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About: Beethoven and the Misfortune Cookies was inspired by the firing of Kabin Thomas, a 43- year-old, African American Music Appreciation Professor at The University of Arkansas in 2006 after a white student complained about the use of profanity and a graphic image depicting a lynching in one of his lessons. This is the story of how he lost himself and then found his way back.

Please listen to episode 11 after the play for a discussion with writer Joni Ravenna, Amir Abdullah, Devereau Chumrau, and special guest Kabin Thomas.

Writer: Joni Ravenna

A graduate of USC, Joni Ravenna is a multi-hyphenate:  TV writer/producer, journalist, published author, and award-winning playwright. She is also Co-Author of the book, "You Let Some GIRL Beat You?- The Ann Meyers Drysdale Story" (Behler Publications, 2012) which Forbes Magazine called "a stunning portrayal of one of today's legendary women's basketball treasures."   Currently,  Ravenna is working with Emmy and Peabody Award-winning writer-director and co-executive producer of the popular ABC series, "MONK", Fern Field, to convert her memoir, "Letters To My Husband" into a stage play.

Director: Devereau Chumrau

Devereau Chumrau is an actress born in Los Angeles, California. She is an Angeleno by heart but spent the past decade studying and improving her acting craft abroad at the University of Ghana, London Study Centre of the Arts, and Florida at Asolo Conservatory. She is an actress and producer, known for Dexter, Key and Peele, and Twilight: Storytellers.

Actor: Amir Abdullah - As Kabin Thomas

Amir Abdullah is an award-winning actor and writer. His TV work includes The Odd Couple and Tosh.0, as well as extensive commercial work both on-camera and in voice-over. Amir also voices the antagonist in the video game Abo Khashem. Amir has appeared on stage in dozens of productions, including Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. Amir can be seen in the feature film Radioflash and is a member of SAG and Actor’s Equity.

Sound Produc

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Founded by playwright and filmmaker Bernadette Armstrong, Open-Door Playhouse is a Theater Podcast- like the radio dramas of the 1940s and 1950s. The Playhouse launched on September 15, 2020. At the time, Open-Door Playhouse provided Playwrights, Actors and Directors a creative outlet during the shutdown. Since its inception. Open-Door Playhouse has presented Short and One-Act plays from Playwrights across the country and internationally. In 2021 Open-Door Playhouse received a Communicator Award for Content for the Play Custody and in 2023 the play What’s Prison Like was nominated for a Webby Award in the Crime & Justice Category.

Plays are produced by Bernadette Armstrong, Sound Engineer is David Peters, sound effects are provided by Audio Jungle, and music from Karaoke Version. All plays are recorded at The Oak House Studio in Altadena, CA.

There’s no paywall at the Open-Door Playhouse site, so you could listen to everything for free. Open-Door Playhouse is a 501c3 non-profit organization, and if you would like to support performances of works by new and emerging playwrights, your donation will be gratefully accepted. Your tax-deductible donations help keep our plays on the Podcast Stage. We strive to bring our listeners thoughtful and surprising one-act plays and ten-minute shorts that showcase insightful and new perspectives of the world we share with others. To listen or to donate (or both), go to https://opend...