For decades, the lifeblood of American radio — fictional programming — was rendered archaic by the emergence of television. Now podcasting has injected new vitality into the genre with powerful writing and performances, creating a testing ground for new programming concepts, as demonstrated by the small screen success of Homecoming, Lore, and Limetown. The Unexpected Disappearance of Mars Patel won a Peabody Award; award-winning actors such as Lawrence Fishburne (Bronzeville) and Rami Malek (Blackout) have produced podcasts as passion projects; and Radio Drama Revival provides a regular showcase for innovative storytellers who are experimenting with audio fiction.

Building on our 2019 program that explored the rising interest in both listening to and producing podcasts, this two-day event will showcase the rapid revival of the radio drama as a site for original programming and as a new pipeline into the entertainment industry.

Two panel discussions will consider the renewed appeal of the medium: the first providing a historical context for thinking about audio fiction in classical radio and podcasting; the second discussing transmedia world-building and genre fiction’s place within today’s podcast industry:

10 to 11 am: The Historical Roots and Current State of Audio Fiction

Featuring Radio Drama Revival host Elena Fernández Collins, Jack Benny and the Golden Age of Radio Comedy author Kathy Fuller-Seeley (University of Texas at Austin), and Theater of the Mind: Imagination, Aesthetics, and Radio Drama author Neil Verma (Northwestern). Moderated by Henry Jenkins.

11:30 am to 12:30 pm: World-Building and Genre Fiction in the Contemporary Podcast Industry

Featuring Mike Monello (Video Palace), Lauren Shippen (The Bright Sessions), and others TBA. Moderated by Colin Maclay.

Also consider joining us on March 18 for live performances from the casts and producers of two popular podcasts: the horror series Video Palace and the superhero/psychology program The Bright Sessions!

Presented by USC Visions and Voices: The Arts and Humanities Initiative. Organized by the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.