John Coffey Refuses to Save the World

A while back, I received an email from a man named Al Letson.  Al had written a stage play entitled, John Coffey Refuses to Save the World, which he was going to record as an audio play.  Al was looking for someone to play the role of Morgan Freeman (or, rather, Morgan’s character in the play), and I popped up on an internet search.

I was incredibly flattered, and if I’m being honest, terribly afraid.  I was being offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to record live as part of an ensemble.  And that’s something I had never done before.  I didn’t know the rest of the cast.  I was worried I wasn’t good enough.

Thankfully, I was wrong and my fears were not realized.  I found my place among some of the most talented performers I’ve ever had the privilege to work with.  Literally the night we wrapped recording, much of the rest of the cast was attending a Jacksonville theater awards event, most as nominees.  As you’ll hear, they were incredible.

Since recording the play, I’ve learned that Al isn’t just a playwright.  He’s a brilliant creator, a poet, a performer, a Peabody award-winning journalist, and can be heard across the US (on NPR) as the host of Reveal, from the Center for Investigative Reporting.  I highly recommend following him on Twitter, @Al_Letson.

As for the play, I believe it was in limbo for a while.  But, with the birth of Al’s new Errthang Podcast – John Coffey Refuses to Save the World was re-released, and is now available through Radiotopia (and can be found on many podcasting and streaming apps).  It’s also available below, in two parts.

Part One

Part Two

Enjoy!