A Transcriber’s Tale. Written by Joanna Parson. Directed by Aimee Todoroff. Produced by Michael Blaha of Fringe Management and Lee Costello. Music Direction by Drew Wutke.

From Connecticut to the Big Apple, Joanna Parson arrived to fulfill her New York dreams. But like everyone else, she needed money to survive. That’s when she found a job as a transcriber. This type of job requires listening to video or audio recordings and turning it into text. News, fashion, TV shows, good news, bad news, and everything in between needed to be transcribed. Being in the front line of information was great, except for a caveat. Salary raises were basically non-existent.

Back in 2001, transcribing, performing at comedy clubs, writing music, auditioning for musicals, and dating an interesting guy named Justin sounded amazing for Joanna. Until 9/11 happened. This event changed many people’s perceptions and made them re-evaluate their lives, especially for the ones living in New York. One of them was Justin, who decided to move to Minneapolis. The whole ordeal took a toll on Joanna, who found a new companionship: Whisky. No, not a dog or a cat, but the liquor. From there on, it was a journey of self-discovery.

A Transcriber’s Tale is a minimalist show, the main ingredients are Joanna’s ability as a storyteller and her musical skills. Joanna’s story is a testament of the chaotic environment of the late 1990s and early 2000s during the dotcom bubble and its disastrous burst. In addition to that, living the 9/11 experience transcribing the local, national, and international turmoil that ensued, was an experience like no other. At the end of the day, Joanna had to decide what to do with her life. Did New York make her thrive, or was she consumed by the big city lights? Music, comedy, and a transcriber job tells the story.

A Transcriber’s Tale

The Broadwater (Black Box)
6322 Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90038

Wednesday June 26 2024, 8:00 PM

Saturday June 29 2024, 3:00 PM

Tickets: hollywoodfringe.org/projects/10852

Written and performed by Joanna Parson. Directed by Aimee Todoroff. Produced by Michael Blaha of Fringe Management and Lee Costello. Music Direction by Drew Wutke.