Dreams of the Amazon

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Dreams of the Amazon
Dreams-of-the-amazon-cd-cover.jpg
Genre Comedy-drama
Running time1 hour 58 minutes
Country of origin Flag of the United States.svg United States
Language(s) English
Starring Robert Lorick
Written by Thomas Lopez
Directed by Thomas Lopez
Recording studioUnited States
Original release1992 – present
Website http://www.zbs.org/
Jack Flanders chronology
Dreams of Rio
(1987)		Dreams of the Amazon
(1992)		 Dreams of India
(1992)

Dreams of the Amazon is a radio drama, produced by the ZBS Foundation. [1] It is the sixth of the Jack Flanders adventure series and the first of the Travels with Jack sub-series. It combines elements of Americana and Old-time radio with themes of lost cities, jungle exploration and shamanism. It is a loose sequel to Dreams of Rio and while it is not necessary to have heard that story first it will help to understand some of the references.

Radio drama dramatized, purely acoustic performance

Radio drama is a dramatised, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine the characters and story: "It is auditory in the physical dimension but equally powerful as a visual force in the psychological dimension." Radio drama includes plays specifically written for radio, docudrama, dramatized works of fiction, as well as plays originally written for the theatre, including musical theatre and opera.

ZBS Foundation, a small non-profit audio production company, was founded by Thomas Lopez in 1970 with a grant from Robert E. Durand as a working commune based on a donated farm in Upstate New York. ZBS stands for "Zero Bull Shit". The commune's purpose was to raise consciousness through media, specifically full-cast audio dramas. The foundation is "one of the most prolific producers of contemporary radio drama."

Jack Flanders, full name Jonathan L. Flanders, is the protagonist of a series of audio dramas produced by the ZBS Foundation. He is the creation of writer and sound artist Thomas Lopez and is played by actor Robert Lorick.

Contents

Plot

Jack finds his life in New York being haunted by visions of the Crystal Skull (from Dreams of Rio) appearing to him in the form of a very beautiful woman who then proceeds to peel away her flesh to reveal the skull beneath, all the while imploring Jack to "take me home". When the skull turns up on his doorstep, he knows he's once again going to be travelling deep into the Amazon Rainforest to find that legendary Lost City – which even now seems more like a dream than a reality.
Once again the sinister crook, Paulo Pompadora, seems to be at the heart of things and dodging him is just one of the problems Jack has to face as he plans his expedition up crocodile infested waters, through caves full of vampire bats and on to a city that may be one of the world's last magical places that needs visitors as much as it needs treasure-hunters with arms full of dynamite.

Crystal skull human skull stone carvings made of clear quartz, claimed to be pre-Columbian Mesoamerican artifacts with paranormal powers, but actually made in mid-19th century Europe

The crystal skulls are human skull hardstone carvings made of clear or milky white quartz, claimed to be pre-Columbian Mesoamerican artifacts by their alleged finders; however, these claims have been refuted for all of the specimens made available for scientific studies.

<i>Dreams of Rio</i> ZBS Foundation radio drama story

Dreams of Rio is a radio drama, produced by the ZBS Foundation. It is the fifth of the Jack Flanders adventure series, and combines elements of Americana and Old-time radio with themes of lost cities, jungle exploration and shamanism. It immediately precedes but is not part of the "Travels with Jack" adventures, each of which is entitled Dreams of ...

Notes & Themes

While Dreams of Rio concentrates more on an artifact found in the Lost City, Dreams of the Amazon is about the city itself and the relationship between it and the Crystal Skull.

While this drama is set mainly in the 'real world' – Jack does travel briefly to one of the Invisible Realms that lies closely intertwined with our own.

This story reinforces the 'Jungle Jack' aspect of his character. Indeed, all of the Travels with Jack Adventures take place in tropical parts of the world.

There is a strong ecological theme running through the story illustrating man's greed leading to the destruction not only of fragile ecosystems but also to the special, magical places in the world.

Ecology Scientific study of the relationships between living organisms and their environment

Ecology is the branch of biology which studies the interactions among organisms and their environment. Objects of study include interactions of organisms that include biotic and abiotic components of their environment. Topics of interest include the biodiversity, distribution, biomass, and populations of organisms, as well as cooperation and competition within and between species. Ecosystems are dynamically interacting systems of organisms, the communities they make up, and the non-living components of their environment. Ecosystem processes, such as primary production, pedogenesis, nutrient cycling, and niche construction, regulate the flux of energy and matter through an environment. These processes are sustained by organisms with specific life history traits. Biodiversity means the varieties of species, genes, and ecosystems, enhances certain ecosystem services.

Ecosystem A community of living organisms together with the nonliving components of their environment

An ecosystem is a community of living organisms in conjunction with the nonliving components of their environment, interacting as a system. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the system through photosynthesis and is incorporated into plant tissue. By feeding on plants and on one-another, animals play an important role in the movement of matter and energy through the system. They also influence the quantity of plant and microbial biomass present. By breaking down dead organic matter, decomposers release carbon back to the atmosphere and facilitate nutrient cycling by converting nutrients stored in dead biomass back to a form that can be readily used by plants and other microbes.

Quotes

Tereza: "It will eat your soul."
Jack: "God! I really hate things that eat your soul."
Tereza: "I do too."

Credits

Robert Lorick was a lyricist, actor, and writer, best known as a Broadway lyricist and for his work portraying Jack Flanders, the lead character in a series of ZBS Foundation audio adventures produced from 1972 until Lorick's death in 2016.

Additional ideas plucked from the mind of Marcia Dale Lopez
Sounds recorded in Rio, the Amazon, and the Pantanal of Mato Grosso by Fulton & Clark
"Production was made possible through grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, and donations from people like you, maybe even you. Additional support was provided by Sid Ashram and Grill, home of the Big Om Burger."

Travels with Jack

All of the installments in this sub-series are entitled Dreams of ... although ZBS produced two others with a similar title – Dreams of Rio and Dreams of the Blue Morpho – which are not part of the series.

Each story involves Jack being approached by a beautiful woman who asks for his help. In three of them he is sitting in a restaurant, eating alone, when this happens. The fourth, Dreams of Bali does begin with a strange dream concerning food, but starts after Jack has already accepted the invitation and been flown out.

These are the only stories in which Jack asks that his expenses be paid.

Related Research Articles

Thomas Lopez, aka Meatball Fulton, is president of the ZBS Foundation and one of the foundation's founders. He writes and produces the ZBS Foundation's audio drama productions. When he was working in radio in the 1960s, Lopez took "Meatball Fulton" out of Rolling Stone as his nom de plume.

<i>Moon Over Morocco</i> ZBS Foundation radio drama series

Moon Over Morocco is a 1974 radio drama, the second in ZBS's Jack Flanders series. Originally broadcast as fifty twelve-minute episodes, the serial was written and directed by Meatball Fulton.

<i>The Incredible Adventures of Jack Flanders</i> ZBS Foundation radio drama story

The Incredible Adventures of Jack Flanders is a radio drama produced by the ZBS Foundation and Meatball Fulton. It is the fourth of the Jack Flanders adventure series.

<i>Return to Inverness</i> ZBS Foundation radio drama story

Return to Inverness is a 2000 radio drama, the twelfth in ZBS's Jack Flanders series. The serial was written and directed by Meatball Fulton, as a sequel to the 1972 story The Fourth Tower of Inverness, the first in the series.

<i>Midnight at the Casa Luna</i> ZBS Foundation radio drama story

Midnight at the Casa Luna is a radio drama, produced by the ZBS Foundation. The two parts of the story were released individually in 1998 and 2000; part two has the title The Hungry Ghosts. It is the eleventh of the Jack Flanders adventure series, and combines elements of Americana and Old-time radio with metaphysical concepts such as Sufi wisdom and Tibetan Buddhism.

<i>The Ah-Ha Phenomenon</i> ZBS Foundation radio drama story

The Ah-Ha Phenomenon is a radio drama, produced by the ZBS Foundation. Released in 1977 this is the third of the Jack Flanders adventure series, and combines elements of Americana and Old-time radio with metaphysical concepts such as Sufi wisdom and Tibetan Buddhism.

<i>Dreams of India</i> ZBS Foundation radio drama story

Dreams of India is a radio drama, produced by the ZBS Foundation. It is the seventh of the Jack Flanders adventure series and the second of the Travels with Jack sub-series. It combines elements of Americana and Old-time radio with themes of Sufism, Hindu mysticism and poetry.

<i>Dreams of Bali</i> ZBS Foundation radio drama story

Dreams of Bali is a radio drama, produced by the ZBS Foundation. It is the eight of the Jack Flanders adventure series and the third of the Travels with Jack sub-series. It combines elements of Americana, Old-time radio and Sufism.

<i>Dreams of Sumatra</i> ZBS Foundation radio drama story

Dreams of Sumatra is a radio drama, produced by the ZBS Foundation. It is the ninth of the Jack Flanders adventure series and the fourth of the Travels with Jack sub-series. It combines elements of Americana, Old-time radio and Sufism.

<i>The Mystery of Jaguar Reef</i> ZBS Foundation radio drama story

The Mystery of Jaguar Reef is a radio drama, produced in 1996 by the ZBS Foundation. It is the tenth of the Jack Flanders adventure series. It combines elements of Americana and Old-time radio with themes of pirates and aliens.

Dreams of the Blue Morpho is a radio drama, produced by the ZBS Foundation. It is the thirteenth of the Jack Flanders adventure series and the first of the Travelling Jack sub-series. It combines elements of Old-time radio with psychic phenomena, supernatural beings and energies.

Somewhere Next Door To Reality is a radio drama, produced by the ZBS Foundation. It is the fourteenth of the Jack Flanders adventure series and the second of the Travelling Jack sub-series. It combines elements of old-time radio with psychic phenomena, supernatural beings and energies.

Do That In Real Life? is a radio drama, produced by the ZBS Foundation. It is the fifteenth of the Jack Flanders adventure series and the third of the Travelling Jack sub-series. It combines elements of Old-time radio with psychic phenomena, supernatural beings and energies.

The Eye of Van Gogh is a radio drama, produced by the ZBS Foundation. It is the sixteenth of the Jack Flanders adventure series and the fourth of the Travelling Jack sub-series. It combines elements of Old-time radio with psychic phenomena, supernatural beings and energies.

Orchids and Moonbeams is a radio drama, produced by the ZBS Foundation. It is the seventeenth of the Jack Flanders adventure series and the first of The Fantastic Voyages of Captain Jack Flanders sub-series. It combines elements of Old-time radio with psychic phenomena, supernatural beings and energies.

The White Castle is a radio drama, produced by the ZBS Foundation. It is the twentieth of the Jack Flanders adventure series and the fourth of The Fantastic Voyages of Captain Jack Flanders sub-series. It combines elements of old-time radio with psychic phenomena, supernatural beings and energies.

The Ghost Islands is a radio drama, produced by the ZBS Foundation. It is the eighteenth of the Jack Flanders adventure series and the second of the Fantastic Voyages of Captain Jack Flanders sub-series. It combines elements of old-time radio with psychic phenomena, supernatural beings and energies.

References

  1. ↑ ZBS.org link Archived July 17, 2011, at the Wayback Machine (Dreams of the Amazon)
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