This piece was beautifully done. Contentwise, I loved how seamlessly the writer went between her own observations and her parents' voices. The translations were done very well, allowing her parents' personalities and feelings to come through. I liked the touch of humour throughout for what must have been very difficult. I would have liked one more anecdote from those 2 years of adjustment after the writer came out - an odd comment made by her parents, a visit to the Castro, etc. Maybe her parents generally quiet about it, keeping their thoughts to themselves?
Productionwise, excellent. The rhythm, the pacing, the voice were all easy to follow, and drew me in right away.
Nicely done!! If this hasn't already been licensed, it definitely should. Several times.
outLoud radio's "Glasnost" is one girl's story of coming out to her parents - and her parents' response to a very confusing and unfamiliar situation. The story starts out bluntly, as we hear the teen narrator rehearsing what she'll tell her parents: "Mom, Dad...I'm gay." Soon after, we join her in the kitchen, as she tries to get up the nerve to tell her parents, a situation we've all been in (what teen hasn't freaked out about telling their parents something?). Predictably, our narrator's parents are none too happy at first.
The most rewarding and enjoyable part of the story is watching (or hearing) the parents grow and accept their daughter for who she is. The piece ends by coming full circle - somewhere in the middle, the narrator's mom wistfully dreams about seeing her daughter on her wedding day, happily standing next to a groom in a suit. The big "payoff" for me was at the very end of the piece. The narrator brings her new girl friend home to meet Mom and Dad, who are...thrilled to see their daughter so happy.
"Glasnost" is the type of story that can very easily turn into a cliche, but the narrator and producers skillfully avoid being trite or overly sentimental, and even the most intense moments in the story are told with humor and grace. This piece would fit well in a number of formats, but a magazine-type show about teen relationships or GLBTQ issues would be most effective.
Comments for Glasnost
Produced by Alla Pekareva, outLoud Radio
Other pieces by outLoud Radio at Youth Radio
Rating Summary
2 comments
Rekha Murthy
Posted on April 18, 2006 at 05:38 AM | Permalink
Review of Glasnost
This piece was beautifully done. Contentwise, I loved how seamlessly the writer went between her own observations and her parents' voices. The translations were done very well, allowing her parents' personalities and feelings to come through. I liked the touch of humour throughout for what must have been very difficult. I would have liked one more anecdote from those 2 years of adjustment after the writer came out - an odd comment made by her parents, a visit to the Castro, etc. Maybe her parents generally quiet about it, keeping their thoughts to themselves?
Productionwise, excellent. The rhythm, the pacing, the voice were all easy to follow, and drew me in right away.
Nicely done!! If this hasn't already been licensed, it definitely should. Several times.
Emily Raymond
Posted on March 12, 2006 at 07:32 AM | Permalink
Review of Glasnost
outLoud radio's "Glasnost" is one girl's story of coming out to her parents - and her parents' response to a very confusing and unfamiliar situation. The story starts out bluntly, as we hear the teen narrator rehearsing what she'll tell her parents: "Mom, Dad...I'm gay." Soon after, we join her in the kitchen, as she tries to get up the nerve to tell her parents, a situation we've all been in (what teen hasn't freaked out about telling their parents something?). Predictably, our narrator's parents are none too happy at first.
The most rewarding and enjoyable part of the story is watching (or hearing) the parents grow and accept their daughter for who she is. The piece ends by coming full circle - somewhere in the middle, the narrator's mom wistfully dreams about seeing her daughter on her wedding day, happily standing next to a groom in a suit. The big "payoff" for me was at the very end of the piece. The narrator brings her new girl friend home to meet Mom and Dad, who are...thrilled to see their daughter so happy.
"Glasnost" is the type of story that can very easily turn into a cliche, but the narrator and producers skillfully avoid being trite or overly sentimental, and even the most intense moments in the story are told with humor and grace. This piece would fit well in a number of formats, but a magazine-type show about teen relationships or GLBTQ issues would be most effective.