Hear what Tamara Kissane (Piedmont Laureate and Artist Soapbox) has to say about writing for audio dramas and balancing parenting and creativity in the era COVID-19.
Tamara Kissane is a Triangle theater maker, creative coach, and podcaster for Artist Soapbox. Locally, she’s worked with Little Green Pig Theatrical Concern, Manbites Dog Theater, The ArtsCenter in Carrboro, Duke Theatre Studies, Transactors Improv, Summer Sisters, Archipelago, and both hands theatre company. Tamara is a co-founder of Curious Theatre Collective. Her plays, The New Colossus and Master Builder were commissioned and performed by Little Green Pig Theatrical Concern in 2016 & 2018. She premiered her first audio drama at the Women’s Theatre Festival last summer. Her second will debut this month via Artist Soapbox. For more information visit: https://tamarakissane.com/.
Resources
Interested in Audio Drama? Here are some of Tamara’s favorites.
Wooden Overcoats. If you love a zany British comedy, then this is for you. Listen to two episodes and you’ll be hooked. Antigone Funn might be the best character I’ve ever heard. The writing is super strong and the sound scape is perfectly appropriate. Love it. (Start at the beginning with Season One.)
The Amelia Project. Again, slightly British in flavor although it’s an international cast. Wacky and unexpected. The acting is great. Less polished than Wooden Overcoats, but so enjoyable. Made by theatre peeps, and it shows. (Start at the beginning with Season One.)
36 Questions: A musical audio drama. American. It’s very rare to hear a romantic musical in audio fiction, and this is a gem. Brought to you by the same peeps who made Limetown(also a wonderful audio drama and much like the X-files). (This is a three act podcast, so start with Act One).)
We Fix Space Junk: Sci-fi British with wonderful world-building and sound design. Two female protagonists.
The Strange Case of Starship Iris: Sci-fi fantasy. American. Delightfully diverse and tender. The team on this space ship is one I’d like to be a part of. I interviewed Andrea Klaussen of the Procyon Podcast Network (the team behind this podcast and 4 others for Howlround).
Caravan: Not for kids. American western fantasy with lots of sexy stuff. Manages internal monologues really well.
Unwell: Midwestern Gothic mystery. I interviewed two of their staff writers for Howlround. Creepy, but not overly so, with well-drawn characters and great world-building that is based in Ohio (as opposed to space or a fantasy location).
The Parsnip Ship: Live play readings and discussions with playwrights in NYC.
For a complete schedule of RDU on Stage virtual events, visit our RDU on Stage Calendar Page.