Every story is a crossroads. A diverse company of Chicago artists produces new audio dramas—recorded live—and stages freewheeling audience conversations about them. Led by Founder and Executive Producer Jeremy McCarter, Make-Believe shares suspenseful, moving, hilarious stories, and tries to discover how they shape our world.
Daniel Kyri stars in a new audio drama adaptation of Hamlet, offering listeners an immersive experience through the prince's perspective.
12 Oct 2022
Listening to Lake Song
This episode debuts LAKE SONG, a new podcast series, on the Tribeca Audio Premieres podcast feed.
6 Oct 2022
Trailer 2: Chicago Poets--Past, Present, Future
Nate Marshall discusses the enduring legacy and future trajectory of Chicago poets, highlighting their historical contributions and anticipated innovations in an interview.
30 Sept 2022
Trailer: Lake Song
This trailer introduces "Lake Song," a sci-fi audio drama set in 2098 Chicago, exploring themes of water scarcity, political intrigue, and community resilience.
24 Apr 2020
Our Decameron: Shakespeare in Utopia
Oskar Eustis discusses utopian elements within Shakespeare's plays, revealing how visions of the future offer practical guidance, in this interview with Jeremy McCarter.
16 Apr 2020
Our Decameron: Lorraine Hansberry at the End of the World
Author Natalie Moore discusses Lorraine Hansberry's work and the potential for new societies after cataclysmic events with host Jeremy McCarter, exploring themes of utopia and the radical imagination in this interview.
1 Apr 2020
Our Decameron: The Tortoise, the Hare, and Will Leitch
Sportswriter Will Leitch analyzes the timeless fable of the tortoise and the hare, prompting a virtual audience to debate its enduring moral implications in this interview with Jeremy McCarter.
24 Mar 2020
Our Decameron: Chicken Little
Stephanie Ybarra and guests explore the pervasive influence of the "Chicken Little" fable in contemporary society, offering a fresh perspective on its enduring relevance in this interview episode.
17 Mar 2020
Our Decameron: Zen in Seattle
Martin Edlund from Malaria No More interprets the Zen fable about the tiger and the strawberry, offering insights into finding meaning in challenging situations in this interview with Jeremy McCarter.
4 Oct 2019
City on Fire: Chicago Race Riot 1919
This episode of Make-Believe presents a docudrama about the Chicago Race Riot of 1919, exploring the events of a summer that reshaped the city.
1 Mar 2019
Lost Books of the Odyssey
Actors Kareem Bandealy, Kristina Valada-Viars, Lily Mojekwu, Ian Paul Custer, and Henry Godinez perform five new adventures of Odysseus from Zachary Mason's novel, showcasing the character's many twists and turns in this audio drama.
7 Feb 2019
Bruh Rabbit
Nate Marshall reimagines the Brer Rabbit tales with a modern twist, featuring characters like Bruh Rabbit and Fam Wolf, performed by Al’Jaleel McGhee and Charles Andrew Gardner.
15 Jan 2019
Brava
Nancy García Loza adapts a Mexican folktale about a brave girl's journey through a monster-filled land, performed live with music by Eréndira Izguerra and directed by Laura Alcalá Baker.
10 Jan 2019
Overture: Where Do Stories Come From?
Monica Beletsky, TV and film writer, discusses artistic collaboration and the TV writers' room, exploring how creative artists inspire each other in this interview.
3 Jan 2019
Coming Soon: Brava
Nancy García Loza's audio drama "Brava," previews a brave girl confronting monsters in a Mexican folktale with music.
13 Dec 2018
Overture: Why Talk About Stories?
Philosopher Michael Sandel previews season one, demonstrating storytelling techniques and exploring the art of listening through examples like Grasshopper v. Ant.
6 Dec 2018
Coming Soon: Make-Believe
Make-Believe Association introduces its Chicago-based audio drama company that produces live recordings and explores the impact of stories.
Who has been a guest on Make-Believe
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Daniel Kyri
Nate Marshall
Oskar Eustis
Natalie Moore
Will Leitch
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
2,064
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.7 / 5
47 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 36 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
24
Social presence
0
YouTube
68
Engagement
51
Contact Make-Believe
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of Make-Believe?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
