the penumbra podcast press kit
About
The award-winning Penumbra Podcast is a bi-weekly audio drama, available to listen for free. Creators Sophie Takagi Kaner and Kevin Vibert have always loved stories, whether they be science fiction, swashbucklers, high fantasy, horror, or mystery. But eventually they started to notice that a lot of stories they consumed were the same ones over and over again. Why did every boy and girl who adventured together have to end up romantically involved? Why couldn't a woman be tough and fierce without also being sexy? Why did every gay relationship end in tragedy? And where were all the people who didn't fit into the gender binary? One day, Sophie and Kevin realized that they couldn't wait any more for the stories they wanted. So they decided to write them, and share them with the world.
Our Stories
At the Penumbra, you might follow Juno Steel, a brooding, sharp-witted private eye on Mars, as he tangles with an elusive homme fatale, tracks dangerous artifacts of an ancient alien civilization, and faces his three greatest fears: heights, blood, and relationships.
Or you might enter the world of the Second Citadel, where the merciless Sir Caroline must corral a team of emotionally distraught all-male knights to defend their city against mind-manipulating monsters...even the ones they’ve fallen in love with.
Listener supported
We are proudly listener supported via Patreon, where our backers receive early releases of episodes, commentary from our actors and creators, and other perks: https://www.patreon.com/thepenumbrapodcast
Our tEAM
SOPHIE takagi KANER
Co-Producer, Director, Sound Designer
They/Them
Sophie is a dancer and actor who works in the Boston area as a solo performer/teacher and with their award-winning burlesque / drag / performance art troupe.
They do their best to break down the gender binary wherever they go.
KEVIN VIBERT
Co-Producer, Lead Writer
He/Him
Kevin has a Bachelor’s in English from University of Massachusetts Amherst as well as a Master of Arts in Teaching from Tufts University.
He is a high school English and Creative Writing teacher by day and strives to bring the central value of The Penumbra Podcast into every one of his classes: that everyone deserves to see themselves in stories.
NOAH SIMES
Production Manager
He/Him
Noah is a New York-based actor, director and producer. He had appeared on stage with a number of Boston companies, including Flat Earth Theatre (A Bright Room Called Day, The Farnsworth Invention), Imaginary Beasts (Knock!, Winter Pantos), Bad Habit Productions (Orlando), and Fresh Ink Theatre (That Time the House Burned Down).
Noah also performed for four years with the hit show Shit-faced Shakespeare in Boston, Austin, and Pittsburgh.
GINNY D’ANGELO
Head of Operations
She/They
Ginny is a producer and performer with a background in operational support. She specializes in creating systems and strategies for mission-focused organizations. She has a degree in Liberal Arts with a focus on creative writing.
Ginny is the newest addition to The Penumbra staff and is thrilled to be joining such a dedicated team.She is a member of several burlesque/drag troupes in Boston and is a regular MC at a variety of events as well as co-producing a longstanding theatrical production called Old School Game Show. She's a human mom and a dog mom.
ALICE C. LeBEAU
Head of Design
She/They
Alice is a product design manager working on Instagram DM’s.
Alice has designed mobile & web experiences for a number of products, ranging from early-stage startups to large software companies. She has also done a whole bunch of theater with this troupe.
Alice has degrees in Film and English from Mount Holyoke College, and currently lives in New York City.
Actors
Joshua Ilon
Juno Steel
LESLIE DRESCHER
Sir Caroline and other voices.
simon moody
Pilot Pereyra, Vivien, Croesus (Live Show), and other voices.
KATE JONES
Rita and other voices.
matthew zahnzinger
Sir Damien, Ramses, and other voices.
noah simes
Peter Nureyev, Lord Arum, and other voices.
kat buckingham
Alessandra Strong, Queen Mira, and other voices.
Our Artists
Milo Ellersick
Second Citadel - He/Him
Milo is an illustrator + cartoonist based in Oregon. He is also a cat father of two, bakes a lot of bread, and is a plant enthusiast. His work primarily focuses on queer identities & relationships while creating narratives juxtaposed by sincere, raw, or even chaotic emotions.
Sharon Oh
Juno Steel - She/Her
Sharon is a Korean-American character designer and game developer. She likes miniature things, chickens, angsty video games, and (of course) the one and only Juno Steel.
Contact Info
General inquiries: thepenumbrapodcast@gmail.com
Media and Merchandise inquiries: ginny@thepenumbrapodcast.com
Social Media
Facebook: facebook.com/thepenumbrapod
Twitter: @thepenumbrapod
Instagram: @thepenumbrapodcast
Tumblr: thepenumbrapodcast.tumblr.com
Brand Assets
Colored Logo
White Logo
The Penumbra Podcast's logo has been carefully designed and should never be altered in any way. If you require the logo in a specific format, please contact our designer Alice for assistance.
Schedule
The Penumbra Podcast releases episodes every other Tuesday.
LISTENER REVIEWS
I began listening due to a recommendation from a friend, and can honestly say I’m extremely glad I did. The stories are paced perfectly, with snappy dialogue and memorable characters that you can’t help but love, even after only half an hour... I’m eternally thankful for the wonderful queer representation all across the spectrum, and I can’t describe the delight I felt in the first episode when I realized they weren’t actually queer-baiting. If you’re on the fence, give this a listen.
I love this podcast with every fiber of my being... Between the characters, the storytelling, the voice acting, and the representation, I’ve become very attached to this show since the first episode. In particular, the fact that Juno is genderqueer is incredibly important to me because there aren’t many characters I can relate to in that aspect. When I learned that he is genderqueer I genuinely started crying because of how happy I was. However, this is a show you can enjoy even if you aren’t a member of the LGBT community. I’d sincerely like to thank everyone involved in making The Penumbra Podcast and to encourage those who haven’t listened to this podcast to do so.
I went into this podcast mostly blind... So when I found that that Juno Steel took place in one of my favorite genres and was brilliantly written, with high stakes and higher sound quality, and with amazing characters that I fell in love with pretty much instantly, I was floored. Absolutely amazing all around. I’ve already re-listened to a few episodes and I’m sure this is going to be on repeat for years to come.