
2202: The Playwright part 2
PRETEND
07/22/25
•39m
About
Comments
Featured In
In Part 2 of The Playwright, we shift focus to the show at the center of it all: The History of Now.
Written and directed by Jason Bartlett, the play was billed as a bold, political drama. It was a plan meant to honor a woman he claimed to love. But former cast members and collaborators started noticing red flags. Was this play ever really meant to open? Or was it all just a front?
Was The History of Now a sincere artistic project...or just another performance?
Written and Produced by: Javier Leiva & Mackenzie Ames
Editor: Puneeth Shenoy
Theme Music: by Thechicken.net
Episode Credits:
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Previous Episode

2201: The Playwright part 1
July 15, 2025
•43m
In this episode, we investigate the mysterious Jayson Bartlett and the many women whose lives he upended.
Emma was a single mother in England who fell for Bartlett’s charm and artistic persona. At first, everything seemed perfect. But soon, she realized she was being gaslit, lied to, and emotionally manipulated.
Then there’s Melanie. She lived in North Carolina and had been diagnosed with a terminal illness. She thought she had found love and a creative partner. Instead, Jayson took control of her finances and disappeared.
Episode Credits:
Written and Produced by: Javier Leiva & Mackenzie Ames
Editor: Puneeth Shenoy
Theme Music: by Thechicken.net
🔓 Get Early Access:
Hear the next episode early and unlock bonus content by subscribing to:Pretend Plus on Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/pretend/id6443456985
Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/c/pretendradio
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Next Episode

Listen Now: Business Wars
July 23, 2025
•7m
In the year 2000, the merger of AOL and Time Warner seemed like the
moment that the pendulum shifted from offline to online media. But the
megamerger went off script fast. In-fighting, cooked books and incompatible
corporate cultures would turn it into a marriage from hell, one that would scar
both companies. But before any of that could happen, AOL had to overcome
the odds...to take America online. In this season of Business Wars, we
explore why the biggest merger in US history turned into a corporate
catastrophe. Listen to Business Wars: The AOL Time Warner Disaster right
now wherever you get your podcasts: Wondery.fm/BW_IFD
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
If you like this episode you’ll love
Promoted




