Act I Scene 1 - WURI

This is episode 1 of the full-length radio play about a college radio station in 1980!

1980 takes you back to the time when vinyl was king - and an inside track to the latest music was a prized commodity. Enter Rod Levers, a massively popular DJ whose knowledge of the 1980 music scene lends him outsized power and influence. And we all know what happens with power . . . Also enter Joey Normal, a kid fresh out of high school with some musical ideas of his own. For Joey, 1980 is all about the musical revolution of punk rock. And there's station director Mr. Ciarelli, a "product of the dinosaur rock generation." And Sue, who likes folk rock. And Meredith, who is hung up on the proto-EMO music of Joy Division and the Cure . . . And finally, Cookie Hooker, who likes New Wave but doesn't listen to the lyrics at all . . .

Joey and Rod and the others vie for control of Capital Radio - the "epicenter of the musical universe"- but who will be sitting in the DJ chair at the end of the play?

Set against the backdrop of real world events, 1980 is a gritty, realistic drama is about a music era like no other - bands were only recently uncoupled from the giant corporate record companies, and independent outlets provided an explosion of fresh talent and creative expression. But it was also a time when real world events provided a sobering dose of reality.

credits

ERNEST WEBB as Rod Levers/Steve Jones
RYAN DAVIS as Joey Normal
DAN LAKE as Mr. Ciarelli/Paul Cook
CASSIDEE GRUNWALD as Cookie Hooker
PATRICIA HATLEY as Meredith Myers
ABBIE WEINEL as Sue
SHEILA BLANC as Grandma
MICHAEL REID as MDC
DAMON NORKO s Grandpa

Music (Headache, Volga Guitar Song,Typewriter song, walkoff Headache montage) written and performed by JIM MCPHERSON.

Additional voices by Alex Norko, Sonya Norko, Monica Norko, Mary Troxel and Marlon Brando.

Written, directed, produced and engineered by DAMON NORKO.

Additional Engineering/mastered by Rich Feinstein, Cone of Silence Studio, Baltimore

All contents EXCEPT sound samples Copyright Damon Norko 2020

Three-second sound samples of music used under the guidelines for sampling; all artists have been identified and credited in the context of the play.

Any resemblance to people living or dead is purely coincidental, although certain recordings are genuine and are the sole property of the playwright.

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