Ear Hustle & Radiotopia

The Loop

Society EN ↓ 7 episodes

In this all-New York season, Ear Hustle embeds with two innovative programs aimed at kids and young people caught up in the criminal justice system. In the first five episodes of the season, we bring listeners into the Crossroads Youth Detention Facility in Brooklyn, where a program called Drama Club teaches improvisational theater techniques as a way to build connection and conflict-resolution skills. Nigel and Earlonne spent a year at Crossroads, following a cohort of Drama Club participants and graduates. For the final episode of the season, we take the train uptown to the Children’s Museum...

Author

Ear Hustle & Radiotopia

Episodes

The Loop Ep. 6: Make Your Partner Look Good 17.12.2025 59:29

For the final episode of our all-NYC series, we take the train uptown to the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, where a group of incarcerated dads from Rikers Island are playing games, eating lunch, and doing arts and crafts with their kids. This is the sixth episode of “The Loop,” Ear Hustle’s six-part series about kids in New York City who are caught up, one way or another, in the criminal justice...

The Loop Ep. 5: Yes, And ... 03.12.2025 22:28

Kaysha is in her early 20s: low on resources, but big on dreams. Sometimes, those dreams feel tantalizingly close to reality; other times, she's pulled back into a life she badly wants to leave behind. We follow Kaysha for a year and a half as she tries to break out of the loop. This is the fifth episode of “The Loop,” Ear Hustle’s six-part series about kids in New York City who are caught up, on...

The Loop Ep. 4: Where’s the Conflict? 19.11.2025 47:03

Boys at Crossroads outnumber girls 10 to one, but if you ask staff about who’s harder to work with, it’s the girls, hands down. To find out for ourselves and learn more about life on the girls’ hall, we follow two sisters who have cycled in and out of New York’s juvenile justice system. This is the fourth episode of “The Loop,” Ear Hustle’s six-part series about kids in New York City who are caug...

The Loop Ep. 3: No Violence 05.11.2025 46:56

At Crossroads, just three little letters — SMD — can spark some very big drama. This episode is all about conflict: watching it, responding to it, and getting it started. Keys fly, milk is thrown, and insults are hurled, while adults and kids figure out how to deal with it and keep the peace. This is the third episode of “The Loop,” Ear Hustle’s six-part series about kids in New York City who are...

The Loop Ep. 2: Who What Where 22.10.2025 48:41

Nigel and Earlonne get a peek inside one of Crossroad’s residential halls, and hear from kids and staff about what it’s like to live and work here. Along the way, they cause some drama of their own. This is the second episode of “The Loop,” Ear Hustle’s six-part series about kids in New York City who are caught up, one way or another, in the criminal justice system. Ear Hustle would like to than...

The Loop Ep. 1: The Five Rules of Drama Club 08.10.2025 1:02:18

In the first episode of Ear Hustle’s all-new, all-New-York series, Nigel and Earlonne head to Brooklyn to hang out with incarcerated kids and staff at the Crossroads Juvenile Center. For Earlonne, it’s a trip down memory lane. For Nigel, it’s a crash course in interviewing teenagers. For listeners, it’s a window into the world of incarcerated young people and an innovative program called Drama Cl...

Starting Next Week: The Loop 01.10.2025 2:40

Next week we’re dropping the first episode of our six-part series about kids who are involved, one way or another, in New York City’s criminal justice system, and an innovative program that’s teaching them the skills of theatrical improv. We’re calling it “The Loop.” Here’s a sneak peek. You can find the series, starting October 8, wherever you listen to Ear Hustle. Ear Hustle is a proud member...