Hip-Hop Theatre Festival October 1st-17th "The Hip-Hop Theater Festival is making an evident connection between the performers and the audience members, both of whose numbers are almost certain to grow. The atmosphere they have created is celebratory, a welcoming party for a language that hasn't often been heard in the theater –their own." -Bruce Weber, The New York Times
Oct 1,2,3 @9:00pm Deez Nuts: A Musical Massacare
Workshop Production Starring the Beatnuts Written & Conceived by Sacha Jenkins Directed by Tommy Smith "A workshop production in honor of the highly acclaimed underground rap duo the Beatnuts, written by long time music writer Sacha Jenkins, co-conceived with noted promoter Peter Oasis. Deez Nuts explores the rich musical legacy of the Beatnuts through the performance of their tunes by the maestros themselves; Deez Nuts also canvases the sights, smells and characters of their native Corona, Queens. A fellow Queens-ite turned journalist, on a fact-finding mission, returns to the old neighborhood in order to meet group members Psycho Les and JuJu. This journey not only nets cultural nuggets about the Latino duo and their surroundings, but crucial observations about self and the state that created Hip-Hop."
Oct 6 & 7 @7:00pm Young, Gifted and Hyped
"Designed as our youth theater night, HHTF will present some of the strongest work emerging from high school students fromNYC to Madison, Wisconsin. Our youth theater night is always a high-energy, sold out experience featuring the unfiltered voices and perspectives of young people living in New York City. Featuring the talents of Urban Word NYC, and from University of Wisconsin at Madison's First Wave Hip Hop Theater Ensemble."
Oct 9,10, @3:00pm and October 11 @1:00pm Zomo the Rabbit: A Hip-Hop Creation Myth
By Psalmayene 24
"Zomo is a contemporary, high-energy take on an African tale, set right here in New York City! Zomo the Rabbit calls the Sky God (on his cell phone) requesting the ultimate prize of Power. The Sky God gives him three tasks and Zomo succeeds in trickster fashion, but it's only by sharing the prize that he invents Hip-Hop, leading all the characters to celebrate their culture together. Zomo is a family friendly production, enjoyed by Ages 4+."
Oct 8,9,10 @8:00pm The Word Begins Written and Performed By Sekou (tha misfit) & Steve Connell Developed and Directed By Robert Egan
"THE WORD BEGINS is an exciting journey with two young men as they struggle to come to terms with belief and morality in America today. They take on race relations, religion, sexuality, love, and the power of mass communication — among other great American issues."
Oct 15,16,17 @8:00pm Angela's Mixtape Written By Eisa Davis Directed by Liesl Tommy
"'On this mixtape, style will dictate, we bounce back and forth in time…' Using the rhythms of music and memory, Eisa tells the story of a radical upbringing on the dividing line between Oakland and Berkeley, California — in a family that includes her aunt, professor and activist Angela Davis."
