Thanks to the generous support of the Char and Chuck Fowler Family Foundation <https://fowlerfamilyfdn.org/>, we are pleased to announce our newest live radio play series! The Audio Gallery Series will take place at the Negative Space Art Gallery <https://thinknegativespace.weebly.com/> located at 3820 Superior Avenue in Cleveland. Our first three shows are now on sale: September 11 – *Destination Freedom: An Evening of African American Radio Plays* Between 1948 and 1950, a radio series called Destination Freedom aired on WMAQ, a local Chicago NBC station. Richard Durham created Destination Freedom in an attempt to profile significant African American historical figures and their contributions to American democracy and freedom. Durham was an African American journalist, poet, dramatist, labor organizer, and one-time Communist Party member, who began his career as part of the Writer’s Project of the WPA and later worked as a writer for The Chicago Defender. In an era when African Americans were increasingly visible in the arts, though not always in positive roles, Durham’s scripts attempted to reclaim a triumphant narrative of African American history. A discussion of the history of the series and the themes explored in the plays will follow the performance. October 30 – *War of the Worlds* 87 years ago, Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre on the Air shocked the nation with their broadcast of H.G. Welles’ classic story of aliens from Mars invading Earth. With its “live as it happens” breaking news narrative style, Americans were convinced that the story was real and fled from their homes in terror. ROTLT will bring this thrilling play to life, followed by a discussion with local journalists on the impact of the initial broadcast (perhaps the first instance of a “fake news” story in our history) and the state of journalism in 2025. December 4 – *A Tale of Two Cities* One of Charles Dickens’ most revered stories. As the French Revolution unfolds in 1789, both the French and the English are affected by the consequences. Justice, class, sacrifice, love, and duty are put to the test as leaders are beheaded and a people rebel. The performance will be followed by a discussion with writers and sociologists about the legacy of the story and the continuing class struggle Americans face in modern society. Tickets are $15 - and members of Radio on the Lake Theatre's Stakeholders Club receive a $5 discount on each ticket. All performances start at 7:30 pm. Buy tickets HERE <https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/audio-gallery-radio-play-series-at-negative-space-4480463> . To learn more about the Stakeholders Club visit our website <https://www.radioonthelaketheatre.org/donate> or send an email to info@radioonthelaketheatre.org.