In The NoCo

A new production by a Boulder playwright tells the true story of Black families pushed out of their homes

By In The NoCo,

Leigh Paterson, Erin O'Toole, Brad Turner

Published June 19, 2026 at 5:35 AM MDT

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Courtesy Curtis K Rogers

A new stage production in Longmont and Boulder examines the displacement of Black residents.

In the 1950s, thousands of Black families in Indianapolis were pushed out when their neighborhood was destroyed to make way for the expansion of a university.

That area, known as Indiana Avenue, had been a thriving community, with Black churches and Black-owned businesses and newspapers.

A new play,13 Fires, is a historical drama that explores one family’s experience. They live in a shack with carboard partitions. A severe winter storm is coming in. They’re worried about staying warm.

13 Fires premieres at the Longmont Theatre Company tonight, and at the Dairy Arts Center in Boulder starting Wednesday. Curtis K. Rogers wrote the play and spoke with In The NoCo’s Erin O’Toole about it. He now lives in Boulder, but grew up in Indianapolis.

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In The NoCo

KUNC's In The NoCo is a daily slice of stories, news, people and issues. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show brings context and insight to the stories of the day, often elevating unheard voices in the process. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we celebrate the lighter side of things here, too.

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Leigh Paterson

As KUNC's Interim Senior Managing Editor, my job is to find out what’s important to northern Colorado residents and why. I seek to create a deeper sense of urgency and understanding around these issues through in-depth, character driven daily reporting and series work.

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Erin O'Toole

As the host of KUNC’s news program and podcast In The NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.

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Brad Turner

Brad Turner is an executive producer in KUNC's newsroom. He manages the podcast team that makes In The NoCo, which also airs weekdays in Morning Edition and All Things Considered. His work as a podcaster and journalist has appeared on NPR's Weekend Edition, NPR Music, the PBS Newshour, Colorado Public Radio, MTV Online, the Denver Post, Boulder's Daily Camera, and the Longmont Times-Call.

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