Meet Liane Moonraven: Maven of Horror Audio Theater and Creator of "The Burbs"

Washington, DC 3-7-2016

It might come as a surprise to some that rising Horror Maven Liane Moonraven, Creator and President of The Carmen Online Theater Group and writer of such demented tales as The Ravens, The Broken Sword, and The Burbs, is really not a huge fan of horror movies. "I am actually terrified of them," says Moonraven.  I am that person who has her face covered almost the entire time watching a horror movie,"she laughs. Still, she's fascinated by horror and the occult and has been ever since 2005.  That's when she and her family moved into a new neighborhood and over the course of 10 years she says, they experienced some very strange and unusual things, not only in her home but all around them. "The Burbs," Moonraven's all-original Audio Theater Horror Series is based on those actual, true events, she said.  It is written, produced and directed by Moonraven, starring Dahjn Maria Gomez as Lisa Sheraton and Siara Tyr as Brittany Sheraton. 

"The one thing that stood out to me was the amount of road kill - dead animals in our community.  They seemed to be everywhere and not just on the road, but dead animals that had been hit so violently that their entrails laid strewn behind the mutilated carcasses like party favors. Vultures surrounded the carcasses and stared from the tree-lined winding country roads, creating a dark and eerie feeling. I started researching the area and was shocked to learn it had a dark history with a recurring theme-death," said Moonraven. 

​Moonraven said she shared the details of these strange events with an actor/director friend, detailing how so many people in her neighborhood had moved out with their abandoned homes sitting empty for years, with no one every moving in them again. "I told my friend it would make for a great horror story," said Moonraven. 

​That conversation she said stuck in her head and sort of created a life of its own." It grew and grew and I set out writing it down - in the form of short snippets, designed to be bite-sized pieces suitable for audio theater. I had completed the third script and became so spooked out (I was still living in that house) that I put the series aside for about six months. After finally leaving that area, I sat back down and resumed my writing, feeling stronger and more secure!," she added.

​I cast as the lead character - veteran actress, Dahjn Maria Gomez (pronounced: Don), as Lisa Sheraton. I  wanted writer/author Siara Tyr to play the role of Lisa's daughter, Brittany Sheraton. When both artists agreed, I found a sound engineer and The Burbs was born.

​The plan said Moonraven, was to write six episodes per season and to firmly keep each episode at ten minutes only. No more, no less with the understanding that most people don't usually have an hour to sit and listen to an entire podcast at one time. She had no idea the series would become so popular. 

​"We have enjoyed an amazingly successful first two seasons and have received tremendous success and growth. The Burbs now has a cast of fourteen which is a deliciously diverse mixture of seasoned, veteran actors, voice actors and new comers to the biz. They are dedicated, loyal, hard-working group of wonderfully talented artists," said Moonraven. 

In a recent interview, when asked how she finds certain "places" for some of her darker characters, Liane Moonraven responded, "You wouldn't understand. I think women have that special kind of crazy on lock down. A type of crazy that men don't really get," she said. 

• After the sudden and unexpected death of her husband, Lisa Sheraton and her 14-year-old daughter start their lives over by moving to a new town. Lisa believes leaving their old home and painful memories behind will be good for her only child, Brittany. 

  It doesn't take long for Lisa to find a place she feels is quite suitable for them. Because of the money left to her by her husband's substantial life insurance policy, Lisa knows that, at least financially, she won't have to worry about surviving.

  Although their loss is great, both mother and daughter are glad to be together and starting the next chapter of their lives.

  If only they could have known what awaits them....

  To interview Liane Moonraven,  Creator and President of The Carmen Online Theater Group and Writer / Creator / Executive Producer of The Burbs, contact Publicist Tandi Wilder of She Got Game Media (305-520-9703).