Oribit Arts Sonic Showcase

3 radio plays from Pelican Bay

KHSU and Dell’Arte present the “Orbit Arts Sonic Showcase: Three Radio Plays from Pelican Bay”. The showcase will air on KHSU during the Holiday Season on December 24, 25, and 26, 2025 at 6:30 pm.

Three separate pieces written, developed, and performed by Orbit Arts’ working theatre ensembles at Pelican Bay comprise the series and were made in collaboration with KHSU’s Stephanie McGeary, local musician Cory Goldman, and facilitated by Program Director, Janessa Johnsrude

Each evening of the run will feature a different 15 minute play / audio creation

• “Gumbo: An Audio Collage” will air on Dec. 24 at 6:30 p.m. Follow Chef Foreign Waterz as he makes a pot of Gumbo, which serves as a metaphor for collective belonging in a time of extreme divisions.

  • Written and Performed by Orbit Artists from Pelican Bay’s A yard: Daniel Wilson, Juan Rubio, James Kern, Demone (Cleamon) Johnson, Delroy Espinoza, Jesse (Jesus) Contreras, Steven Mitchell, Christopher

  • Production Managers: Delroy Espinoza & Daniel Williams

  • Sound Design and Editing by: Stephanie McGeary & Cory Goldman

• “Ro-Sham-Boom: Last Hand Standing” will air on Dec. 25 at 6:30 p.m. A comedy short of a radio broadcast of the 10th Annual Intergalactic Ro-Sham-Bo championships.

  • Written and Performed by Orbit Artists from Pelican Bay’s D yard : Jermaine Brim, Nicholas Bates, John Purugganan, Jacob Carroll, Ruben Zarate, Alberto Ramirez, Genaro Garcia , Anthony Joseph Eidem, and J.D. Donovan

  • Production Manager: Anthony Joseph Eidem

  • Sound Design and Editing by: Stephanie McGeary & Cory Goldman

• “From the Outside Looking In” will air on Dec. 26 at 6:30 p.m. A meditation on the concept of identity.

  • Interviews from and poems by Orbit Artists from Pelican Bay’s B yard: Jose Avila, Adrian Calderon, Dejon Griffin, Michael Williams, Armando Canchola, Rene Lopez, Magic Knight, Manuel Rosas, Zachary F. Hurlburt Erhardt 

  • Sound Design and Editing by: Stephanie McGeary & Cory Goldman

KHSU’s Stephanie McGeary suggested a collaborative radio presentation as a program project after attending the premiere of the documentary “We’re All We Need: Theatre At Pelican Bay” at Dell’Arte’s annual Baduwa’t Festival which featured B yard participants and their perspectives on creating a show, “The Variety Pack”, together. She was brought in to record, edit, and sound design along with artist Cory Goldman who works with youth on music and beat making through the MARZ Project, a program of the Ink People Center for the Arts.

Orbit Artists worked collectively each week to generate material designing the final presentation for radio. Processes varied, but each group came together around chosen themes with the intention of creating something that listeners could enjoy and transcend the stigma and stereotype of men incarcerated at Pelican Bay. Goldman and McGeary came in to record the pieces in the final weeks and work with program participants to meet their vision. The resulting presentation is the culmination of true artistic community collaboration.