The Radio Show

The Radio Show

The Radio Show is broken up into various shorter works that blend my fondest memories of driving with my family and of listening to Pittsburgh’s radio stations Hot 106.7 FM WAMO and its sister station AM 860. On September 8, 2009, WAMO, the only urban radio station in Pittsburgh sadly, went off-air. With the turmoil surrounding the death of 16-year-old Darrion Albert in Chicago discussed over the airwaves of radio stations around the world, I wondered how aware listeners were to the goings on in other urban communities around the country now that this voice had been taken away. Without Black radio, where is the audible voice of the Black community? Radio was so prevalent during times of strife in the past. Where is its place today? Is radio fading away? Are we still listening? Reinterpreting those questions into the context of my father's diagnosis of Alzheimer’s ten years ago and his more recent aphasia-afflicted conditions is where these losses of a voice find a common thread.

CHOREOGRAPHY
Kyle Abraham

Lighting Design

Dan Scully

Costume Design

Sarah Cubbage

Premiere Cast

Kyle Abraham, Maureen Wright, Samantha Farrow, Raja Feather Kelly, Jeremy Nedd, Amber Lee Parker, Rachelle Rafailedes

DURATION
1 hour 5 minutes

PREMIERE
Kelly Strayhorn Theater, Pittsburgh, PA