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The Podcaster
Who controls our stories? Christopher Chen’s expectation-defying new play takes an unpredictable trip into the ways storytelling can reshape what we believe about ourselves and others. The play starts with a series of intriguing and seemingly unconnected creative conversations. It then takes a sharp turn when Sylvia—host of the popular interview program, Art Beat—goes missing and her listeners are left to wonder, is this also an art piece? The journey continues and the mysteries multiply in this mind-bending audio play that investigates the very nature of reality.
Portions of this audiobook contain mature language. Listener discretion is advised.
Playwright Christopher Chen was awarded a commission through the Audible Emerging Playwrights Fund, an initiative dedicated to developing innovative original plays driven by language and voice. As an Audible commissioned playwright, he received funding and creative support to develop The Podcaster.
Sound design by Mikhail Fiksel.
Portions of this audiobook contain mature language. Listener discretion is advised.
Playwright Christopher Chen was awarded a commission through the Audible Emerging Playwrights Fund, an initiative dedicated to developing innovative original plays driven by language and voice. As an Audible commissioned playwright, he received funding and creative support to develop The Podcaster.
Sound design by Mikhail Fiksel.
Audible Audio
Published March 3, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 12, 2022
Time Warp Podcasting
Review of the Audible Original audiobook edition (March 3, 2022)
Teaser image of 6 new Audible Theater releases from March 3, 2022. Image sourced from Audible.
The Podcaster is a theatrical audio-play that takes on a Three Act structure which is apparent only in hindsight. In Act 1, a host named Sylvia interviews several personalities for her Art Beat podcast. These 'interviews' take some getting used to, as they come across as pretty vacuous. The artists state their thoughts or quote banal excerpts from their work and the host gushes over them. You start to wonder if this is some sort of parody.
Act 2 takes a darker turn, as a performance artist is interviewed and discusses performing their own suicide as a theatrical act. In the next episode, the host Sylvia has disappeared and a new host has taken over the podcast. In Act 3, the host of a 'fictional' podcast is chasing down a mysterious personality called 'The Hunter' and eventually makes a surprising discovery that brings everything full circle back to the beginning.
I ended up enjoying The Podcaster, even though the Act 1 interviews come across at first as a joke or perhaps as a mockery of online softball interviewing. The later elements became more intriguing.
The narration performances by the large ensemble cast were excellent. Only the voice of actor Corey Stall (recently the new main antagonist on the TV series Billions) was recognizable to me as one of the fictional 'artists' being interviewed.
The Podcaster is written by Christopher Chen and is one of the 2018 Audible Emerging Playwrights commissions. As with the other Audible Theater commissions released to date, it is a studio recording rather than a live theatre performance.
Review of the Audible Original audiobook edition (March 3, 2022)
Teaser image of 6 new Audible Theater releases from March 3, 2022. Image sourced from Audible.
The Podcaster is a theatrical audio-play that takes on a Three Act structure which is apparent only in hindsight. In Act 1, a host named Sylvia interviews several personalities for her Art Beat podcast. These 'interviews' take some getting used to, as they come across as pretty vacuous. The artists state their thoughts or quote banal excerpts from their work and the host gushes over them. You start to wonder if this is some sort of parody.
Act 2 takes a darker turn, as a performance artist is interviewed and discusses performing their own suicide as a theatrical act. In the next episode, the host Sylvia has disappeared and a new host has taken over the podcast. In Act 3, the host of a 'fictional' podcast is chasing down a mysterious personality called 'The Hunter' and eventually makes a surprising discovery that brings everything full circle back to the beginning.
I ended up enjoying The Podcaster, even though the Act 1 interviews come across at first as a joke or perhaps as a mockery of online softball interviewing. The later elements became more intriguing.
The narration performances by the large ensemble cast were excellent. Only the voice of actor Corey Stall (recently the new main antagonist on the TV series Billions) was recognizable to me as one of the fictional 'artists' being interviewed.
The Podcaster is written by Christopher Chen and is one of the 2018 Audible Emerging Playwrights commissions. As with the other Audible Theater commissions released to date, it is a studio recording rather than a live theatre performance.
April 2, 2022
Okay.
The various characters' perspectives are somewhat annoying though perhaps they are realistic in that. Further, into the play, the more interesting characters appeared. (Canned laughter and then the interviewer talking to the man planning to kill himself when she herself is missing and then the hunter thing were strange and interesting to hear back-to-back.)
The various characters' perspectives are somewhat annoying though perhaps they are realistic in that. Further, into the play, the more interesting characters appeared. (Canned laughter and then the interviewer talking to the man planning to kill himself when she herself is missing and then the hunter thing were strange and interesting to hear back-to-back.)
May 8, 2023
The idea is not very creative but it mixed well with the form - audio drama.
The story only works with the audio drama.
It also managed to break the forth wall.
If you love Haruki Murakami, I think you'll love this.
The story only works with the audio drama.
It also managed to break the forth wall.
If you love Haruki Murakami, I think you'll love this.
April 3, 2022
Fun! A bit try-hard on the metafiction, but still fun.
July 5, 2022
Very creative!
October 19, 2022
It was ok. I didn’t really get it.
March 16, 2023
This was a trippy listen. Still trying to figure it all out. Fantastic, with great performances.
April 6, 2023
I really kind of liked it. It was different but done well
June 3, 2023
It was great acting. I am not sure I quite understood what was going on, though? Maybe I am just too dumb.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews