Riding the telephone lines on a whirlwind tour through the city, Gab Reisman's HEMLOCK EXCHANGE is a fascinating fast-paced glimpse into 1917 New Orleans​. As the city negotiates the political machinations of the Great War in Europe, rumors fly about the new mysterious flu that is making its deadly way through the city and threatening to cancel Mardi Gras. Audiences will listen in on various phone conversations held over "party lines," which were early telephone lines shared by multiple businesses or homes. Callers include dozens of city dwellers, from the deli man at Central Grocery, to the madams of Storyville brothels, to the uptown homes of high society's elite.