String Music
Black teen Tonio finds solace on the basketball court, but he soon becomes threatened by a gang. A white beat cop tries to help him stay safe in a crime-riddled DC neighbourhood.
Tonio is a teenager from a rough part of Washington DC who escapes his troubled life by playing pickup basketball. One afternoon, he impulsively insults some fellow players. They threaten him. He knows he鈥檚 in for a long drawn out struggle. A seasoned white cop patrolling the neighbourhood tries to protect Tonio because he knows he鈥檚 a good kid. The question is - what hope does a kindly cop have of preventing assault or worse? What will happen to Tonio now that a gang is after him?
String Music by George Pelecanos is from his short story collection The Martini Shot, adapted by Judith Kampfner. Crime writer Pelecanos tells stories about the area of DC where he grew up. For years, he鈥檚 observed life on the streets, in the clubs, parks and playgrounds of a bad neighbourhood and listened to the diversity of voices in his community. He has been called 鈥榯he Zola of Washington DC and Emmy nominated for his TV work, writing and producing for The Wire and Treme.
String Music is set in the summer of 2001 when DC had one of the highest murder rates in the country. The streets that are home to Tonio and Sergeant Peters are especially violent this summer weekend when both the humidity and the tension rise.
This is the second in a two part series, Black and Blue, about black men and the police in America, recorded and produced in New York City and broadcast on consecutive days. The cast - many of whom performed in the TV series The Wire - all come from the area of Washington DC where the story is set, giving the drama authentic characters with the distinctive 'street' accent.
Cast:
Tonio Harris鈥�.Nick Pelecanos
Uncle Gaylen鈥�.Thaddeus Street
James Wallace鈥�.Anwan Glover
Antuane鈥�..Malcolm Xavier
Dimitrius Johnson鈥�..Camari Brown
Peter Hawk鈥�..Eric Lockley
Mother鈥�..Cheronda Farrish
Sergeant Peters鈥�..Richard Pelzman
Officer Roberts鈥�..Peter S Cooper
Dispatcher鈥�..Sydney Beveridge
Latisha鈥�..Victoria Wallace
Boyfriend鈥�..Cole Taylor
Mrs Lang鈥�..Joy Jones
Tonya鈥�..Nyeema Carter
Sound Design by Charles De Montebello
Adapted and produced by Judith Kampfner
A Corporation for Independent Media production for 麻豆社 Radio 4
Last on
Clips
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'I try to keep cool - I'm faster, stronger, better'
Duration: 01:51
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'Don't look at me... shut up'
Duration: 00:57
Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Tonio Harris | Nick Pelecanos |
| Uncle Gaylen | Thaddeus Street |
| James Wallace | Anwan Glover |
| Antuane | Malcolm Xavier |
| Dimitrius Johnson | Camari Brown |
| Peter Hawk | Eric Lockley |
| Mother | Cheronda Farrish |
| Sergeant Peters | Richard Pelzman |
| Officer Roberts | Peter S Cooper |
| Dispatcher | Sydney Beveridge |
| Latisha | Victoria Wallace |
| Boyfriend | Cole Taylor |
| Mrs Lang | Joy Jones |
| Tonya | Nyeema Carter |
| Author | George Pelecanos |
| Adaptor | Judith Kampfner |
| Producer | Judith Kampfner |
Broadcasts
- Thu 28 Jul 2016 14:15麻豆社 Radio 4
- Wed 14 Nov 2018 14:15麻豆社 Radio 4
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