Director's Notes – 158 – The Battle for Time (Patreon)

(NOTE: As always, Director's Notes contain spoilers)

Hello again from Los Angeles. I think maybe I’m getting sick. Or maybe it’s just allergies. This is unrelated to today’s Night Vale, but it is very related to my experience as I write these directors notes.

Before we begin, a brief note about an error in the credits for the last two episodes. The name of the character is spelled Kasper Rhodes, not Casper. I suppose this doesn’t matter much for an audio experience, but still, that is how the name is spelled.

And speaking of Mr. Rhodes. The voice was performed by long-standing member of the Neo-Futurists, Rob Neill. I’ve known Rob for over ten years. He was a founding member of the New York branch of the theater company that served as the incubator and meeting place for most people involved in making Welcome to Night Vale (members include Cecil, Jeffrey, Dylan, touring emcee and voice of the credits Meg Bashwiner, Kevin R. Free, Lauren Sharpe, and many more).

I’ve been looking for an opportunity to bring Rob into the cast literally since the start of the show. He has such a great energy, and the plays he writes for the Neo-Futurists are these wild bursts of surreal wordplay that fit very much into the Night Vale ideal. Here is a play from ten years ago that gives you some idea of the kind of thing that Rob brings to a stage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYOtJAlxLjY (If you start clicking around that YouTube channel, you will likely find many familiar Night Vale folks doing some weird, low-budget theater over the last decade. See who you can spot.)

I’m glad to finally get Rob on the podcast. It’s about time.

The weather this episode was Dane Terry. For those who haven’t heard it, Dane is the creator and main performer of the Night Vale Presents podcast Dreamboy. Dreamboy is an erotic noir musical set in Cleveland. It’s very very very much for adults, but if you are an adult, I cannot recommend it enough. Dane has been touring with the Night Vale live show over the last few months, and he is not only great on stage, but a delight to hang out with in backstages and vans. Which is about the best thing you can be on tour. Talented people are a dime a dozen. Delightful people are rare gems. 

Also this song rules.

Next up we have an episode written by Jeffrey based on a very real experience that he and his wife once went through. When I saw what the episode was about, I was actually startled when I realized that somehow Jeffrey hadn’t incorporated it into Night Vale up to this point. Also the episode taught me a new word. So you have that too look forward to. And hopefully other things too. 

- Joseph Fink
November 18, 2019

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