Tucson Roller Derby might not be the safest sport, but it is a safe space.
Featured on the October 30th, 2025 edition of ARIZONA SPOTLIGHT with host Mark McLemore:
- Meet Bunny Beatdown, a LatinX trans woman who is a member of the Tucson Roller Derby Javelina Havoc. Her story is at the center of a new short film about this vibrant scene, directed by Alessandra De Zubeldia, a graduate of ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.
- Learn about The Rogue Theatre’s new production “Cloud 9”, by playwright Caryl Churchill. It is a time, mind, and gender-bending satire of English history. Mark talks with director Christopher Johnson, and actors Cynthia Jeffrey and Hunter Hnat.
- And, “Children of the Holocaust” is a living-history project launched by AZPM in 2022. Project producer Laura Markowitz interviewed 19 survivors who were children during the Holocaust and now live in Southern Arizona. This week, hear the story of artist Christine Tanz, who was only a baby when her loving parents made a daring escape from Nazi-occupied Poland.
Arizona Spotlight airs every Thursday at 8:30 am and 6:00 pm and every Friday at 8:00 pm on NPR 89.1 FM / 1550 AM. You can subscribe to our podcast on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, or the NPR App. See more from Arizona Spotlight.
