The 8th Light - A new original narrative audio drama for young audiences and their families.
Sharon Counts - Co-Creator/Director/Producer
Drew Petersen - Co-Creator/Writer
Max Silverman - Original Music
Marshall Grupp - Lead Sound Designer
Listen to Episode 1 of The 8th Light!
Northern California, Marin County in Spring, 1958 is a quiet and peaceful place to live. The biggest and frankly only dramatic enigma in the county’s history was in 1955 when Sarah McLane, beloved member of the community, mother and brilliant physicist disappeared without a trace. However, 8th Graders, Cassiopeia McLane, her cousin Dashiell McLane, and their friend, Huxley Pendleton are thrust into a bizarre mystery when they happen upon an unconscious man sprawled atop the massive Crystal Mountain Satellite Dish who seems to have materialized out of thin air. What follows is a cacophony of wrenches thrown into the spokes of Caz, Hux, Dash and their parents’ understanding of the laws of time, space and the unbelievable potential of serendipity and fate. The 8th Light is a decade-spanning adventure racing towards an answer to the question of if we have the ability to change the world, should we.
The 8th Light is an original, fictional, serialized, sci-fi adventure drama that tips its hat to Lost, Stranger Things, Back to the Future and The Goonies. The show combines elements of everyone’s favorite childhood sci-fi adventure stories with the aesthetic of old-fashioned radio dramas. It is a decade-spanning adventure racing towards an answer to the question of: if we have the ability to change the world, should we?
While a project like this would typically be called a ‘podcast,’ we have approached The 8th Light as a true radio play/audio drama in the traditional sense and have tried to capture the spirit of classic serialized radio programs produced during the golden age of the form. The result is a snappy, fun, and adventurous 7 episode first season that celebrates some young scientific minds, their empathetic caregivers, and the collective desire to find your place and purpose in the universe.
The 8th Light is geared towards 8-13 year olds and their caregivers, parents, and teachers.
The creators, artists, and producers are a team of artists and educators that have been at the forefront of telling stories in innovative ways for diverse young audiences for the last 20 years. The team has created dynamic audio and multimedia works with multiple institutions and events that have been experienced everywhere from the Super Bowl to Lincoln Center.