Meet the Special family, a theater-loving, stoner couple and their three very different kids. It’s 1994, and Michael and Jennifer Special are just trying to help fund in the arts in their community, but their son Ricky is on the run from a school bully, and their daughter Zara is betting everything on a plan to start the school year as a popular girl. With a mix of ’90s nostalgia, sitcom homages, and a healthy dose of humor, “Welcome, Freshmen” will teach you the joys of scented oxygen, the perils of Crystal Pepsi, and why you should never trust a math teacher to do “creative accounting” for the arts. Equal parts funny, smart, and a little messed up, just like Everly Heights itself.
Third-ranked local YouTuber (and yo-yo enthusiast) Louie Loop takes listeners on a walking tour of Everly Heights. From square-cut pizza served by aspiring actors and the mistakenly named Franklin W. Dixon Memorial Library, to haunted tunnels, statues inspired by local history, and the legendary Cornerstone Theater, Louie’s guide is equal parts history, myth, and hometown gossip.
Is nostalgia a good thing? Our new audio drama Everly Heights Tales contrasts the artsy Ohio town’s ’90s past with a challenging present to explore both sides of the argument. Out September 15th on Apple Podcasts.
