LEAD is a true story performed in the theatrical style of a narrative drama with humor and an inviting intimacy. Brought to life by an extraordinary cast through direct address, flashback scenes, and detailed realistic foley, the listener is transported into the daily life and high stakes reality of a family with a sick child searching for answers. This SAG micropodcast was funded by the money I made from my job as a NICU nurse, where I specialize in lactation.
Our primary goal was to pass The Lead Paint Right to Know Act in 2025. Senator Breslin calls this the most significant piece of legislation to end childhood lead poisoning in the last 30 years. This act simply ensures a buyer or renter will be provided with the knowledge of whether or not lead is present in the home and where it is located so they can protect themselves and their family; an inexpensive common sense bill with massive returns facing an insuperable climb due to the power of real estate in NYS.
If TLPRTKA was in place when the dust infiltrated our apartment, I would have known the dust had lead in it and my son wouldn’t have gotten sick. People have the right to know if their home is safe. In 2024, 4,655 children in the city of New York were diagnosed with lead poisoning and thousands more across the state. This past August, the CDC estimated over 500,000 children in the US have unsafe blood lead levels.
“You should cut the dialogue.” Andy, my award-winning sound mixer husband, said to me as my mouth flapped open. I’m not one to shy away from learning something new, I had just finished recording my first podcast, LEAD, managing a cast of over 40 actors, including Merritt Wever, Alessandro Nivola, and Cynthia Nixon.
“You’re the one with the Emmy!” I retorted. Sensing my panic, Andy said, “You know the dialogue better than anyone. You’re the one to do this.”
Andy taught me how to use Pro Tools, and with each new command firmly under my belt, I became enthralled with the endless possibilities of podcasts - this bridge connecting the intimacy of theater with the limitlessness of film. Cutting dialogue melded seamlessly with my lyricist brain. There is a beat, a rhythm, a melody to podcasts; when the dialogue, foley, and music come together it resonates like a soul-shaking orchestral masterpiece.
The first time I listened to the first cut, I realized how perfect this medium was for the audience to embody, to actually live in our experience. When Cooper and I started lobbying, it became apparent how powerful personal stories were in changing minds, hearts, and then legislation. Now, as I listened to Merritt’s stunning, humble, funny, empathetic performance, I knew the audience would care about our family and if they cared about our family, than they would care about this cause. But something very unexpected happen: for the first time in all the years since my son’s diagnosis, I didn’t feel alone. Here was one of my dearest friends, living what I lived through, she had an understanding of what the life of a mother with a sick child was like day in and day out - the terror, the confusion, the joy, the heartache.
Jumping from the current day direct-address to scenes that flashbacked into the past was going to be tricky. The rules of the world had to be crystal clear so we could ground the audience in time, circumstances, and place. Foley and room tone were the key to the success or epic failure of this adventure. I started with my apartment - recording door slams, footsteps, clinking of dishes, anything that oriented the audience and fully immersed them in our lives. I even combed through our own home videos and ripped the audio off to make the listening experience as authentic as possible.
The last day of voting in the state senate for TLPRTKA fell, serendipitously, on the day of our event at Tribeca Festival. The bill has sailed through the assembly with the largest margin yet: 160 to 42. But again, the real estate billionaires got their way and the bill was never even brought to the floor. But Assemblymen Rivera, the sponsor of the bill, called and said, “Shannon, I’m not giving up. You’re not giving up. And we are going to do this again next year and the year after that and the year after that until we get this done.”
This fall, I teamed up with Lead Free Kids NY for a six-city listening tour of the podcast during National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week - bringing the power of storytelling to various communities (e.g. medical schools, clinics, hospitals, community centers, churches) across NYS. At these unique listening experiences, the audience wore Silent Disco headphones to immerse themselves in the podcast, followed by a panel discussion with creatives, affected community members, medical experts, and policymakers. During our Buffalo stop, I was presented with a proclamation from Assemblymember Rivera, signed by Governor Hochul.
In continuation of this service to the community, we have elevated the voices of lead affected families by creating a platform through our new interview series "LEAD Talks". Due to high demand sparked by this podcast, I'm starting a 501(c)3 to support listening events/presentations at such organizations as NYCLU, Downstate Medical, and for medical/nursing/public policy students.
On an international level, former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently declared lead exposure as one of his top two priorities for his foundation - providing the necessary funding for UNICEF’s Partnership for a Lead Free Future (PLF) and The Lead Exposure Elimination Project (LEEP). This fall, PLF invited Cooper and I to their UNICEF/PLF Event at the UN for the unveiling of UNICEF’s challenge to world leaders: end childhood lead poisoning by 2040. During the presentation, among the distinguished ministers and dignitaries, the director of PLF called out Cooper for his advocacy on ending childhood lead poisoning in NYS.
