Episode 24: Emily Friedman, Actual Play, Critical Role, and Utopianism

In this episode, we speak with Emily Friedman, the Jean Wickstrom Liles Associate Professor at Auburn University, an 18th-century literary scholar by training who has become one of the leading academic experts on TTRPGs (tabletop role-playing games) like Dungeons & Dragons and 'Actual Play'.In speaking with Emily about TTRPGs and Actual Play, we consider how playing TTRPGs or watching or producing Actual Play content can be considered utopian: they are collaborative practices, often hold progressive values, allow us to measure different modes of living in both utopian and dystopian settings, and are rooted in care.Emily and Matt spend some time discussing Actual Play as a genre and consider how it unlocks possibilities not seen in other literary modes. This leads to a chat about Critical Role, one of the biggest Actual Play series (one of Matt and Liam's not-so-guilty interests!), and the utopianism found in the stories they tell and the community they have built.In closing, Emily and Matt turn to the political elements of TTRPGs and Actual Play, with Emily then sharing details of her upcoming projects and making a few recommendations for our listeners.You can find out more about Emily and her work on her website, on X, and on Bluesky.If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know! You can follow and rate the podcast, leave us a comment, or email us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]