Free Mrs. O'Leary!

The Audiobook

What better way to free Mrs. O’Leary than to let her voice be heard on an audiobook, where busy, multi-tasking 21st-century audiences can listen to it?

Look for “Mrs. O’Leary” — the audiobook — on a distribution platform near you in fall 2026, ahead of the 155th anniversary of the “Great Fire.”

The audiobook represents an alchemy of texts and talent: The story is adapted from the screenplay and is read by the same 12 actors who performed the play. From June 1 until July 1, 2026, you can help “free” this audiobook by supporting my fundraising campaign that will compensate the actors and the digital engineer and fund promotional efforts up to and including our public release party on Oct. 7 at an Irish bistro in Chicago. Make sure to “follow” the campaign for updates, including information about that party.

Why listen to an audibook? I asked Richard Bales, the historian who wrote the definitive book about Mrs. O’Leary. Here’s what he had to say.