When you’ve been in the audio world as long as we have, you’re used to seeing podfaded shows.
Many excited groups get revved up for a season, sometimes only a few episodes, and then go dark as life, interest, and various other factors get in the way. Audio Drama is not a game for the weak-hearted. It takes a lot of determination to produce regularly, and send your creativity out to a distant crowd. I’ve set many a local actor’s heart a flutter when I’ve told them the number of listeners are hearing their characters. Compared to the little theatres of Halifax, which have a large crowd at 50 or 70 people, it’s exciting to think of thousands of engaged fans.
But it’s also really lonely. You probably won’t hear from 99% of the people out in the RSS void. Only a few listeners will email to tell you if you’re doing well, and worse still most won’t bother telling you if they’ve left the feed. Live theatre on the other hand is instant praise or criticism. The stage is immediate and engaging and I get that.
As I’ve said, we’ve seen people come and go here at the Sonic Society, but there were always a few columns in the audio drama coliseum we could lean against. Giants, that are some of the great innovators of the modern audio dramatic landscape. Bob Arnold and Chatterbox Audio Theater, by any measure are examples of great innovators. For years, I’ve used some of Chatterbox’s promotional youtube clips in my classrooms to titillate the next generation of students. Chatterbox Audio captivates audiences with their retelling of classic tales, and their new productions that grip the imagination timelessly.
Chatterbox is shutting down.
I can’t even say that out loud without stifling a sob. I’ve never met Bob. I’ve never knowingly run into any of the Chatterbox folk, but I feel very privileged to know their work. Bob and I have exchanged many emails through the years. It was my honour to write Tulpa for a Chatterbox Halloween Season. Their performance of that script still takes my breath away.
Chatterbox is shutting down.
I’ve always had a secret dream to go visit their studio when they’re performing- maybe even take a minor role among the hallowed ranks, and bring to life a classic. Maybe “The Cherry Orchard” or “The Tales of Perseus”. Maybe a sequel to their triumphant “Surfacing”. Maybe a lost short story of Ray Bradbury’s. The possibilities are enticing.
Chatterbox is shutting down.
I leave the last words on the subject to Bob Arnold and his heartbreaking post Dimming the Lights, I need to go and download their entire catalogue again. I don’t have the fortitude yet to say adieu.
