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The Podcaster  By  cover art

The Podcaster

By: Christopher Chen
Narrated by: Ato Blankson-Wood, Corey Stoll, Erin Markey, Michael Braun, Peter Kim, Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Stacey Yen
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Publisher's summary

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.  

Directed by Lee Sunday Evans. 

Sound design by Mikhail Fiksel. 

©2021 Christopher Chen (P)2021 AO Media LLC

About the Creator

An Obie Award-winning playwright whose work has been extensively produced across the United States and abroad. In addition to Audible, he is currently under commission at The Aurora, LCT3, Manhattan Theatre Club, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Playwrights Horizons and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Chris is a San Francisco native.

About the Creator

Lee Sunday Evans is a New York-based, Obie award-winning director and choreographer. Recent stage credits include Dance Nation by Clare Barron (Playwrights Horizons, OBIE, Lortel Award); The Courtroom (Waterwell; NYTimes Best Theater of 2019 List); Detroit Red by Will Power (ArtsEmerson); Sunday by Jack Thorne (Atlantic Theater Company); In the Green by Grace McLean (LCT3); Miller, Mississippi by Boo Killebrew (Dallas Theater Center, Long Wharf Theater); The Winter's Tale (The Public); Home (BAM); Farmhouse/Whorehouse by Suzanne Bocanegra (BAM); Bull In a China Shop by Bryna Turner (Lincoln Center/LCT3); Caught by Christopher Chen (The Play Company); Porto by Kate Benson (WP Theater/The Bushwick Starr); A Beautiful Day In November On The Banks of the Greatest of the Great Lakes by Kate Benson (OBIE Award; WP Theater, New Georges); All The Roads Home by Jen Silverman (Cincinnati Playhouse); Macbeth (adapted for three women; Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival); Wellesley Girl by Brendan Pelsue (Humana Festival); D Deb Debbie Deborah by Jerry Lieblich (Clubbed Thumb). She additionally creates original ensemble-devised performance work with CollaborationTown. Lee’s work has been presented/developed at Baryshnikov Arts Center, Sundance Theater Lab, BAX, CATCH, LMCC, Robert Wilson’s Watermill Center, and Juilliard among others. She is the Artistic Director of Waterwell.

Featuring

Featured Article: Introducing Audible Theater's Spring Lineup


We were thrilled when the Minetta Lane Theater, Audible's home for live storytelling, reopened its doors this past October, after being shuttered since the start of the pandemic. But even if you can't make your way to New York City to experience some of these performances in person, Audible Theater is serving up a spring lineup of six amazing new shows. Explore all of these below, as well as everything Audible Theater has to offer.

What listeners say about The Podcaster

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  • Overall
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    4 out of 5 stars

interesting story

I wasn't sure about the story, but the twist at the end made it worth the listen

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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  • GH
  • 03-02-24

A puzzler (in a good way)

I've listened to this three times, and I'm not ruling out listening yet again. It's incoherent. Or is it? Regardless, it transported me. I want more of the same.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic!

I don't want to give away any of the VERY cool plot, but our entire office listens to audible while we work, and THIS story has every single one of us entertained and VERY impressed with the seamlessness of the conclusion. We all plan to go back and listen again, to see how many details we missed on the initial listen. HIGHLY recommend if you like unique listening experiences!

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2 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Chris, you are awesome!

Just finishing listening to this piece after being in the cast of “The Late Wedding” at UC Berkeley. I’m particularly fascinated by Chen’s way of structuring his stories. I was engaged all the way through!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Terrific acting in Murakami territory

Did the story happen *this* way or *that* way, or are *both* accounts accurate? This wonderfully-acted play takes the world of podcasts and the contemporary American West into the territory of parallel truths like what Haruki Murakami navigates in work like 1Q84.

The piece held my interest throughout with crisp writing and spot-on acting, but there's a tonal shift midway through the piece that seems jarring without enough beneficial effect.

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4 people found this helpful

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Fresh … loved it.

I wasn’t always sure what I was listening to and I liked that. It was suspenseful enough to keep my attention and pulled on relevant concerns re: making art and success.

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1 person found this helpful

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Short and salient

A kaleidoscope of a story. Nice quick read as I got myself together for the day.

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Brilliant

A brilliant piece of artistry; mind-bending, funny, tense, poignant and kaleidoscope. Cannot wait to listen again.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Chen is a genius

Longtime fan of Chen’s plays. This is a compelling use of the audio form and works as both play and podcast and existential exploration. Loved it.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Good performances but very weak plot

Good actors thank you to them unfortunately the story is nothing new and not very good

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