FICTION There’s the family you grew up with:  your mom, your dad, your siblings.  And then, there’s the family you carry around in your head for the rest of your life.  This show is about that second family, the one that lives within you. From Mermaid Palace (https://mermaidpalace.org/) (https://mermaidpalace.org/)and Radiotopia (https://www.radiotopia.fm/), Sharon Mashihi brings you Appearances, a one woman audio show that straddles the line between fiction and truth.  Appearances brings to life an Iranian American family and community through the real and fantastical mental machinations of Melanie Barzadeh. Melanie is in her mid 30’s and desires nothing more than to become a mother. The difficulty of finding the right partner seems to be directly connected to the struggles witnessed in her home throughout her entire childhood. As Sharon Mashihi voice-acts all the characters in one family, the depth of the love, pain, and struggle is felt with a visceral, profound compassion at every turn.