Artist Soapbox * Audio fiction + Creative Process

Listen to the second of three excerpts developed by the Food for Thought Project, a year-long writing lab for aspiring audio dramatists.

I'm Not Here Right Now was written by Shea Stanley.

SUMMARY:

Ella graduated college 6 months ago and is still living in her college town after her mom’s death kept her from moving away for a super cool journalism internship. Unemployed and friendless, she spends every day applying for jobs on her laptop at Doggy Style, a kinda bad hot dog joint known by drunk college kids for its tater tots. It’s at Doggy Style she meets MJ, a college senior who is anything but stuck.

BIO:

Shea Stanley is an actor, writer, and comedian based in Durham, NC. She has written satire for publications such as IndyWeek and Reductress, and recently premiered her first full length play for Women’s Theatre Festival. She is interested in telling serious stories in a funny way that also make you go “aww” but are also kind of stupid, if that makes sense (don’t tell her if it doesn’t).

***

Food for Thought is an Artist Soapbox and Soapbox Audio Collective project, co-produced by Aurelia Belfield and Tamara Kissane, and sound designed by Sam Elia.

These excerpts and the year long writing lab were made possible by the generous support of the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation.

I’m Not Here Right Now was written by Shea Stanley.

Directed by Rachel Klem

Production Manager: Griffin James.

I’M NOT HERE RIGHT NOW CAST:

Ella - Shea Stanley

Sonja - Arlie Kidd

MJ - Rochelle Mendoza

Kristen - Julie Oliver

Regular Carl - David Klionsky

Michael - Ryan Vasconcellos

Drunk College Student - Griffin James

Special Thanks to Hot Dog Consultant - SaraPequeño

Link to Script

MORE:

ASBX Episode 151: Writers for the Food for Thought Project

Food for Thought: Shea Stanley

LISTEN TO ASBX AUDIO DRAMAS:

Master Builder

The New Colossus

Declaration of Love audio anthology

ASBX Shorts

CONNECT AND FOLLOW:

Artist Soapbox on social media:

Twitter:@artist_soapbox

Instagram: @artistsoapbox

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/artistsoapboxpodcast/

CONTRIBUTE:

Soapboxers are the official patrons of the Artist Soapbox podcast.Get on the Soapbox with us at Patreonor make a one-time donation via Ko-fi at

Listen to the first of three excerpts developed by the Food for Thought Project, a year-long writing lab for aspiring audio dramatists.

Crocodile Twins was written by Tori Grace Nichols.

SUMMARY:

LaLa is a rambunctious adoptee from the Philippines living overseas on an American military base. Rey is quiet and obedient, and likes to help at his family's Filipino food restaurant, Miraflor Bistro. They meet one summer in Virginia Beach and become close friends. LaLa struggles with feeling like she doesn't belong anywhere, and Rey, inspired by mythological tales from the Philippines told by his Lola, dreams of bringing his vibrant inner world to life. As they grow older, friendship, food, and perhaps a spirit guide or two help them figure out who they are and how to stay connected.

BIO:

Tori Grace Nichols (they/them/theirs) describes themself as a prismatic performance artist. They can be seen performing drag as G-Clef with the House of Coxx and causing good trouble around Durham, NC as a cultural organizer and stand up comedian. Most folks call them Grace out of drag.

Recent writing credits include sketch comedy with Kahoots Comedy and two audio dramas, Stretchy Shorts and Crocodile Twins, for the podcast platform Artist Soapbox.

Through the Center for Documentary Summer Studies Intensive, they co-created a short documentary called Call Me Harriet Tubman about their friend Muffin, who founded the North Carolina Community Bail Fund of Durham.

Recent acting credits include Dreaming (assistant puppeteer) with Duke Performances and Freakshow (Mr. Flip) with The Women's Theatre Festival. They also host and produce a podcast called Go With Grace in which they discuss the impact of white Christian supremacy on our daily lives for the organization Soulforce.

Tori Grace began their cultural organizing work as the Arts and Culture Fellow for Southerners on New Ground, a Southern queer liberation organization. They are adopted from the Philippines and identify as queer, genderqueer, trans, and disabled.

***

Food for Thought is an Artist Soapbox and Soapbox Audio Collective project, co-produced by Aurelia Belfield and Tamara Kissane, and sound designed by Sam Elia.

These excerpts and the year long writing lab were made possible by the generous support of the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation.

Crocodile Twins was written and directed by Tori Grace Nichols.

Production Manager: Griffin James

CROCODILE TWINS CAST

LaLa - Giara di Costanzi

Rey Rey - Jaelon Thorp

Lola - Imee Dalton

Hiya - Rochelle Mendoza

Sal - Lukayo Estrella

Betty - Juliana Finch

Link to Script

MORE:

ASBX Episode 151: Writers for the Food for Thought Project

Food for Thought: Tori Grace Nichols

Stretchy Shorts: Episode 9 of the Declaration of Love

LISTEN TO ASBX AUDIO DRAMAS:

Master Builder

Happy 2022! This is the first episode of this year’s season. I’m excited to catch you up on all of the cool developments that were happening behind the scenes over the last five months, and let you know what’s in store for you for the remainder of 2022.

Stick around til the end of the episode and you’ll hear our new highlight reel -- audio fiction clips from various projects!

Alright, here’s the newsflash –Artist Soapbox is evolving.

We still have an interview podcast and we still produce scripted audio fiction, but we are tweaking the knobs on the who, what, when, where, how of all of that.

Our Evolution in Three Categories: New Look, New Hosts, and New Content.

Link to Transcript

ASBX Theme Music by Juliana Finch

Episode 151: Food for Thought writers

ASBX Blog: Food for Thought Producers

Contribute to ASBX:

Soapboxers are the official patrons of the Artist Soapbox podcast.Get on the Soapbox with us at Patreonor make a one-time donation via Ko-fi athttps://ko-fi.com/artistsoapboxor via PayPal atPayPal.Me/artistsoapbox.

If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation, please consider our non-profitSoapbox Audio Collective.

LISTEN TO ASBX AUDIO DRAMAS:

Master Builder

The New Colossus

Declaration of Love audio anthology

ASBX Shorts

CONNECT AND FOLLOW:

Artist Soapbox on social media:

Twitter:@artist_soapbox

Instagram: @artistsoapbox

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/artistsoapboxpodcast/

Transcript:

Hey friends, it’s Tamara here.

It’s hard to believe, but it’s that time again when we shutter Artist Soapbox until next year.

This episode is a very short year- in-review and update, but before that, I want to send a shout out to some supporters I haven’t yet thanked for their contributions to Jesus Pancake, our audio drama in development. Big hugs and thanksto: Laura Webb, Ken Wetherington, Jules Odendahl-James, J Evarts, Neal, Bell,Linda Kissane, Edith Snow, Barbette Hunter, Rebecca Martin, Allan Maule, Michael O’Foghludha, Eric Johnson, and Meg Defoe. I am so grateful for your support. We literally could not make work without you.

Fun facts:

This year, Artist Soapbox was listened to in six of the seven continents — we’re not currently big in Antarctica, but that might change! That’s 46 countries, and 42 of the United States. As in years past, we still cannot crack Wyoming or Hawaii — so if you have friends there, then please encourage them to listen. As of this recording, we have almost 24,000 downloads total.

In 2021, Artist Soapbox released 12 regular podcast episodes, including 2 solo episodes by the wonderful Mara Thomas. That brings us to 151 episodes!!

On the audio drama front, we did so much! We released 6 episodes of the full length audio drama,The New Colossus on the Artist Soapbox feed; shared Creekside with Winona, a short audio piece for kids by the Curious Theatre Collective, and we released 6 ASBX Shorts — new audio plays under 10 minutes written and performed by North Carolina artists.

In addition to all of that, we recorded excerpts of 3 new audio dramas written by writers in the Food for Thought Project, and we are currently recording the first season of Jesus Pancake, our newest serial audio drama. We were able to begin recording Jesus Pancake thanks to the fundraiser we ran this fall and thanks to the Manbites Dog Theatre Fund. The Food for Thought Project was supported by a grant from the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation.

I’m really proud of the work that we did this year as the COVID pandemic continued and continues. We did so much, and these projects buoyed my spirit and kindled my creative spark in ways I desperately needed. I’m deeply thankful for the teams that produced all of our content. Hire them, they are amazing. And,I hope you enjoyed listening. If you missed something, then you now have time to scroll back and catch up!

What else?

This year, I led multiple workshops on writing scripted audio fiction and how to start a podcast, often with the amazing producer and director, Aurelia Belfield. I’m so grateful for her and for those opportunities to discuss what I’m passionate about. I’ve had a couple of my plays read and produced over 2021, I was commissioned to write a musical, and I’ve been taking online classes thru the Dramatists Guild Institute, and LWC Studios which I highly recommend.

Also, I’ve been listening a lot. There’s so much incredible audio content out there, and I’ve been delighted to soak it in while I walk, fold laundry, drive carpools, and ease into my bedtime routine. The podcast world is exploding right now, and I am here for that! If you are still listening to me right now,...

Regardless of your medium or genre, you’ll find this conversation to be a delight. Three aspiring audio dramatists share numerous writing tips, vulnerabilities, and encouragement to tell your story as they write their first scripted audio fiction series.

In 2021, Artist Soapbox has been conducting a 12 month pilot program for aspiring audio dramatists graciously funded by the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation.

In this episode, you’ll hear our three audio writers, Ashley-Ruth Bernier, Tori Grace Nichols, and Shea Stanley, along with the co-administrators, Aurelia Belfield and Tamara Kissane discuss elements of the pilot program and the discoveries made. This year all of the audio dramas were inspired by the prompt Food for Thought, so you’ll hear us refer to it as the Food for Thought Project.

This conversation in this episode was recorded in June 2021, when the writers were in the thick of finishing their first episodes and writing outlines for their entire seasons. Four months later, in October, we are wrapping up the recording phase so that we can produce and present a portion of each of their pilot episodes. Stay tuned for announcements about that and big thanks to our Production Manager Griffin James and Directors, Rachel Klem, Barbette Hunter and Tori Grace Nichols.

Please keep an eye on the Artist Soapbox. In the coming weeks, we will be publishing four related blog posts written by local theatre-maker and writer Katy Koop. Each of those posts will provide additional focus and attention on the Food for Thought Project and each individual aspiring audio dramatist.

• Ashley-Ruth Bernier
• Tori Grace Nichols, photo by T. Hunter
• Shea Stanley
• Aurelia Belfield
• Tamara Kissane

Please reach out to [email protected] for (free) transcript.

Contribute:

Soapboxers are the official patrons of the Artist Soapbox podcast.Get on the Soapbox with us at Patreonor make a one-time donation via Ko-fi athttps://ko-fi.com/artistsoapboxor via PayPal atPayPal.Me/artistsoapbox.

If you would like to make a...

A delightful and practical episode with novelist Heather Bell Adams. Heather discusses her approach to historical research when writing fiction, shares tips for making time to write, and suggests ways to get back into the writing groove. Heather also shares two excerpts from her novel The Good Luck Stone published by Haywire Books in 2020.

Heather Bell Adams

Bio:

Heather Bell Adams is the author of Maranatha Road (West Virginia University Press 2017), which won the IPPY gold medal for the Southeast, and The Good Luck Stone (Haywire Books 2020), which won Best Historical in the Next Generation Book Awards. A recipient of the Rose Post Creative Nonfiction Award, Carrie McCray Literary Award, and James Still Fiction Prize, Heather’s work appears in Still: The Journal, Atticus Review, The Thomas Wolfe Review, The Petigru Review, Pembroke Magazine, Broad River Review, and elsewhere. She lives in Raleigh where she works as a lawyer.

If you’d like to Get Back into your Writing Groove with Heather Bell Adams, she will be leading that workshop at theNC Writers’ Network 2021 Fall Conference, November 19-21 in Durham, NC.(In-person and online options are available for the conference.)

Please reach out to [email protected] for (free) transcript.

Contribute:

Contribute to the fund for JESUS PANCAKE, a nine episode original audio drama series.

CONNECT AND FOLLOW!

If you’re eager for more audio fiction pieces by Artist Soapbox, be sure to listen to all 6 episodes of the ASBX shorts and check out our full length audio dramasTHE NEW COLOSSUSandMASTER BUILDER, and the audio anthologyDECLARATION OF LOVEavailable everywhere you get your podcasts.

Artist Soapbox on social media:

Twitter:@artist_soapbox

Instagram: @artistsoapbox

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/artistsoapboxpodcast/

The post 150: Get in the writing groove with novelist Heather Bell Adams appeared first on Artist Soapbox.

Get your notepad ready to jot down the words and wisdom of Mimi Herman. You’ll hear writing tips a plenty and Mimi reading two of her very well-chosen poems. Mimi has the incredible ability to combine compassion, craft, and play in her teaching and her writing. You’ll hear her speak about writing in these extraordinary times and the value of taking a poetry nap.

If you’d like a deeper Poetry Nap experience, Mimi Herman will be leading a Poetry Nap workshop at the NC Writers’ Network 2021 Fall Conference, November 19-21 in Durham, NC. (In-person and online options are available for the conference)

Bio:

Mimi Hermanis a writer and editor, Kennedy Center teaching artist, and co-director of Writeaways writing workshops in France, Italy, New Mexico, and online. Since 1990, she has engaged over 25,000 students with writing workshops. She is a Warren Wilson alumna and the 2017 North Carolina Piedmont Laureate, and serves as a member of the AWP Board of Directors. Mimi has held readings at Why There are Words, Symphony Space, and—with David Sedaris—at Memorial Auditorium in North Carolina. Her writing has appeared in Michigan Quarterly Review, Shenandoah, Crab Orchard Review, The Hollins Critic, Prime Number, and other journals. She is the author of Logophilia and The Art of Learning. Her latest collection of poetry, A Field Guide to Human Emotions, is available from Finishing Line Press, and her novel, The Kudzu Queen, will be released from Regal House Publishing in 2023. You can find Mimi at www.mimiherman.com and www.writeaways.com.

Please reach out to [email protected] for (free) transcript.

Links:

Tickets for Every Brilliant Thing produced by Justice Theater Project, Oct. 8-24, 2021. (You remember Thaddaeus Edwards in MASTER BUILDER and Happy Anniversary: Declaration of Love Episode 8?)

Contribute to the fund for JESUS PANCAKE, a nine episode original audio drama series.

Thank you to Yohanna Baez, Neal Bell, Ian Bowater, Matthew Hager, Andrea Moore, and the Justice Theater Project for their generous contributions.

CONNECT AND FOLLOW!

If you’re eager for more audio fiction pieces by Artist Soapbox, be sure to listen to all 6 episodes of the ASBX shorts and check out our full length audio dramasTHE NEW COLOSSUSandMASTER BUILDER, and the audio anthologyDECLARATION OF LOVEavailable everywhere you get your podcasts.

Artist Soapbox on social media:

Twitter:@artist_soapbox

Instagram:...

Enjoy this thoughtful, lovely conversation with short fiction writer, Ken Wetherington. You’ll hear Ken talk about themes in his writing, how he comes up with his ideas, his writing process, the value of a writing group, and more — including Ken reading two excerpts of his work!

Please contribute if you are able to our Indiegogo campaign to support the creation of original scripted audio fiction: JESUS PACAKE: A NEW SCRIPTED AUDIO FICTION SERIES

Ken Wetherington

BIO:

KenWetherington lives in Durham, North Carolina with his wife and two dogs. His stories have appeared inGinosko Literary Journal,The Fable Online,Borrowed Solace: A Journal of Literary Ramblings,The Remington Review,Waymark Literary Magazine,Backchannels, Idle Ink,and others.His first collection,Santa Abella and Other Storieswas awarded the B.R.A.G. Medallion from the Book Readers Appreciation Group in the literary fiction category. When not writing, he is an avid film buff and has taught film courses for the OLLI program at Duke University.

Website:https://kenwetherington.com

Amazon Link:Santa Abella and Other Stories – Kindle edition by Wetherington,Ken. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Twitter:@KenWetherington

Writer of the Month:Writer of the Month:KenWetherington for May 2021 (elizabethmcastillo.com)

BRAG Medallion Award:Santa Abella and Other Stories –KenWetherington – Literary Fiction Books (bragmedallion.com)

POSTSCRIPT:

Please reach out to [email protected] for (free) transcript.

We are hard at work here in Artist Soapbox land, launching projects a plenty. I’ll share when I’m able, but be assured that much is percolating behind the scenes. In 2021, I am slowing down the podcast episodes, but I still have many to come this year. Please stay subscribed on your podcast platform of choice and follow ASBX on the socials and at artistsoapbox.org so you know as soon as fresh audio goodness drops.

Soapboxers are the official patrons of the Artist Soapbox podcast.Get on the Soapbox with us at Patreonor make a one-time donation via Ko-fi athttps://ko-fi.com/artistsoapboxor via PayPal atPayPal.Me/artistsoapbox.

If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation, please consider our non-profitSoapbox Audio Collective.

LISTEN TO ASBX AUDIO DRAMAS:

Master Builder

Rural West Texas, August of 1966. A skeptically hopeful fifteen-year-old returns home from church camp determined to uncover definitive proof of the existence of angels. The outcome of her act of faith yields lasting ramifications.

by Amber Wood

SHOW ME is the sixth of six short audio fiction pieces created and produced by North Carolina artists. Artist Soapbox Shorts were specifically contributed by the artists to aid in fundraising and to get everyone excited about Jesus Pancake, the new audio fiction series in development.

Contribute to Jesus Pancake via our Indiegogo campaign!

Listen to this short podcast episode for more information:ASBX JP is a G-O! (A solo update by Tamara)

Soapboxers are the official patrons of the Artist Soapbox podcast.Get on the Soapbox with us at Patreonor make a one-time donation via Ko-fi athttps://ko-fi.com/artistsoapboxor via PayPal atPayPal.Me/artistsoapbox.

If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation, please consider our non-profitSoapbox Audio Collective.

ASBX shorts are an Artist Soapbox production, co-produced by Aurelia Belfield and Tamara Kissane, and sound designed by Jasmine Hunjan.

SHOW ME was written by Amber Wood.

Directed by Rachel Klem

Production Manager: Griffin James

Performed by: Marleigh Purgar-McDonald (The Girl), Page Purgar (Narrator)

Transcript of SHOW ME

• Amber Wood
• Marleigh Purgar-McDonald
• Page Purgar
• Rachel Klem
• Griffin James
• Jasmine Hunjan

BIOS

Amber Wood (Playwright):Theatre maker and storyteller Amber Wood (she/her/hers) celebrates empathy and lifelong play. After moving from Durham, NC to Hamilton, Ontario, she founded Lightbulb Heart, a storytime and...

At the end of an age, a tale as old as time gets some corrections. “In the name of the…..?”

by JoRose

The Protagora (Or, the First Gathering) is the fifth of six short audio fiction pieces created and produced by North Carolina artists. Artist Soapbox Shorts were specifically contributed by the artists to aid in fundraising and to get everyone excited about Jesus Pancake, the new audio fiction series in development.

Contribute to Jesus Pancake via our Indiegogo campaign!

Listen to this short podcast episode for more information:ASBX JP is a G-O! (A solo update by Tamara)

Soapboxers are the official patrons of the Artist Soapbox podcast.Get on the Soapbox with us at Patreonor make a one-time donation via Ko-fi athttps://ko-fi.com/artistsoapboxor via PayPal atPayPal.Me/artistsoapbox.

If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation, please consider our non-profitSoapbox Audio Collective.

ASBX shorts are an Artist Soapbox production, co-produced by Aurelia Belfield and Tamara Kissane, and sound designed by Jasmine Hunjan.

The Protagora (Or, The First Gathering) was written by JoRose.

Directed by Rachel Klem

Production Manager: Griffin James

Performed by: Barbette Hunter (Creatrix), Adonis Nesbitt (Sapia), Lormarev Jones (Phronesis)

Transcript of The Protagora (Or, the First Gathering)

• JoRose
• Barbette Hunter
• Adonis Nesbitt
• Lormarev Jones
• Rachel Klem
• Griffin James

Jasmine Hunjan

BIOS

JoRose(Playwright) Artist, Wanderess and Philosopher, JoRose aims to use her artistic...