, a wide range of personalities including: Pompilia, a beautiful young bride, unhappy in her marriage; the cruel Count Franceschini, her older husband; Caponsacchi, a handsome young priest who helps her escape from her husband’s tyranny; two lawyers; and the pope, who renders ultimate judgment.

“It is the great epic of the age, because it is the expression of the belief, it might almost be said, of the discovery, that no man ever lived upon this earth without possessing a point of view.” (G. K. Chesterton)

Contents:

“The Ring and the Book” – Narrated by John Burlinson
“Half-Rome” – Narrated by Bob Neufeld
“The Other Half-Rome” – Narrated by Sara Morsey
“Tertium Quid” – Narrated by David Stifel
“Count Guido Franceschini” – Narrated by Peter Tucker
“Giuseppe Caponsacchi” – Narrated by Tomas Peter
“Pompilia” – Narrated by Erin Louttit
“Dominus Hyacinthus de Archangelis” – Narrated by Alan Weyman
“Juris Doctor Johannes-Baptista Bottinius” – Narrated by Denis Daly
“The Pope” – Narrated by Tovarisch
“Guido” – Narrated by Peter Tucker
“The Book and the Ring” – Narrated by John Burlinson

Amazon/Audible • iTunes

]]> https://spokenrealms.com/2018/08/21/the-ring-and-the-book-voicesoftoday/feed/ 0 9272 An Occurance at Owl Creek Bridge https://spokenrealms.com/2018/03/08/an-occurance-at-owl-creek-bridge-bneufeld/ https://spokenrealms.com/2018/03/08/an-occurance-at-owl-creek-bridge-bneufeld/#respond Thu, 08 Mar 2018 18:11:24 +0000 http://www.spokenrealms.com/?p=8177 The Civil War. A man condemned to die. Does he escape and return to his wife and children?

Ambrose Bierce’s best-known story, the inspiration for a popular episode of The Twilight Zone, films and songs.

Amazon/Audible • iTunes

 

 

]]> https://spokenrealms.com/2018/03/08/an-occurance-at-owl-creek-bridge-bneufeld/feed/ 0 8177 The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle https://spokenrealms.com/2018/02/24/the-legend-of-sleepy-hollow-and-rip-van-winkle-bneufeld/ https://spokenrealms.com/2018/02/24/the-legend-of-sleepy-hollow-and-rip-van-winkle-bneufeld/#respond Sat, 24 Feb 2018 18:50:56 +0000 http://www.spokenrealms.com/?p=8134 In these wonderful short stories, Washington Irving created two of the earliest, most endearing and enduring characters in all of American literature. Rip Van Winkle and Ichabod Crane (not to mention the Headless Horseman) will keep you smiling as they wrestle with the strange and fantastic forces, characters and events that baffle and terrify.

Amazon/Audible • iTunes

]]> https://spokenrealms.com/2018/02/24/the-legend-of-sleepy-hollow-and-rip-van-winkle-bneufeld/feed/ 0 8134 Othello https://spokenrealms.com/2017/08/13/othello-theonlinestage/ https://spokenrealms.com/2017/08/13/othello-theonlinestage/#respond Sun, 13 Aug 2017 17:15:22 +0000 http://www.spokenrealms.net/?p=6825 The predominant theme in this Shakespearean tragedy, believed to have been written in about 1603, is jealousy and the destruction it causes when allowed to run rampant. It features one of Shakespeare’s most compelling villains, Iago, who skillfully manipulates his commander, Othello, into believing that he has been betrayed by his wife, Desdemona, and his closest friend, Cassio.
Cast
Othello – Garrison Moore
Desdemona – Rebecca Thomas
Iago – Bob Neufeld
Emilia – Amanda Friday
Cassio – Phil Benson
Roderigo – John Burlinson
Lodovico – Andrew Coleman
Bianca – Elizabeth Klett
Brabantio/Third Gentleman/Herald – Ben Lindsey-Clark
Duke/Musician/First Gentleman – Brett Downey
Gratiano/Sailors/Second Senator – Alan Weyman
Clown/Messenger/Second Gentleman – Norman Elfer
Montano/Officer/First Senator – Joseph Tabler
Stage directions read by Denis Daly
Audio edited by Denis Daly
The script for this recording was kindly provided by PlayShakespeare.com.

Amazon/Audible • iTunes

]]> https://spokenrealms.com/2017/08/13/othello-theonlinestage/feed/ 0 6825 MacBeth https://spokenrealms.com/2017/05/22/macbeth-theonlinestage/ https://spokenrealms.com/2017/05/22/macbeth-theonlinestage/#respond Mon, 22 May 2017 17:18:58 +0000 http://www.spokenrealms.net/?p=6401 At the center of each of the four great Shakespearean tragedies – Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, and Othello – is a powerful figure who is led to destruction by a fatal character flaw. In the case of Macbeth, it is ambition. Initially a valiant warrior and staunch servant of his regal overlord Duncan, Macbeth succumbs to the lure of absolute political domination, which leads to murder, revolt, and comprehensive defeat.
Many scholars agree that Macbeth, which was first published in the First Folio of 1623, was probably written about 1606. It was intended to be highly laudatory to the recently crowned King James I, whose accession united the crowns of England and Scotland and who was considered to be a distant descendent of Banquo. The play also relates a number of contemporary issues, including witch trials and demonology, a subject in which King James had a great interest, and the Gunpowder plot of 1605.
Cast
Duncan, The Porter, Second Murderer, and Doctor – Phil Benson
Malcolm – Jeff Moon
Donalbain and Servant – Maureen Boutilier
Macbeth – Bob Neufeld
Third Witch and Lady Macbeth – Linda Barrans
Banquo and the Apparitions – Denis Daly
Sergeant and MacDuff – Brett Downey
First Witch and Lady MacDuff – Cate Barratt
Second Witch, MacDuff’s Son and Gentlewoman – Libby Stephenson
Lennox – Alan Weyman
Ross and Menteith – Marty Krzy
Angus, Third Murderer, a Lord, and Seyton – Andrew Coleman
First Murderer, Caithness, and Soldier – Victor Bazarov
Old Man and Siward – John Burlinson
Fleance and Young Siward – Becca Maggie
Messenger – Michele Eaton
Stage directions read by Denis Daly

Amazon/Audible • iTunes

]]> https://spokenrealms.com/2017/05/22/macbeth-theonlinestage/feed/ 0 6401 The Apology of Socrates https://spokenrealms.com/2017/04/29/the-apology-of-socrates-bneufeld/ https://spokenrealms.com/2017/04/29/the-apology-of-socrates-bneufeld/#respond Sat, 29 Apr 2017 17:25:00 +0000 http://www.spokenrealms.net/?p=6294 Socrates, at 70+ years of age, defends himself against charges of corrupting the youth of Athens, atheism, and other false claims before accepting his fate and starting his final days on Earth.

Amazon/Audible • iTunes

]]> https://spokenrealms.com/2017/04/29/the-apology-of-socrates-bneufeld/feed/ 0 6294 The Return of Cosmo Draper https://spokenrealms.com/2017/01/21/the-return-of-cosmo-draper-theonlinestage/ https://spokenrealms.com/2017/01/21/the-return-of-cosmo-draper-theonlinestage/#respond Sat, 21 Jan 2017 17:55:30 +0000 http://www.spokenrealms.net/?p=5936 Dreaming of days of yore, Tim Porter organizes the return of Cosmo Draper, the town’s favorite mayor. Only trouble is, Cosmo’s been dead for years, right?

Amazon/Audible • iTunes

]]> https://spokenrealms.com/2017/01/21/the-return-of-cosmo-draper-theonlinestage/feed/ 0 5936