Troy Public Radio unveils new podcast “Sounds Of The Stage”

Troy Public Radio unveils new podcast “Sounds Of The Stage” 

Elizabeth Odee 

Staff Writer 

Troy Public Radio has released a brand-new podcast: “Sounds of the Stage.” This new podcast highlights and analyzes the different sounds of classic theatre. 

“’Sounds of the Stage’ features a prominent scene from a play, particularly one that highlights a certain sound,” said Joey Hudson, a co-host of the podcast and a digital media producer at Troy Public Radio. “Some examples include a door slamming, an aggressive entrance or even the style of language that the performers use.” 

“We are aiming for an entertaining blend of theatre and radio,” said Professor of Performance in the Theatre and Dance Department Quentin Cockrell, who is also a co-host of the podcast. “We also have discussions with experts about the literary or historical relevance of the play.”  

The idea for the podcast was pitched two years ago as a radio play before evolving into the podcast it is today.  

“I thought it was a great idea,” said Director of Radio at Troy Public Radio Kyle Gassiott. “It’s a natural fit; to explore the sound the way they do, I think it’s a great way to marry theatre and radio. 

“[The podcast] went through various stages, and there were various delays, but it gave us the opportunity to shape it and think about what a season looks like and what the audience needs in 2025.” 

The inaugural episode of the podcast, published on Sept. 12, 2025, focuses on the door slam in the play, “A Doll’s House.” The show featured Tori Lee Averett, the department chair as well as an associate professor for theatre and dance, giving her expert opinion on why the sound bite is so significant, even in the context of today’s society. 

Each episode also features student performers from the Theatre and Dance department who are interested in voice acting. The first episode features performances from Ellen Fox and Colton Suttles. 

“Many students have expressed an interest in voice acting,” Cockrell said. “I thought this would be a wonderful opportunity for them to explore the demands of expressing thought and emotion using only the voice.” 

Hudson said he hopes the podcast will set itself apart.  

“I hope that when people hear a scene when they’ve never seen the show before, it convinces them to go see the show, and if they are seeing some of the shows that the Department of Theatre and Dance is putting on, they might look for more context from the podcast,” Hudson said. “What really surprised me is the talent of the students.  

I’ve seen them in productions and have already been very impressed by them. It was really cool to see them come into the studio as well.” 

The first season of “Sounds of the Stage” is relatively short, only with three episodes. However, Cockrell and Hudson are working on an episode about Shakespearean language to come out later this semester.  

“We hope it will help support the production of ‘Twelfth Night’ from the Department of Theatre and Dance since the show opens Oct. 10,” Cockrell said. 

“Sounds of the Stage” is put out through Troy Public Radio, which resides in Wallace Hall. Troy Public Radio is a radio station partnered with National Public Radio that provides live radio broadcast to southeast Alabama, southwest Georgia and the Florida panhandle. Troy Public Radio offers 19 podcasts, many of them centered around a specific college at the university. 

“We have many podcasts that are not only proposed to us by staff, but by students,” Gassiott said. “We help shape the ideas because you always want to focus onwho the audience is.” 

Troy Public Radio is open to students who are interested in radio broadcast. They offer volunteer internships as well as work study. They are open to students of all levels. 

New episodes for “Sounds of the Stage” come out on Mondays. They can be found on Apple Music, Spotify, Podbean and Amazon Music. To keep up with Troy Public Radio, follow its Instagram page @troypublicradio.