American Dream Players
a northern california radio theatre performance troupe
After years performing original comedy
in live theaters around Northern California, American Dream Players began, in 2014, to produce shows specifically for radio theater.
Our cast includes seasoned actors, professional musicians and writers able to create stories that make audiences laugh with recognition as, together, we process the human experience.
Our performances are recorded in a professional audio multi-track studio, including a concert grand piano and
state-of-the-art sound effects capabilities.
If you enjoy funny, original stories
that help reveal where we've been and where we're going as we manage to laugh both at and with ourselves, please join us for the ride!
As we continue to create new programs, we invite public radio stations to host a story or a series and welcome you to share our website with your network.
Introducing Our Players
Janey Hirsh
Janey comes from a New England family of more serious published writers - two sisters, a brother and father, who nonetheless seem to appreciate her zanier approach to the written word. After years working and touring in live theater and puppetry, Janey finds that writing radio pieces for this particular group is what gets her out of bed in the morning - especially comedy!
Michael Monahan
A New Jersey native, Michael studied philosophy in college in Boston, then moved to the West Coast, where he experienced a career shift to boilermaker working on ships at San Francisco's Hunter's Point. A later career shift led to acting - possibly an inheritance from his grandfather, a vaudeville street performer in NYC. Michael particularly loves playing the more eccentric characters in our stories.
Marc Hirschman
Born on April Fool's Day in New York City many moons ago, Marc began his theater career as"Mean Mister Tooth Decay" in fourth grade. He later went on to portray the sinister Cardinal in "The Duchess of Malfi", 'Caliban' in "The Tempest' for the Valley of the Moon Players, the burglar in "Noises Off" in Monte Rio, Ca.,and the very down-to-earth drummer, 'Styx', for American Dream Players' "Hot Rocks" radio series. Marc's fine bass voice has portrayed many other characters both onstage and in The Players' radio productions.
Roxanne Jacobs
Born near Chicago, Illinois, Roxanne
was surrounded by Pentecostal and Puerto Rican neighbors. The storytelling, music and food of the different cultures she grew up with, made a lasting impression, and drew her to theatre arts. Love of theatre was postponed: A family was raised, alongside a corporate career
in the natural products industry.
Backyard herbalism, landscaping, and creating stories with accompanying illustrations, were sustenance prior to her first acting gig. Member of the ADP for the past five years, Roxanne feels her dream of acting has now come true.
Arnold Levine
Born and raised in London, UK , Arnold ran the infamous pirate radio station, Radio Concord, in the '70's. After picking grapes in Southern France and hanging out with Bedouins in Egypt, he spent his most recent 40 years in California, as a mechanical engineer, promoter of energy conservation and vegetarian activist. A fan of the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, rollerblading and Monty Python, Arnold hosts the show tommysholidaycamp.com every Friday at 7PM, PST on www.kows.fm radio.
Joe Hoffman
Born in Greenwich Village, Joe was raised in rural CT, where he grew up on old-time radio, including 'Fibber McGee' and 'The Outer Limits'. A member of the American Society for Psychical Research, with a degree in psychology, Joe came to San Francisco during the summer of love in 1967. He next ran a pottery school and studio in the city, then moved to Sonoma County in the mid 70's to build his recording studio. A sound engineer for both the famous and not-so, Joe loves producing radio shows with the Players!
Sandy Feldhorn
A native New Yorker who grew up in Los Angeles, Sandy is a multi-talented musician (sax, flute, piccolo, percussion), as well as gifted comic and serious (when necessary) actor. A teacher of the deaf for thirty years, he now plays in the musical groups 'Old School', a rock band so-named because its members are mainly former schoolteachers, the 'Lithium Jazz' band, and the 'Windsor Jazz Ensemble'.
Joan Ambrosini
Born and raised in San Francisco, Joan enjoyed summers in Guerneville, a resort town on the Russian River, where her family owned a popular restaurant. Joan got into trouble early on, when she chose the Confirmation name 'Paula" after Paul McCartney, instead of taking a saint's name, a situation which became fuel for her later career on the stage. Joan studied art in Europe as well as with luminaries Bill Wheeler and Carol Watanabe. An original member of the Occidental Readers' Theater, Joan performs in the 'Cemetery Walk' every October, playing a deceased individual, and considers this another opportunity to hone her acting skills - which she is thrilled to now share with American Dream Players.
We'd like to acknowledge Tom and Margaret McIntyre and Ella Linsley for their contributions to our radio plays.
