Traverse City High School (TCHS) language arts students spent the past several months working in collaboration with English as a Second Language and Audio Writing students from Interlochen Arts Academy (IAA) to create and perform an original radio drama. TCHS students also created an NPR-style interview introduction to the live performance based on interviews they conducted with local experts in their fields. The interviews and performance served as catalysts for understanding how a past event in Michigan history connects to contemporary issues and shapes our understanding of the value of human life.
George Zarr, world recognized radio drama producer, has worked closely with the students throughout the project by overseeing the process, writing original music for the performance, and producing the audio CD of the performances and interviews.
The students’ final work will air this weekend, May 10-11, on Interlochen Public Radio (IPR). The radio dramas, “The Lost Journals of Dr. William Beaumont” and “The Dr. Beaumont Roundtable” will air back-to-back on Saturday, May 10th, from 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. and on Sunday, May 11th, from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. The two programs are described below:
“The Lost Journals of Dr. William Beaumont: A Speculative Docu-drama” –A lighthearted yet provocative half hour audio drama based on the pioneering work of Dr. William Beaumont, the historical Michigan figure who in the 1820’s revolutionized our understanding of the human digestive system.
“Dr. William Beaumont Roundtable" – An analysis program following the audio drama. It peels back the historical layers of the Dr. William Beaumont story, considering past events in the context of today. This radio roundtable discussion includes interviews of a historian, two philosophers, and a nurse about the historical, medical, and ethical issues raised by Dr. Beaumont’s experiments.
This project was made possible by a Michigan People, Michigan Places, Our Stories, Our Lives grant received through the Michigan Humanities Council. Please contact Mary Preston at 933-5874 for further information.