Piece Comment

Review of "The House on Agua Fria"


Wow. This story is incredible and chilling! Youth producer Brittania Rael recounts a true story about a haunted house that she once lived in as a child. The story is told very well, with each event accompanied by creepy music and ambient sound. If you do not believe in ghosts already, you will after listening to this story! I think it would work well for This American Life or even Radiolab!

Caution: Spoiler Alert
My suggestions for Rael focus on the pacing of the story. I think the piece would have sounded even better if Rael slowed down in the beginning, letting the facts about the house (where it is located, who bought it, and who was living in it) sink in. Slowing down when reading your script also makes it easier to enunciate every word, helping the listener to understand all the details. I think it would also sound better if the piece ended with the discovery that the old man killed animals instead of explaining it and putting it altogether for the listener at the end. Done this way, the piece would be even more chilling and the listener would have room to put the pieces together themselves. All in all, this story is unique and memorable. It’s haunting. I would suggest Rael pitch it to This American Life or Radiolab!