The year 2020 has been extremely chaotic, but this true story would fit right in. J.R. Brinkley, quack doctor and politician, first became famous when he transplanted goat testicles into a human male as a cure for impotence. From there, his reputation, and job titles, only grew. This four-part audio drama set in the 1920s and ‘30s retells parts of Brinkley’s trials and tribulations and the story is so surprising that listeners will gasp at the turns each episode takes! The creators at Untitled Theater Company #61 do add some embellishments, but they are clear with which parts of the story are editorialized and which are historically accurate. Host Dan Butler guides the audience through Dr. Brinkley’s story and even interviews experts during each episode.  

The production on The Resistible Rise of J.R. Brinkley is well planned and transports listeners to the ‘20s using sound effects and a score you can’t help but dance to. This story may be 100 years old, but there are still parallels with today’s political and social climate. This podcast is recommended for the casual historian and storyteller. 

We were fortunate to talk with the creator, Edward Einhorn, about the podcast, how they differentiate from other podcasts, and their future plans in podcasting. See below for our full Q&A.

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher

DISCOVER PODS: How’d you get into podcasting?

EINHORN: I have been running a theater company for 25 years. Because of Covid, we cannot have live performances. But this script was one I always felt should be an audio drama, because Brinkley was a radio personality. What interested me is not putting a stage play in podcast form, but creating something that is very much within the genre of podcasting. This was exciting to me, because I wanted to see if we could bring our style into this new medium. I feel very happy with how that has worked out.

DISCOVER PODS: In your own words, why should listeners tune in to The Resistible Rise of J. R. Brinkley

Einhorn: It is a comic story, a political story, a historical story, a musical story, and above all a deeply entertaining story. Honestly, I haven’t heard much or anything like it in the podcast world. We have a talented cast of New York actors and a host, Dan Butler, who besides his New York stage work was also Bulldog on TV ‘s Frasier. We have guests every show talking about things like American history and country music. We have at least one country music song per episode. And Brinkley’s story is not just funny but really revealing about the evolution of what we call Trumpism, even as early as the 1920’s.

DISCOVER PODS: What kind of feedback have you heard from your listeners?

Einhorn: People seem to really enjoy the show, particularly the songs, the historic aspects, and our guests. Of course, perhaps I am hearing from fans of the theater company already, but they seem happy to know we have converted our style into audio.

DISCOVER PODS: Describe your recording set up? What equipment are you using?

Einhorn: We all recorded from our homes, connected via CleanFeed but recording into Audacity locally. We provided mics for those actors who didn’t own them already (AKG Pro Audio Lyra Ultra-HD,)

DISCOVER PODS: What’s the biggest challenge you face as an indie podcaster?

Einhorn: Getting the word out about our show! Raising money to pay all the actors for our next production.

DISCOVER PODS: Where do you want to take your podcast?

Einhorn: This is a great opportunity, in some ways, to reach people we can’t reach with our live performances, because of course they are confined by geography. I would love to introduce our theater to new listeners around the country and around the world.

DISCOVER PODS: What other podcasts are you listening to now?

Einhorn: Life with Althaar, another audio drama from a New York theater company. The Truth. Planet Money. All sorts of other new audio drama from other theater companies, like The Public and Keen Company, here in New York.

DISCOVER PODS: Anything else you’d like to add?

Einhorn: Please go to untitledtheater.com to see who we are as a company. Our mission is to be a Theater of Ideas: scientific, political, and philosophical.  We have received multiple Critic’s Picks from the New York Times, Time Out, and The Village Voice.  And here’s a quote from a review from blogcritics about The Resistible Rise of J. R. Brinkley: “With stylistic brio Einhorn does what he enjoys doing most. He employs absurdist, comedic mayhem to examine outrageous social and cultural behavior”

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