Lauren Shippen, the mastermind behind hit audio dramas like The Bright Sessions and Breaker Whiskey, dives into her creative journey from aspiring actress to influential producer. She discusses how her character Sam's therapeutic experiences reflect real-life struggles with mental health. Their conversation unveils innovative storytelling techniques, such as the unique use of CB radios in her post-apocalyptic series. Additionally, they explore the complex portrayal of masculinity in her work, revealing how personal narratives enrich her character development.
Lauren Shippen's journey as a creator highlights the therapeutic power of storytelling, allowing her to channel personal struggles into relatable narratives for listeners.
The establishment of Atypical Artists showcases the potential of audio drama to foster community engagement and provide a platform for innovative, original storytelling.
Deep dives
The Rise of Atypical Artists
The audio drama series gained significant recognition, particularly The Bright Sessions, which features therapy sessions for individuals with supernatural abilities known as atypicals. The character Sam, who can time travel but only during panic attacks, exemplifies the show's unique exploration of anxiety and self-identity. The success of this series enabled Lauren Chippen, its creator, to establish Atypical Artists, an audio drama network that funds innovative projects like In Strange Woods, a musical framed within a true crime podcast. This network not only showcases the potential for original storytelling but also cultivates a community of dedicated listeners who engage with the content creatively through fan art and fan fiction.
Personal Healing Through Storytelling
Lauren Chippen's process of writing The Bright Sessions was profoundly personal, as it began during a period of health crises, including panic attacks and severe illness. These experiences allowed her to resonate with Sam's character, making the act of writing and performing a therapeutic journey for herself, where she eventually sought therapy in real life. The portrayal of characters grappling with similar challenges offers listeners relatable narratives that reflect their own struggles with anxiety and alienation. This connection emphasizes the show's underlying message that vulnerability and shared experiences can foster personal growth and understanding.
Character Depth and Complexity
The richly developed characters in The Bright Sessions are crafted to reflect their emotional struggles alongside their superpowers, creating profound storytelling. Each character, such as Caleb, who feels others' emotions, embodies specific anxieties that serve as metaphors for real-life challenges, particularly in adolescence. The relationships among the characters unfold over multiple seasons, with revelations that make for compelling arcs and rich interactions. As Lauren continues to develop the narrative, she carefully parallels personal growth with fantastical elements, allowing listeners to explore deeper themes of fear, identity, and connection.
Expanding Horizons in Audio Drama
Lauren’s creativity extends beyond The Bright Sessions with her newer projects, including Breaker Whiskey and New Year's Day, which experiment with different narrative formats. Breaker Whiskey features a lone character traveling post-apocalyptic America and showcases innovative storytelling through short daily episodes, exploring themes of loneliness and connection. In contrast, New Year's Day unfolds slowly over years, focusing on the evolving relationship between two immortal magicians across different decades. Both shows demonstrate her versatility and willingness to push the boundaries of audio drama, illustrating a commitment to storytelling that remains fresh and engaging.
Lauren Shippen is one of my favorite creators of audio dramas. In 2015, she burst on the scene with The Bright Sessions, which was about young people with supernatural abilities who are in therapy. The show was so successful, she used it to create an audio drama network called Atypical Artists, which produces her work and other indie creators. As a writer, Lauren combines a steady stream of revelations and plot twists with an ability to write deeply human characters that keeps me bingeing. And she’s given herself great roles to play as an actress. I talk with Lauren about her creative process, and her newest shows, the post-apocalyptic road trip Breaker Whiskey, and New Year’s Day, which is about two rival magicians who are immortal.
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