JaxPlays Green Room: Sean Daniels on 'The White Chip' and Finding Sobriety in Jacksonville

In this episode of The JaxPlays Green Room, Ray Hollister talks with playwright Sean Daniels about his semi-autobiographical play The White Chip, which comes to Players by the Sea August 22–31. Daniels reflects on how Jacksonville played a pivotal role in his own sobriety, the people and science that helped shape his recovery, and how he balances humor and vulnerability when telling such a personal story.

The conversation explores the origins of The White Chip, the importance of breaking stigma around addiction, and the ways theatre can open space for honest, sometimes difficult, conversations. Daniels also shares the formative theatre experiences that first sparked his love of the stage and the unexpected ways audiences have connected with the play.

The following transcript has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Ray Hollister: Welcome to the JaxPlays Green Room. I’m your host, Ray Hollister, and I’m joined by playwright Sean Daniels. Sean Daniels is an internationally recognized playwright, director and arts advocate known for championing new work and using theater to spark conversations about addiction and recovery. He co-founded Dad’s Garage Theater in Atlanta, served as the artistic director at Merrimack Repertory Theater, and held leadership roles at Actors Theater of Louisville and California Shakespeare Theater.

Today, he leads a recovery arts project, developing plays, education programs and outreach that address the stigma surrounding substance use. His semi-autobiographical play, The White Chip — a darkly funny and deeply honest account of his own journey — has been produced off Broadway and at theaters across the U.S. and internationally. Now it’s coming to Jacksonville with Players by the Sea from August 22 through August 31. Hi Sean, thanks for joining me today.

Sean Daniels: Oh my God, my pleasure. Thank you so much for having me.

Ray: I want to talk about the origins of the play and its themes and why the story continues to resonate with audiences everywhere. But first — just for a little curveball — do you remember the very first play you ever saw that made you think, “I want to be a part of this world”?

Sean: You know, I think it was probably… my parents went to theater all the time. And so I remember — which was probably not a good production — but a production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat that I was like, “This is funny. This is hilarious. Oh my God, this is moving.” I’ve kind of purposely never seen it again because I don’t want to know if it holds up or not. Later, I remember they took me to Our Town, and that was a play that blew my mind in terms of the twists that plays could have. So probably those two really introduced me to what the art form could do.

Ray: Joseph is definitely one of those that can be amazing or excruciating — it really depends.

Sean: I don’t even know that I would have known the difference at the time. God knows what tour I was watching, but it was transformative for me.

Ray: Let’s dig into your show The White Chip a little bit. I know it draws heavily from your own life. What made you decide this was a story you needed to tell on stage?

Sean: Part of it is that Jacksonville is where I got sober — that’s the town I came to. In many ways, Jacksonville saved my life, which I know is not a sentence often said, but it’s true. While I was here, a group of gentlemen introduced me to the science of addiction — brain chemistry, neural pathways, neuroplasticity — all things I’d never heard before. After a year and a half of trying to get sober, I wanted to create something that included that science and humor, because no one ever talks about the science and no one ever does anything funny about addiction. I started to write the thing I couldn’t find.

Ray: How do you strike the balance between humor and vulnerability when telling such a personal and difficult story?

Sean: I don’t know any very serious moments in life that don’t have humor in them. Humor is a way to cut through the heaviness, especially when people’s eyes glaze over at the topic of addiction. Once you’ve laughed with someone, you can have a real conversation. And AA rooms are full of great storytellers with dark humor — TV never shows that truth.

Ray: The play is about addiction and recovery, but it’s not just for people in recovery. What’s the universal takeaway you hope audiences leave with?

Sean: We want it to be a great night at the theater. The best stories are so specific they become universal. In New York, we had people come up after every performance ready to get help — and others who simply enjoyed the story from a perspective outside their own.

Ray: You’ve been an advocate for using the arts to spark conversations about recovery. How have audiences responded?

Sean: The arts are how we change what people believe. Look at how TV and theater changed the conversation around gay marriage — I want to do that for addiction. It’s the leading killer of Americans 18–49, yet there’s still stigma and silence.

Ray: What role do you see theater playing in breaking down stigma?

Sean: Theater doesn’t solve problems outright, but it forces people into a shared space, builds empathy and creates openings for conversation. Just talking about addiction openly is a first step toward getting help.

Ray: Were there moments where you worried humor might undercut the seriousness?

Sean: We did have to calibrate it. Too much humor and people stop caring, too much heaviness and they check out. Luckily, the base story is heavy enough that we were usually looking for places to add humor, not take it away.

Ray: Are there scenes that always land with audiences?

Sean: The storyline with my mother — we share the same sobriety date, one year apart — always connects. Problematic parents are pretty universal.

Ray: Addiction is often portrayed in extremes. How did you find nuance and authenticity?

Sean: When people are drunk, they’re usually trying to hold it together. That’s a bigger acting challenge — to show the subtleties, not just the clichés.

Ray: What excites you most about seeing other companies produce The White Chip?

Sean: Every director and actor brings their own stamp. Every production is different, and I love seeing new interpretations.

Ray: For those hesitant to see a play about addiction, what would you say?

Sean: It’s also about family, love, survival — and it’s funny. It’s not a TED Talk, it’s a good night out.

Ray: How has your relationship with the story changed over time?

Sean: Fourteen years later, I’m a different person. I’m glad I wrote it when I did, but I see parts now that make me cringe — and that’s growth.

Ray: If you could hand this play to yourself during your darkest days, how would you react?

Sean: I’d be surprised I made it through. Back then, I didn’t think I could — especially with my hang-ups about the “God” part of AA. Science gave me another way in.

Ray: The title The White Chip is familiar in recovery circles. Why keep it?

Sean: In AA, a white chip marks a desire to stop drinking. I had so many because I relapsed often. For me, it symbolizes that struggle.

Ray: One last question — what’s something you wish interviewers would ask?

Sean: Your question about giving the play to my past self. It’s easy to be flippant about survival, but the truth is, it wasn’t a given I’d make it. The stakes are real — we lose someone in this country every seven minutes to addiction.

Ray: Sean, thanks so much for joining me. Players by the Sea’s production of The White Chip is playing at the Foundation Academy Theater from August 22 through August 31.

Sean: Thank you for having me.