Listen: David Byrne Talks THEATER OF THE MIND on DESTINATION FREEDOM BLACK RADIO DAYS Podcast

Academy, Grammy, and Tony Award-winning artist David Byrne appeared on the "Destination Freedom Black Radio Days" podcast, in a 3-part series featuring Byrne's immersive theatrical experience, THEATER OF THE MIND. The episode is available to listen to below!

The previous episodes in the series feature the show's Director, Andrew J. Scoville, and Producer Charlie Miller. The production is currently playing through December 18, 2022, at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts in Denver, CO.

Co-created by David Byrne and writer Mala Gaonkar, THEATER OF THE MIND is a new theatrical experience you'll see, feel, taste and hear. Inspired by both historical and current neuroscience research, the show takes you on an immersive journey inside how we see and create our worlds. Peer behind the curtain of the physical realm and marvel at the wonders of your mind. Follow your Guide as they revisit key moments in their life in a surreal, 15,000-square-foot installation with a group of just 16 audience members.

Hosted by actor donnie l. betts, "Destination Freedom Black Radio Days" is a live radio show that picks up where the first nationwide African-American radio drama, produced in Chicago by Richard Durham more than sixty years ago, left off. The show walked a daring line between reform and revolution, and was shut down by its network in 1950, as McCarthyism and anti-communism tightened its grip on American broadcasting. As well as drawing on the archive of Destination Freedom (now branded Black Radio Days classic) this program illuminates a largely unknown, but important chapter in the history of human rights and tells how radio played its part from the very beginning. That boundary-breaking program, Destination Freedom, dramatized the lives of great figures in African-American and other people of color past and present, continues in its spirit with all-new scripts.

donnie l. betts (lowercase is intentional) is a founding member of two theatre companies in Denver, Colorado, City Stage Ensemble and Denver Black Arts Company. He attended Yale School of Drama. His theatre performance credits include "The Gospel at Colonus" on Broadway, "The Warrior Ant" at Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) as well as many regional performances including "Spunk", "Driving Miss Daisy", "Home", "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom", "Joe Turner's Come and Gone". Theatre directing credits include, "House With No Walls" , "Citizen" and "Black With A Capital B, Skelton Crew for Curious, "Proof", "Emperor Jones", "Zora", "Slut Energy Theory", Denver and Dallas and at the Cherry Lane Theatre in New York, "Crumbs From The Table of Joy, K2, Color Purple, Who Killed Jigaboo Jones, I Go On Singing the Life of Paul Robeson, Black Elk Speaks, Porgy and Bess, The Mountain Top for which he received a Henry Award for Best Director. betts also recently received John Madden Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award from CBCA.

His film performance credits include "Switchback" and "Honeydripper" both directed by John Sayles. His production company, No Credits Productions produces the award-winning radio drama series "Destination Freedom, Black Radio Days", and documentary films including "Music is My Life, Politics My Mistress: The Story of Oscar Brown Jr." screened at over 25 film festivals worldwide, won eleven "Best Documentary", Audience's Choice Awards and aired on PBS plus stations nationwide, His film, "Dearfield: The Road Less Traveled" a docudrama about the all-black town in northern Colorado was nominated for an Emmy. He won an Emmy for "My Voice" a film on spoken word artist/actor Jeff Campbell. His films Lincoln Hills and Dr. Justina Ford currently air on RMPBS.org. donnie is a skilled facilitator of conversations about Race and inclusion in America having facilitated or created programs for History Colorado, area high schools and Curious Theatre. He produces "The Why" Women of Power TV series. betts is currently in production on the film "Beyond Chaos" Is America Possible. A look at America's democracy told through the lens of an intergenerational America. Also is production "Stop Resisting" a deep dive into policing in America.His recent podcast "A Letter From Heaven to America from Emmett Till marked the 65th anniversary of the killing of 14 year Till betts paired it with a concert for Elijah McClain with the blessings of both families. The audio drama has been nominated for a NABJ Award.

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