Retribution - Restitution
Season 13, Episode 03
March 17, 2025
Two crime fictions by Cindy Brown
Re-Imagined Radio presents two radio stories, "Retribution" and "Restitution," both written by Cindy Brown, an actor, director, producer, playwright, and disabilities advocate based in Portland, Oregon. Both of Brown's stories are crime fictions for radio. Our tribute to Women's History Month. Part of our Guest Writer series.
Accessthe episode script
Background
Cindy Brown grew up in the Pacific Northwest. Bellevue and Spokane, Washington, where she fell asleep listening to CBS Radio Mystery Theater. She began her creative career as a theatre musician at age fourteen, and went on to work professionally as an actor, director, producer, and playwright. "I started writing plays when I was teaching theatre to kids at a summer Parks and Recreation program. The plays I found didn't have enough parts for all the students and I wanted everybody to have a part. So I started writing plays. People liked them, and asked me to write more." She’s now had over a dozen plays produced. Her latest, "A Murder-y Little Christmas," a farce set at an office holiday party.
Brown, a fan of mysteries since listening to E.G. Marshall, host of CBS Radio Mystery Theater, is the author of the award-winning Ivy Meadows Mystery series, six traditionally published madcap mysteries set in the off, off, OFF Broadway theater world. The books star Ivy Meadows, actress and part-time helper for her uncle, a Private Investigator. The first book in the series, Macdeath, was nominated for the 2015 Agatha Award for Best First Novel. Other awards include third place in the 2013 International Words with Jam First Page Competition, judged by Sue Grafton!
"Even though this competition no longer exists, I am very proud of this award," says Brown. "Sue Grafton and her PI, Kinsey Milhoun, were early inspirations for me. Kinsey was the first adult female investigator I'd ever heard of, and she lived on the West Coast. Sue's mysteries were character-based, rather than plot-based, not so much about how they happened as why. When I later got to meet Sue, I was so excited to thank her that I completely turned into a tongue-tied geek!"
Like many creatives, Brown wears other hats. She's a member of the disability community with 20+ years professional experience in accessibility and disability and currently works part-time as the Coordinator for the Access/VSA International Network, a program of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Office of Accessibility and VSA, that strives for the full inclusion of people with disabilities in arts and culture.
Brown keeps busy writing. A graduate of the Community of Writers Workshop (formerly known as Squaw Valley), with a Screenwriting Certificate from Scottsdale School of Theatre and Film, in Arizona, a BA in Music Therapy from Montana State University, in Billings, and awards for her playwriting and scriptwriting, Brown freelances as a copy, script, and content writer and also presents writing workshops focusing on humor, dialogue, structure, and including characters with disabilities.
She's also still writing novels. Her latest, What the River Knew (working title) will be released by Ooligan Press in May 2026. And, she's hard at work on another radio play, “The Demon at Mt. Angel." She's having a great time incorporating more sound into this paranormal mystery, which she describes as "Sam Spade Meets Scooby Doo."
Production
Contents
This episode of Re-Imagined Radio features two crime fiction stories by Cindy Brown, a mystery writer based in Portland, Oregon. Radio story writing is a new venture for Brown. And Re-Imagined Radio is pleased to premiere her first two efforts.
"Retribution"
"Retribution" (payment or punishment for wrongdoing) is narrated by Laurie, a female shuttle bus driver at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, who observes the interplay between a crude misogynist and his "strong girlfriend." The dialogue may be all too familiar to some listeners, but the ending may catch you by surprise.
Cast
Mary Thomas as Laurie
Jeff Pollard as the Crude Misogynist
Cindy Brown as the Older Woman
Mark Homayoun as the Australian Tourist
Nico Lane as the Young Woman/Strong Girlfriend
"Restitution"
"Restitution" (paying back or restoring something to its rightful owner) may remind you of Samuel Beckett’s "Waiting for Godot” as it questions the meaning of life and the nature of existence. But Brown gives her characters, Wiley and Joe, purpose and consequence, both directed toward Wiley facing restitution. But what exactly does that mean? And is Wiley the victim, or the culprit?
Cast
Mark Homayoun as Wiley
Jeff Pollard as Joe and Faux Rancher
Marc Rose as Andy
Mary Thomas as Melanie/Old Woman/Sherry
Brian Lian as Realtor
Cindy Brown as Irene
Credits
Written by Cindy Brown
Sound Design, Music, and Post Production by Marc Rose
Promotional Graphics by Holly Slocum
Social Media by Rylan Eisenhauer
Produced and Hosted by John F. Barber
Significance
Cindy Brown is a crime and mystery writer. Her award winning Ivy Meadows series is available at your favorite bookstore. But, this is her first time writing for radio and Re-Imagined Radio is pleased to offer this premiere of her first two crime fictions for radio, "Retribution" and "Restitution."
Comments
Just listened to Re-Imagined Radio and wanted to tell you how wonderful it was! Thank you
so much for continuing to give this content to the public.
— Cheers, Michelle
I'm thrilled to take to the airwaves. Radio seems like the perfect format for my writing, which has
always been character, and dialogue-driven.
— Cindy Brown
Producer's Notes
"Retribution" is a story we want to believe ends righteously. "Restitution" is a story we want to believe is achievable.
Brown says advice from screenwriter Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine 2006, Toy Story 3 2010, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens 2015, still resonates: "Write about what pisses you off. Both 'Retribution' and 'Restitution' are inspired by true events that made me hoppin' mad." — John F. Barber
Promotion
Press
Spykerman, Monika. Vancouver's Re-Imagined Radio Launches YouTube Channel. The Columbian,
Life Section, B1, 11 Mar. 2025.
Print version of digital story released March 7, 2025.
—. Vancouver's
Re-Imagined Radio Launches YouTube Channel→. The Columbian, 7
Mar. 2025
"Program expands digital reach, storytelling scope"
Stein, Rosemarie. Cindy
Brown: Retribution & Restitution→. Here Is Oregon. The
Oregonian/Oregonian Live. 12
March, 2025.
https://www.hereisoregon.com/events/2025/03/pete-the-cat-cherry-blossom-day-and-bach-a-thon-11-things-to-do-this-week.html
A mention in The Kennedy Center Office of Accessibility and VSA newsletter
Radio Reimagined will produce and air two of Cindy Brown's radio plays on Mar. 17. The plays will be
available via podcast afterwards. Transcripts provided.
Graphics
