Laurence Fishburne Scripted Drama About 1940s Chicago Numbers Game Premieres Today

Larenz Tate and Laurence Fishburne have teamed up to produce and star in a new scripted audio series titled “Bronzeville.” The 10-episode drama will delve into the Chicago “numbers” games of the 1940’s. Beginning today, and every Tuesday, through April 11th a new hour long episode will be released. “Bronzeville” was written by Academy Award® and BAFTA nominee Josh Olson (A History of Violence).

Besides Fishburne and Tate, the cast includes: Tika Sumpter, Golden Globe winner Tracee Ellis Ross, Wood Harris, Omari Hardwick, Lance Reddick, and Brittany Snow. “Bronzeville” also features original songs from composers, 1500 Or Nothin, a musical ensemble founded by Grammy Award winning producers, Larrance “Rance” Dopson and James Fauntleroy II, with lead production by Lawrence Dopson and Ryan Stockbridge.
The “numbers” or “policy games” of the 40’s were a major fabric of the local economy; particularly in poor neighborhoods. “Bronzeville” will chronicle the lives of players in the lottery games while highlighting the self-sustainability of the community’s Black residents.

The numbers game has been featured in many movies centered around organized crime. It will be interesting to consume a drama specifically around the games and its impact on the Black community. These stories are not often told, so I am looking forward to seeing how the story unfolds.
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“Bronzeville” is available on digital platforms including Spotify, the Podcasts app, iTunes, GlobalGrind, Radio One Digital, SoundCloud, TuneIn and Google Play.