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Among all the choices if radio programs found in otr.com, I chose Mr. McDougall's Ineffable Essence of Nothing, which was performed in 1938. Being about 30 minutes long, it really is a very interesting and unusual story, integrating the concept of dreams, the future and destiny in a different way. Not only did the title drew my attention, but the small description included in the site interested me. Ineffable Essence of Nothing is about a strange and magical man that can make and sell dreams to people, so they can actually enter the dream and live it for a specific period of time. The main focus is in a customer though, and it goes around the aspect of the future with the choosing of decisions. I will give a good detail about the story in the next paragraph.
It starts when a man named Mr. Castle(that is what I understood, so I apologize if I am mistaken) told the driver to stop the car, since he saw a strange sign an the window of an antique shop. The strange thing for him was that he had never seen that antique shop before. What confused him was the sign that said "Ineffable Essence of Nothing." Mr. Castle believed that that means nothing and decided to find out. He got out of the car and told the driver to go home. When he went in the antique shop, a man named Miu greeted him by his name and said that he was expecting him. He mentioned that Mr. Caste had not been to the antique store, but that he was one of his best customers. He also told Mr. Castle that the antique shop did not exist; it was a product of Miu's imagination. After he showed some things to the confused man, Miu explained that he sold ineffable essence of nothing, or dreams of many types and periods of time. Mr. Castle did not believe him and asked for a sample from the mystic man. Miu then told him that at the age of 17, Mr. Castle dreamt about a deserted island and that at 22 of marrying a motion picture star. Mr. Castle not yet convinced, Miu finally told him that the man dreamed that he took a life(murder) the night before. He then explained that that was why Mr. Castle was there: to buy a gun. Miu had placed guns under the sign, so that Mr. Castle could see the sign. Miu then explains that he wants to sell the man a dream in order to replace the one with the murder. After insisting and promising to do it for free, Miu convinced Mr. Castle to take the offer. He tells him to step into a carved door way near the back of the shop, giving him an advice: "When dreams are easily recognized as dreams, all is well; but, when they become to real, it is time to stop sleeping." Mr. Castle entered into the doorway and finds himself in some kind of bar in Cairo, Egypt. A man told him that Hecroid, a cunning gambler and outcast sat nearby. Mr. Castle, feeling confident, sits down next to the man. Hecroid asked who he was, not believing that the man's name was Mr. Castle. Mr. Castle noticed that the outcast was surprised when he mentioned his name. The gambler told him to go up the stairs with him. Hecroid confronted him, saying that Mr. Castle's face, voice and appearance was the same as himself 10 years ago. He said that in 1940, his name was Castle and that he had to flee from England because he had murdered someone. That's when Mr. Castle knows that it is 1951 in the dream. After both argued, one saying that the other was an impostor while the other one said that the other did not exist. Mr. Castle than proved to the outcast that they were the same by mentioning secrets he had throughout his life. To make this short, the argument heats up until Hecroid tried to shoot Mr. Castle, but ends up shooting himself. Olga, Hecroid's love, who recognized Mr. Castle as the man she fell in love with 10 years ago, holds Hecroid as he died. Olga explained to Mr. Castle that he met him when her car broke down and that he stopped to give her a ride. Then many people were heard screaming, and Olga helps Mr. Castle to get out of the place. At the end, Mr. Castle enters trough the same carved doorway and appears back in the car with his driver. The other man tells him that Mr. Castle had told him to stop, and that he stared outside with an awkward face for a couple of seconds. The confused man noticed that there was no antique shop now, without the weird sign. Then he remembered that Miu had mentioned that he would return to the car after the dream, with no cost. Then Mr. Castle tells the driver to start the car. However, they noticed that the car of a woman had broken down (Olga). The driver then asked Mr. Castle if they could help her, but the man said no. They continued towards their destination. That is when Ineffable Essence of Nothing ended.
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I must say that I loved this story! It is so different from the usual dream stories and the concept itself is very interesting. There was no narration, only the voices of the characters, background sounds(car, bar, gun shots) and some mystical and magical music(for the very magical and introspective parts). I found the music very effective in giving the sense of some kind of magic, science-fiction and power of dreams. Also, the concept about changing your future depending on the choices you make in your life was very powerful, intense and deep. It really reached me. The concept of meeting the same person but in the future, to compare how different they are after 10 years and after such a horrible act like murder. The use of background sounds make it more real too.
In general I really liked it, and I definitely recommend you to listen to it, especially if you like those kinds of topics.
Have a good day!
Sincerely,
Michelle
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