Harlem & Moscow

theGrio
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Harlem and Moscow is an audio drama based on the true story of the Harlem Renaissance in the Soviet Union.  This audio podcast immerses you in the journey as you travel to the other side of the world and back again with America’s best-kept literary secret. In 1932, a group of Harlem Renaissance artists and activists traveled to Moscow to make a film on racism in America that would start a revolution. Among them was up-and-coming writer Dorothy West, who was looking for a break in her acting career and the chance to connect with famed writer Langston Hughes. Dorothy West recounts her year in the Soviet Union, recalling the hookups, heartbreaks, and lessons learned along the way.

Season 1

  1. The Film

    EPISODE 1

    The Film

    In this true story of the Harlem Renaissance in the Soviet Union, we are introduced to the young writer and actress Dorothy West and her mother, Rachel West, who wants to hear all about her daughter’s year in Moscow making a film.    Rachel is especially curious about the famous poet Langston Hughes.   Dorothy promises to tell all that and more, starting with the invitation for the trip that she received from her sweetheart and local reporter, Henry Lee Moon. After failing to convince her cousin, Helene Johnson, to accompany her, Dorothy sets sail with Henry Lee and 20 other Harlemites to the other side of the world, with no idea what this new world has in store for her.    CAST J. IVY AS LANGSTON HUGHES  EVAN FRAZIER AS DOROTHY WEST NANCY GILLIAM AS RACHEL WEST KYLA LACY AS HELENE JOHNSON BRODERICK CLAVERY  AS HENRY LEE BASIL RODERICKS AS COUNTEE CULLEN SYDNEY APOLONIO AS THE VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR  JON KELLY AS THE NEWS REPORTER HARLEM AND MOSCOW  WAS WRITTEN BY ALLE MIMS DIRECTED BY ARES HARPER AND REGINA GRIFFIN. PRODUCER  AND SOUND DESIGNER SAM RIDDELL AUDIO ENGINEERS AARON REPPERT AND CAREY DURHAM  MUSIC BY TRANSITIONS AND THE  URSS SOVIET CHORUS

    23 min
  2. Mission to Moscow

    EPISODE 2

    Mission to Moscow

    Dorothy West anxiously awaits the arrival of Langston Hughes on their voyage from Harlem to  Moscow to make a movie.  Dorothy gets to know some of the other  Harlem Renaissance artists and activists, including Louise Thompson, the organizer, and Mildred Jones, an artist she will be rooming with. On the train, Dorothy and Henry Lee Moon get into a spat about sexual expectations abroad. Could their romantic getaway be over before it begins?    CAST J. IVY AS LANGSTON HUGHES  EVAN FRAZIER AS DOROTHY WEST NANCY GILLIAM AS RACHEL WEST BRODERICK CLAVERY AS   HENRY LEE AND THE MESCHRAPBOM OFFICIAL  SUSAYE LAWSON AS LOUISE THOMPSON BREANNA COSETTE AS MILDRED JONES JARED ALEXANDER AS  THE NARRATOR SAM RIDDELL AS THE TRAIN CONDUCTOR HARLEM AND MOSCOW  WAS WRITTEN BY ALLE MIMS DIRECTED BY ARES HARPER AND REGINA GRIFFIN  PRODUCER  AND SOUND DESIGNER SAM RIDDELL AUDIO ENGINEERS AARON REPPERT AND CAREY DURHAM  MUSIC BY TRANSITIONS

    22 min
  3. When in Moscow

    EPISODE 3

    When in Moscow

    Dorothy West and the Harlem  Renaissance artists and activists get settled into the Grand Hotel and enjoy the lavish luxuries the Soviets have to offer.  Caviar anyone?  While exploring Moscow, Mildred  Jones and Langston Hughes push the prim and proper  Dorothy out of her comfort zone.  While partying,   the group finally meets the director of the film, Carl Jungans but the all-Black cast sees red flags as the filmmaker reveals himself to be quite ignorant when it comes to race.   Cast J Ivy As Langston Hughes Evan Frazier As Dorothy West Nancy Gilliam As Rachel West Breanna Cosette As Mildred Jones Susaye Lawson As Louise Thompson Stephan Rumphorst As Carl Junghans  And Broderick Clavery As  James The Translator  Harlem And Moscow  Was Written By Alle Mims Directed By Ares Harper And Regina Griffin  Producer  And Sound Designer Sam Riddell Audio Engineers Aaron Reppert And Carey Durham  Music By Transitions

    22 min
  4. Russian Reality Check

    EPISODE 4

    Russian Reality Check

    The production of the film “Black And White”  gets underway IN Moscow with a less than stellar first rehearsal that is only saved by the star of the Harlem Renaissance performers, Sylvia Garner.    Langston  Hughes reveals his doubts on the script. Dorothy West receives devastating news from home and then struggles to understand the comfort she finds in Mildred Jones. As the group becomes more comfortable in Moscow,  they are surprised with a trip to Odessa, only to learn that the film is in even bigger trouble than they thought.    Cast J Ivy As Langston Hughes Evan Frazier As Dorothy West Tarrey Torae As Sylvia Garner Kyla Lacey As Helen Johnson Nancy Gilliam As Rachel West Breanna Cosette As Mildred Jones Susaye Lawson As Louise Thompson Broderick Clavery As Henry Lee  Stephan Rumphurst, As Carl Junghans and Boris, the Russian sergeant Harlem And Moscow  Was Written By Alle Mims Directed By Ares Harper And Regina Griffin  Producer And Sound Designer Sam Riddell Audio Engineers Aaron Reppert And Carey Durham  Music By Transitions

    28 min
  5. Russian Reckoning

    EPISODE 5

    Russian Reckoning

    The group of Harlem Renaissance actors and artists return to Moscow moving from the Grand Hotel to a small hostel.    Henry Lee Moon tells Langston Hughes that he thinks the film has been sabotaged by Americans. In a heartfelt moment, Louise Thompson speaks to Dorothy West and Mildred Jones about another woman on the trip who is heartbroken over a breakup and attempts to take her own life. The three women discuss the freedoms, or lack thereof, for women at this time, each coming to their own conclusion about what the future holds for them as single women.  Mildred entertains a Russian man while Langston is seen with Soviet Sweetheart, Sylvie Chen, leaving Dorothy feeling more alone and uncertain about her future than ever.    Cast J Ivy As Langston Hughes Evan Frazier As Dorothy West Kyla Lacey As Helen Johnson  Nancy Gilliam As Rachel West Susaye Lawson As Louise Thompson Breanna Cosette As Mildred Jones Broderick Clavery  As Henry Lee and James The Translator  Harlem And Moscow   Written By Alle Mims Directed By Ares Harper And Regina Griffin  Producer And Sound Designer Sam Riddell Audio Engineers Aaron Reppert And Carey Durham  Music By Transitions

    31 min
  6. Return Home to Harlem

    EPISODE 6

    Return Home to Harlem

    In a desperate attempt to get to Langston Hughes, Dorothy West decides to propose marriage. Louise Thompson tries to talk her out of it and shares the reality of what it means to be in love with a man like Langston.  Louise also reveals a secret behind her own failed marriage.  As plans for life after Moscow remain unclear, Mildred Jones offers to stay with Dorothy in the Soviet Union for another season. But what type of relationship is Mildred looking for?  Dorothy shares her unconventional plans for the future. Executive Producers: Byron Allen Carolyn Folks Jennifer Lucas Geraldine Moriba Regina Griffin Cast: J Ivy As Langston Hughes Evan Frazier As Dorothy West Nancy Gilliam As Rachel West Kyla Lacey As Helene Johnson And Tarrey Torae As Sylvia Garner Broderick Clavery as Henry Lee, James The Translator and The Meschrapbom Official.  Breanna Cosette As Mildred Jones Susaye Lawson As Louise Thompson Basil Rodericks  As Countee Cullen  Stephan Rumphorst as  Carl Junghans and Boris The Russian Sergeant  Sidney Apolonio as The Volunteer Coordinator Sam Riddell as The Train Conductor Jon Kelly as The News Reporter Written By Alle Mims Directed By Ares Harper and Regina Griffin  Producer and Sound Design Sam Riddell Audio Engineers  Aaron Reppert and Carey Durham. Technical Support Craig Ross and Sabua Samandu. Booking Producer And Logistics Coordinator  Taji Senior Audio Podcast Editor Justin Sloan Dramaturg   Alexis Williams Art Design By Trevor Irmler Music By: Transitions And URSS Soviet Chorus  Audio Recording Smash Studios Videographer Templeton Wright  Research for Harlem And Moscow was facilitated by The Schomburg Center,  Project Muse,  The Schlesinger  Library On The History Of Women In America At The Harvard Radcliffe Institute, Cherene Sherrard-Johnson’s Book “Dorothy West’s Paradise,”  as well as  Literary Sisters by  Verner D. Mitchell And Cynthia Davis.  Sincere thanks go to The Dramatist  Guild,  The Dramatist Guild Foundation,  Dr. Jennifer Wilson,  Dr. Saidiya Hartman, Dr. Brent Hayes-Edwards, and Dr. Lauren Brik-Elmore. And theGrio gives a special thanks to Gabrielle Holder,  Genia Nooks and the Gill Talent Group team.

    23 min
  7. Red Flags: The Real People of the Harlem Renaissance

    EPISODE 7

    Red Flags: The Real People of the Harlem Renaissance

    In this episode of Harlem and Moscow: Red Flags, host Panama Jackson is talking to experts about the people of the Harlem Renaissance who went on this trip to Moscow back in 1932. We learn more about Dorothy West, Langston Hughes, Henry Lee Moon, Louise Thompson, and others who journeyed to the Soviet Union. We also talk about other Black artists in the “Harlem and Moscow” circle like Zora Neale Hurston, Countee Cullen, Paul Robeson, and many others. Plus we dish on the gossip of the era and how surprisingly shady folks in that time were! Panama is joined by the playwright of “Harlem and Moscow” Alle Mims as well as historian, cultural critic, and author of  “Our Secret Society,” Tanisha C. Ford.   Music Courtesy Of: Transition "Fantastic Voyage” Lakeside BMG Gold Songs, H&R Lastrada Music, Tiemeyer McCain Publishing Fred Alexander, Norman Paul Beavers, Marvin Craig, Frederick E. Lewis, Tiemeyer Le’Mart, Thomas Oliver Shelby, Stephen Preston Shockley, Otis Stokes, Mark Adam Wood

    37 min
  8. Red Flags: Black Communists

    EPISODE 8

    Red Flags: Black Communists

    In this episode of Harlem and Moscow: Red Flags, host Michael Harriot is talking to experts about the conditions in America circa the 1930s that made the Soviet Union and Communism very appealing to Black folks in the states. We learn more about the African Blood Brotherhood, the CPUSA, and other communist movements led by Black Americans. The experts dispel myths about Black Americans’ relationship to communism and dive into the history of Black workers' movements in the South. Plus we learn about the real origins of the phrase “Stay Woke,” and much more! Michael is joined by historian and author of the book “Hammer and Hoe,” Dr. Robin D.G. Kelley as well as the playwright of “Harlem and Moscow” Alle Mims. CREDITS Music Courtesy Of: Transition “Город под подошвой” Oxxxymiron Scady, Max Kravtsov, Erik Gamans Courtesy of Sonic Librarian “Scottsboro Boys” Lead Belly The Smithsonian Folkways Collection

    28 min
  9. Red Flags: Sex and the Soviet Union

    EPISODE 9

    Red Flags: Sex and the Soviet Union

    In this episode of Harlem and Moscow: Red Flags we get hot, heavy and a little messy. Host Sam Riddell talks to experts about the hook-ups and heartbreaks of the 1932 trip to the Soviet Union. We learn about what the dating landscape was like during the Harlem Renaissance, the culture around marriage, views towards interracial sex, polyamorous and open relationships within the New Negro Movement, lavender marriages, and respectability politics levied toward Queer Black folks. Plus we spill tea on a certain couple who became known for their wild parties and delve into the motivations behind Dorothy’s proposal. And we link our 1932 tripgoers to phenomena of today like the Passport Bros and Love Is Blind. Sam is joined by the playwright of “Harlem and Moscow” Alle Mims as well as Angela Tate, the Women’s History Curator at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. With a special guest appearance by historian, cultural critic, and author of  “Our Secret Society,” Tanisha C. Ford.   CREDITS Music Courtesy Of: Transition

    38 min
  10. Red Flags: Descendants

    EPISODE 10

    Red Flags: Descendants

    In the final episode of Harlem and Moscow: Red Flags we’re taking the conversation to the present day with the daughter of the 1932 trip organizer Louise Thompson Patterson. Playwright Alle Mims sits down for an enlightening and heartwarming conversation with MaryLouise Patterson. The pair discuss MaryLouise’s childhood as a “red-diaper baby” with parents in the Communist Party USA, famous family friends like Harry Belafonte, Beah Richards, and Paul Robeson, and a teenage trip to the USSR in the 1960s. Alle and MaryLousie also talk about McCarthyism, Louise’s FBI file, and the modern concerns of leftist organizers. Then, MaryLouise leaves us with a positive word about her love for Black  people and encourages us to get active in our own communities.  CREDITS Music Courtesy Of: Transition URSS Soviet Chorus

    37 min
  11. Harlem and Moscow

    SEASON 1 TRAILER

    Harlem and Moscow

    Harlem and Moscow is an audio drama based on the true story of the Harlem Renaissance in the Soviet Union.  This audio podcast immerses you in the journey as you travel to the other side of the world and back again with America’s best-kept literary secret. In 1932, a group of Harlem Renaissance artists and activists traveled to Moscow to make a film on racism in America that would start a revolution. Among them was up-and-coming writer Dorothy West, looking for a break in her acting career and the chance to connect with famed writer Langston Hughes. Dorothy West recounts her year in the Soviet Union, recalling the hookups, heartbreaks, and lessons learned along the way.

    2 min

Trailer

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About

Harlem and Moscow is an audio drama based on the true story of the Harlem Renaissance in the Soviet Union.  This audio podcast immerses you in the journey as you travel to the other side of the world and back again with America’s best-kept literary secret. In 1932, a group of Harlem Renaissance artists and activists traveled to Moscow to make a film on racism in America that would start a revolution. Among them was up-and-coming writer Dorothy West, who was looking for a break in her acting career and the chance to connect with famed writer Langston Hughes. Dorothy West recounts her year in the Soviet Union, recalling the hookups, heartbreaks, and lessons learned along the way.

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