Sydney Kate Watson, asst. arts & living editor
Berry College freshman Mariana Harrison stars as Tara Callahan in Wonkybot’s brand defining, podcast series “Tara Tremendous.” Wonkybot is an award-winning content and publishing company that creates one-of-a-kind intellectual properties to use in immersive and entertaining content experiences.
The award-winning podcast is in the top 1% of podcasts and listened to worldwide in 170 countries. The podcast, “Tara Tremendous ” follows main character, Tara Callahan, after she accidentally receives a remarkable number of superpowers, according to producer Stewart St. John.
“It’s an empowering story about a girl who, when the show began, [was] 11 years old, and she acquires accidentally the ability to tap into any superhero and their powers on earth and beyond,” St. John said.
St. John’s inspiration for the compelling heroine came from the time he has spent surrounded by the strong women in his family.
“I think that we need a young heroine who girls, and everybody, can look up to,” St. John said.
As the series progressed, Callahan aged and for season three it was necessary to bring in an older actress for the now 15-year-old character.
Harrison played a small part on a different Wonkybot podcast prior to her role as Callahan. After working with Harrison, St. John and his team thought of her when they needed to fill the role of 15-year-old Callahan.
However, since “Tara Tremendous” is Wonkybot’s chief podcast, St. John emphasized that choosing an actress was a serious decision.
“We’re super selective about who we choose to work with,” St. John said. “This is the flagship of our company. This is not just a show. It was a really big decision for us.”
While going through the audition, St. John and his team were looking for more than just acting abilities.
“It’s as important for people to be good people as it is to be talented, so we really look for both of those qualities when we’re casting,” St. John said.
After several rounds of auditioning, St. John heard Harrison exclaim a certain phrase of Tara Tremendous’s which secured Harrison the position.
“It was the way that she yelled out, ‘Summoning the power of,’” St. John said. “It was so convincing, and we said, ‘Okay, that’s it. She’s going to be able to do Tara [Tremendous].’”
Not only does Harrison possess immense voice acting abilities, but St. John emphasized that Harrison has the second facet of their requirements.
“She’s such a special person, and she’s just a really nice human being and super talented,” St. John said.
Harrison has not only enjoyed her role on the podcast, but she has also appreciated the opportunity to develop her voice acting ability.
“Some of the scenes are very dramatic and so those are so fun,” Harrison said. “As the show goes on, [Tara Tremendous] is a lot of different superheroes and some of those like require a little bit of different voices, which was fun to experiment with.”
As Harrison has noticed changes in her acting ability, so has her friend and Belmont University freshman voice actor Josiah Mustaleski. He plays the role of Seth Reynolds also known as “Remix” on “Tara Tremendous.”
“I think Tara Tremendous kind of brought out a different side [of Harrison’s voice acting abilities] that I hadn’t seen yet,” Mustaleski said.
St. John said that Harrison’s confidence has significantly increased as she has voiced Callahan, and the entire Wonkybot team is rooting for Harrison’s success.
“What we have noticed is the growth, the confidence in her acting ability which has been just really rewarding to see,” Harrison said. “We are just very proud of Mariana and can’t wait for people to hear what she’s up to in this new season.”
Between seasons three and four, the “Tara Tremendous” fan base longed for content that featured the beloved character, so St. John came up with an idea that gave fans what they had been craving.
“I came up with an idea of a situation in which Tara Tremendous is interviewing adult superheroes because she’s trying to learn about their powers,” St. John said.
The series is “Tara Tremendous Superhero Interviews.” Since Tara Tremendous is interviewing adult superheroes from her dorm room at Power University, Harrison has been able to create these audio recordings from her dorm room at Berry.
“I’ve actually recorded in my dorm room here which has been good,” Harrison said. “It’s a little bit of a different feel.”
Through the “Tara Tremendous” series and interview series spinoff, Harrison gives life to the superhero, but according to Harrison, the character continually impresses Harrison with her actions of kindness.
“She is such a cool character and like a very independent girl,” Harrison said. “In the script [Callahan is] always trying to do the right thing and be really supportive of the people around her. Although it’s not always perfect, she’s trying to think of other people before herself.”
St. John emphasized that the podcast’s mission is to be an uplifting and heartening presence in a world where positivity is not always easy to find.
“Parents are so happy when they find ‘Tara [Tremendous]’ because it’s something that’s clean and good and positive for their kids and for adults,” St. John said. “It’s very important to encourage and inspire a young generation.”
“Tara Tremendous” season four will be available beginning Friday, March 11, on Apple Podcasts without advertisements and all other podcast platforms with advertisements.