PODCAST
Alone Together
Podcast series probes insidious effects of COVID isolation
BY DAVID KENNERLEY
During these grim days of
empty stages and social
cages, theater groups
are scrambling to generate
online content to appease their
fans. We’ve witnessed an explosion
of videos of Broadway shows, podcasts,
mini-concerts, variety programs,
and more, many doubling
as benefi ts for performers laid low
by the COVID crisis.
Most offerings are drawn from
familiar crowd-pleasers. A few
weeks ago, Michael Urie reprised
his knockout role in “Buyer & Cellar”
on Broadway.com. Later this
month, the National Theatre at
Home will stream the critically
acclaimed 2014 production of “A
Streetcar Named Desire” on its
YouTube channel.
Now a second wave of online fare
is emerging, as playwrights create
fresh works that deal directly with
the pandemic.
“Closing the Distance,” courtesy
of the Audio Drama Initiative, is a
bold, captivating podcast series addressing
the need to cope with the
chasms that have opened up between
loved ones as we are forced
to shelter in place.
Co-written by New York Times
bestselling authors Tawni O’Dell
and Lou Aronica, the series consists
of 10 short monologues starring
supremely talented actors.
Tony Award-winning Mitchell
Maxwell directs.
Infused with wit and pathos,
the series showcases frank stories
about real folks grappling with the
new normal.
“These stories aren’t political,
or sensationalized, or overly sentimental,”
said O’Dell. “They’re
about regular people dealing with
the fear, frustration, and loneliness
we’re all feeling right now, and they
do it with humor and optimism.”
In the fi rst episode, “Neutral
Corners,” performed by Internet
sensation Sam Tsui, ex-boyfriends
navigate quarantine in their tiny
West Village studio apartment,
roughly the size of a boxing ring.
The couple had called it quits after
Sam Tsui stars in the podcast series’ fi rst episode, “Neutral Corners.”
three years, once they realized they
no longer shared common goals. At
fi rst they keep to their respective
corners, but as the days wear on,
they manage to reach a detente of
sorts.
Faced with the challenges of
working remotely and staying
healthy, on top of unpacking veritable
steamer trunks of emotional
baggage, will they somehow fi nd a
way to reconnect?
Aronica was inspired to write the
piece after realizing that not everyone
has a stable domestic life.
“I’m lucky enough to be sheltering
in place with my loved ones,”
he says in an intro to the piece. “I
THE AUDIO DRAMA INITIATIVE
have people I care about, people I
want to spend time with right here
in my home… But I know several
people who are not in that situation,
people who are discovering
tensions in their relationships they
didn’t know they had… They have
no choice but to confront the reality
of their relationship.”
Episode Two, “Being Seen,” fi nds
an aging trophy wife (played by the
iconic Kathleen Turner) who comes
to grips with staying hidden in her
eight-bedroom mansion with her
husband. This wealthy socialite
binges on Reese’s Pieces ice cream
while texting pictures of her “corona
belly” to friends, much to her
chagrin. Once her elderly husband
lands in the hospital, she realizes
no amount of makeup can make
things right.
O’Dell believes that one of the
pandemic’s toughest challenges is
simply the lack of contact with others.
“We humans are social animals,
we like going out, we like being
seen,” she said. “When I began to
think about a character who would
have passionate views about our
current loss of mingling and manicures,
I chose the stereotype of
youth and vanity, the trophy wife.
But this isn’t just any trophy wife…
she’s smart and complicated. She’s
funny, she’s loving… she struggles
with the frustration, the fear, and
the heartbreak of not being seen.”
Episode Three stars William
Hurt as a divorced father striving
to reconnect with an estranged
daughter. Upcoming episodes feature
Kelli O’Hara as the mother
of a four-year-old trying to keep
it together while her husband is
overseas, and Jason Alexander as
a fi ercely independent writer who
lives alone and unravels after misplacing
his reading glasses.
“Closing the Distance” showcases
an original song by Tsui and his
husband, Casey Breves. A portion
of the proceeds will be donated to
The Actors Fund and Save Indie
Bookstores, two charities close to
the hearts of the creative team.
What makes these monologues
resonate so poignantly is their
sense of immediacy and honesty
through specifi city. Despite the
sadness, essential relationships
are not only sustained but renewed.
Strangely enough, these plaintive
tales offer a soothing balm in these
turbulent times.
One advantage of podcasts over
live theater is the ability to access
again and again. I recommend listening
to each episode three times
for maximum affect.
CLOSING THE DISTANCE | The
Audio Drama Initiative | audiodramainitiative.
com| Series of 10 podcasts,
released intermittently, 10-15
mins each
May 21 - June 05, 2 34 020 | GayCityNews.com
/Broadway.com
/GayCityNews.com
