The limited-run narrative podcast series Short of Breath is a small-scale socioeconomic thriller focusing on problems relevant to contemporary working-class American life. While rooted in real human interactions, the series has the tenor, structure and tempo of a melodrama and thriller.

Set in the days leading up to the election of Donald Trump, Short of Breath follows Olissa, a single mother and recovering addict in her early 30s who loses her factory job in the series’ first scene. It’s terrible luck and even worse timing. This event, happening at the end of a shift on a Friday, starts a ticking clock for Olissa, as a judge refuses to postpone a custody hearing for her young daughter scheduled just three days away. It’s an all-or-nothing, last-chance situation for Olissa. She has only that weekend to find a decent job and clean up her act once and for all, or risk losing her daughter.

Short of Breath was conceived by filmmaker Dustin Morrow in response to the challenges faced by working Americans following the election of Donald Trump. It’s a prescient series. An urgent series.

Produced in Portland, Oregon, Short of Breath was directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker and professor Dustin Morrow and features a script by award-winning L.A.-based screenwriter Leah Welch. It was recorded and edited by Jubel Brosseau, produced by Christi Dodge, and features an amazing ensemble cast of Portland actors. The series can be found at your favorite podcast app.