THE WHOLE HALF
WJLB is a crumbling but loved radio station created for and by Black folks. Despite everything, it has and will continue to survive and stand the test of time. In 1969 the station is inherited by Cap, a natural-born entertainer searching for love. He runs the radio with Okra, a quick-witted survivalist who dreams of a love-filled future with Cap. Like the station, Aunt Sistah seems to always be around, even though she’s grieving the death of her daughter and seeking deliverance for her sins. The unlikely trio struggles to maintain the station’s legacy despite love triangles, the Vietnam War, community troublemakers, financial burdens, and their own egos. Over the course of 30 years, the radio station persists as the characters of the play slowly discover how to make themselves whole.
CONTENTIOUS WOMAN
This play is a work song. It’s full of dreams, of anticipating the workday to end, and soft off days that still require work. Set in 1919 as well as present-day, 5 courageous Black women, who work as stemmers at a tobacco factory, navigate love and question what they want in life, and what ‘success’ means. Through poetry, song, dialogue, and choreography, they endure their laborious lives and make complex, yet necessary decisions.