KMUW’s Carla Eckels to Host ‘TJ Crowley’ Premiere Listening Event
Carla Eckels will moderate a panel discussion at the premiere listening event on Sunday, June 9, at Holy Savior Catholic Academy in Wichita.
WICHITA, Kan. (GVP) – Nationally acclaimed broadcast journalist Carla Eckels will moderate a panel discussion at the premiere listening event for the new audio drama, “The Real Education of TJ Crowley: Coming of Age on the Redline,” on Sunday, June 9, at Holy Savior Catholic Academy in Wichita. Sponsored by Fidelity Bank and the Wichita Arts Council, the event begins at 1:30 p.m. and will include selected scenes from the audio, a fictional account of actual events that occurred on the Redline in Wichita during a pivotal time in American history.
Eckels has been the Director of Organizational Culture at KMUW since 1996. An award-winning announcer and news producer, she also produces and hosts the R&B and gospel show "Soulsations," airing Sundays at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. With her monthly segment "In the Mix," Eckels brings stories of race and culture to the program "The Range."
“We are truly honored that Carla will bring her bright personality and community awareness to our event,” said Grant Overstake, the audiobook’s co-author and executive producer. “We are eager for Wichita to experience samples of the audio and hear the discussion panelists. It promises to be a truly great celebration.”
Led by multi-award-winning actors Dani Martineck as TJ Crowley, Dion Graham, and Tavia Gilbert, this immersive drama features a 15-member cast of national audio luminaries. The event celebrates the release of the audio by Blackstone Publishing on June 11, 2024, with excerpts introducing the audience to the characters, storyline, and major themes.
Adapted from the novel The Real Education of TJ Crowley by Grant Overstake, and co-authored and directed by award-winning producer May Wuthrich with John Marshall Media, the audio drama brings to life authentically realized characters on both sides of the racial divide in a historically segregated city.
Set in 1968, at the height of the Civil Rights movement, school integration, and the Vietnam War, the drama delves into the impact of Redlining, a discriminatory practice that divided American cities and profoundly affected residents' lives. This hard-hitting yet hopeful dramatization captures the hopes and fears of a young teen finding his place in a racially divided community.
Sponsored by Fidelity Bank and the Wichita Arts Council, the listening event begins at 1:30 p.m. and will feature selected scenes from the audio. Eckels will moderate a panel that includes the author and Sheila Brown Kinnard, Andy Bias, and Dr. Michael Birzer, all of whom served as resources and inspiration for the story and will share their insights and experiences about the era.
The discussion will take place in the same neighborhood where the story is set. Eckels will moderate a panel that includes the author and other local residents: Sheila Brown Kinnard, Andy Bias, and Dr. Michael Birzer, all of whom served as resources and inspiration for the story and will share their insights and experiences about the era. Sheila Brown Kinnard performs a role inspired by her mother, Josephine Brown, the founder of the ARISE Ensemble, whose soul-stirring music enriches the listening experience.
Rounding out the cast are: Golden Voice Award-winners, Michael Crouch, Kevin R. Free and Johnny Heller, along with Ari Fliakos, Graham Halstead, Kirby Heyborne, Thérèse Plummer, Brittany Pressley, Shayna Small and John Wright.
Led by Dani Marteneck, upper left, the TJ Crowley Audio Drama features 15 actors voicing 24 roles, with Dion Graham, Tavia Gilbert, Johnny Heller, Kevin R. Free, Shayna Small, Ari Fliakos, Michael Crouch, Kirby Heyborne, Graham Halstead, Peter Berkrot, Thérèse Plummer, Brittany Pressley, John Wright, and Sheila Brown Kinnard.
The audio drama is a major humanities project sponsored by the Youth Educational Empowerment Program (YEEP), with major funding from the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Additional support comes from the United Way of the Plains, Wichita State University's Shocker Studios, Massachusetts Mutual Insurance, as well as individual patrons.
Content Advisory
Some content may be too intense for sensitive listeners. Parental guidance is suggested. (Rated PG: Age 13+) To learn more, visit www.tjcrowleyaudiodrama.com
WORLD RELEASE COMING JUNE 11TH, 2024!
Based on the novel by Grant Overstake, script adaptation by the author and May Wuthrich.
Read by a full cast.
Published by GRAIN VALLEY PUBLISHING, LLC
Available June 11, 2024