Newts!
Where to begin the story of the end of humanity?
Maybe somewhere in the East Indies, where Captain Van Toch falls in love with a species of three foot tall newts. They’re slimy, smart—and starving. Determined to save his newfound children, Van Toch seeks help from an old acquaintance, hoping that a childhood grudge won’t spoil his plans.
From PRX Productions and The Truth, Newts! is a surf rock audio drama about the end of the world. The six-part series is inspired by the pioneering science fiction of Czech author and playwright Karel Čapek, who is best known for coining the term “robot.”
Listen to the first episode below. To hear the rest of the series, search for “Newts PRX” wherever you listen to podcasts, or visit newtspod.com to stay in the loop.
CAST
Lindsay Nicole Chambers
Chris Barron
Joseph Medeiros
Juan Ignacio Sanguinetti
Alok Patel
Sarah Naughton
Jon-Michael Reese
Putu Rekayasa
Naomi Yang
Sid Iyer
Lenny Fiannaca
Sam Lapine
Varun Sasisekharan
NARRATOR
CAPTAIN VAN TOCH
MR. BONDY
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
NAYSAYER
NAYSAYER
NAYSAYER/NEWTS
NEWTS
BACK-UP VOCALS
VOCAL HARMONIES
VOCAL HARMONIES
VOCAL HARMONIES
VOCAL HARMONIES
Created by Sam Jay Gold & Ian Coss
Directed by Sam Jay Gold
Music and sound design by Ian Coss
Story editing by Jonathan Mitchell
Executive produced by Jocelyn Gonzales and Jonathan Mitchell
Artwork by Caroline Hu
Ian Coss (CREATOR, MUSIC & SOUND DESIGN) is an audio producer whose work spans music, podcasting and sound art. His original series "Forever is a Long Time" was named one of the best podcasts of 2021 by The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and Apple Podcasts. A founding member of PRX Productions, Ian produced and scored "Ways of Hearing," "The Great God of Depression," "Over the Road," and "Blind Guy Travels" for Radiotopia, and launched the Antiques Roadshow podcast, "Detours." His work has appeared on Snap Judgment, Studio 360 and 99 Percent Invisible; been featured at the Tribeca Film Festival; and received multiple Edward R. Murrow Awards, as well as a nomination for Podcast Academy's Podcast of the Year.
Sam Jay Gold (CREATOR) is a theater artist and screenwriter. A former Thomas J. Watson Fellow, Sam trained in traditional forms of puppetry around the world while exploring empathy and imagination across the animate/inanimate divide. His work onstage has been supported by the Jim Henson Foundation and featured at venues including Lincoln Center, St. Ann’s Warehouse, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). As a screenwriter, Sam’s work has played in festivals across the country, winning Best Writing at the Independent Television Festival. His unproduced pilot, “Converso,'' is currently the highest rated TV script on The Black List. He is a member of SAG-AFTRA and repped by Tulsea Management.
