FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- NEW YORK, April 1, 2026 — Writer, performer, producer, and Rockland County native Paul Halley announces the forthcoming release of TURN: A One-Man Audio Drama, an unapologetic work of autobiographical fiction that captures the frantic intersection of manic ambition and the search for self. Written for a young adult audience, TURN will be released as a spoken word album in May 2026 for mental health awareness month. Set against the backdrop of 2017, TURN chronicles a high-stakes gamble for identity that moves from Paul’s childhood bedroom in the Hudson Valley of New York to the manicured lawns of a California luxury rehab.
The Listener Experience: A Front-Row Seat to the Lived Experience of Mania
Unlike a traditional audiobook, TURN utilizes the "one-man audio drama" format to create a claustrophobic, immersive psychological landscape. Listeners aren't just hearing a story; they are trapped inside Paul’s psyche during a period of escalating manic despair.
The experience is designed to be visceral and, at times, unsettling. As Paul spins a scheme to sign up for a stay at a luxury California rehab—convinced that fame lies just on the other side of the intake form—the audience becomes a silent witness to a mental health crisis of a young adult, in real-time. There is a haunting tension in the "play" button: the listener watches someone they have come to know literally “turn” into someone else. The listener is powerless to intervene as he runs off into a manic void, leaving his unsuspecting mother behind.
It is a rare, honest look at the momentum of a breakdown and the terrifying distance between the person we want to be and the person we are becoming.
The Story: A Young Man in a Fractured State, Running Away to the Golden State
At 23, Paul is trapped in a cycle of manic despair. Driven by a desperate need for recognition, he exaggerates his way into a prestigious California recovery center—not to heal, but to find a shortcut to stardom. What begins as a calculated scheme quickly unravels. Forced to confront the reality of his own mind, Paul flees the facility, disappearing from his family’s reach and descending into a journey that leads him exactly where he belongs.
“In this story, I wanted to show what it feels like when the masks we wear finally crack. It’s about the distance between who we want the world to see and who we actually are when all of the lights go out," Halley said. "Most of all, in releasing this project to the world, my ultimate wish is to inspire other people to find their voice through deep reflection and make sense of their lived experiences through a creative outlet that is meaningful for them.
Told in 10 spoken chapters,TURN is a messy, honest, and visceral coming-of-age story with young-adult themes surrounding mental health and the LGBTQ+ identity. It examines the terrifying moment when a person begins to turn into someone unrecognizable—and the grueling, but rewarding, process of turning around to face themselves in the mirror. At first a story of breaking down, TURN becomes a story of building yourself up – and refusing to break apart.
A Singular Audio Production
The production features a high-caliber creative team:
- Writer & Narrator: Paul Halley
- Executive Producer: Paul Halley
- Recording Engineer: Tim Phillips at Mercy Sound Studios
- Mastering Engineer: Tim Boyce at The Sound Design
- Artist: Joe Weil & Toro Custom Projects
- The project’s roots trace back to a successful workshop at the Elmwood Playhouse in Nyack, NY, directed by Derek Tarson, where excerpts were first brought to life for a live audience in August 2024. Learn more about TURN: The Workshop.
ALBUM DETAILS:
- Title: TURN: A One-Man Audio Drama
- Summary: "It's 2017. In an episode of manic despair, Paul, an unstable 23-year-old from New York, exaggerates his way into a luxury California rehab center as a scheme to find fame and recognition in The Golden State. Upon his arrival, he is forced to reckon with the state of his own mental health until he is compelled to run off the property, leaving his unsuspecting mother unaware of his whereabouts — and leaving himself to end up where he really belongs. In this messy, imperfect, and ultimately honest coming-of-age story, TURN shows its audience what it feels like to watch someone turn into somebody else — and what it takes for them to turn around and look at themselves in the mirror."
- Author/Narrator: Paul Halley
- Length: Approximately 90 minutes
- Publisher: Spoken Foundry Studios
- Release Date: TURN: A One-Man Audio Drama will be available on major streaming platforms on May 10, 2026.
- Platforms: Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, iTunes
- Category: Young Adult / Autobiographical Fiction / Coming of Age / LGBTQ+ / Mental Health
- Format: Spoken Word Album
- Language: English
- Copyright: Text 2018–2026; Production 2026
About Paul Halley
Paul Halley is a New York-based writer and performer from Rockland County. TURN represents nearly a decade of creative development, blending personal history with dramatic fiction & performance to explore themes of mental health, identity, and the natural, human pursuit of recognition and validation. Paul graduated from SUNY Potsdam in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in English and currently studies in the MFA program in Creative Writing at Manhattanville University.
Media Contact
Paul Halley
Founder, Spoken Foundry Studios LLC
Email | Website
