The 2009 New York City
Hip-Hop Theater Festival!
...is 3 weeks of art, dance and theater by, for and about the Hip-Hop generation. For nine years and counting the Festival has pushed the boundaries of performance, defining and redefining the art and aesthetic of Hip-Hop. The NYC Festival showcases the depth and breadth of Hip-Hop culture; featuring original programming that pays homage to the classic elements that ignited a movement, as well as new and innovative performances that redefine global culture.
Check out the incredible lineup including:
The Word Begins, The New Georges/Hip-Hop Theater Festival production of Angela's Mixtape written by Eisa Davis, Deez Nuts: A Musical Massacre starring the Beatnuts, and our HHTF Reading Series featuring Radha Blank, Shontina Vernon and Betty Shemeih. We also pair up with Urban Word NYC for Preemptive Education, and present two evenings of Young, Gifted and Hyped. In addition to the mainstage and reading series, HHTF presents the Hip-Hop Humanities Series with conversations on graffiti, race and culture.
Complete schedule below.
New York City Schedule
October 1 through October 17
DEEZ NUTS
Workshop Production
Starring the Beatnuts
Written & Conceived by Sacha Jenkins
Directed by Tommy Smith
Produced by Peter Oasis
Commissioned by Hip-Hop Theater Festival
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.
Ohio Theater
October 1, 2 & 3.
Buy tickets now.
YOUNG, GIFTED & 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.
Ohio Theater
October 6 & 7.
Buy tickets now.
ZOMO THE RABBIT: A Hip-Hop Creation Myth
By Psalmayene 24
Originally Commissioned and Presented by Imagination Stage, Bethesda, MD
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+.
Ohio Theater
October 9, 10 & 11.
Buy tickets now.
THE WORD BEGINS
Written and Performed By Sekou (tha misfit) & Steve Connell
Developed and Directed By Robert Egan
Produced Through Special Arrangement With Prana Theatre Group
Originally Produced At The Signature Theatre – Eric Schaeffer, Artistic Director
Developed At The Ojai Playwrights Conference
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.
Ohio Theater
October 8, 9 & 10.
October 10 show followed by lobby tunes with DJ Reborn.
Buy tickets now.
The New Georges/Hip-Hop Theater Festival production of
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.
Ohio Theater
October 15, 16 & 17.
Buy tickets now.
Showtimes and ticket prices vary.
Ohio Theater
is located at
66 Wooster Street, NYC
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
THE BLACK BOOK MASTER CLASS
Piecing taught by Stylemaster Enrique “Part One” Torres & Jacob Kimvall
Part One started painting subway cars in the early Seventies and took part of the downtown gallery scene in the Eighties. The goal of his master class is to create a deeper understanding of the black book tradition. Students will develop their skills in laying out a page, formatting the book and using different marker techniques. They’ll achieve general knowledge of different markers, paper preservation, and last but not least get a feeling for the possibilities and complexity of the black book. Master class students will deepen their knowledge and skills with a true master of the arts.
Powerhouse Books
37 Main Street
Brooklyn, NY.
Friday, October 16 : 3 PM. FREE.
Limited number of participants.
Make your reservation here.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Due to inclement weather the following event as been canceled:
RED BULL presents B-BOYS ON BROADWAY
with music by DP ONE
B-Boys from around the world battle at the crossroads of the world, Times Square. HHTF with the support of Red Bull has curated this unique outdoor event celebrating the elements. Hosted by D-Stroy of the Rock Steady Crew, with special guests Blitz the Ambassador and Ken Swift. The event finishes with a global cipher of b-boys and girls with breaks and beats provided by one of Hip-Hop purest DJs, the prolific DP One.
Times Square/Duffy Square
Saturday, October 17 : 2 PM. FREE.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
***SPECIAL LATE NIGHT PRESENTATION & CLOSING NIGHT PARTY***
LYRICS FROM LOCKDOWN
Written And Performed by Bryonn Bain
Directed by Mei Ann Teo
This true story begins when Brooklyn's own Nuyorican Grand Slam Poetry Champion, Bryonn Bain ("60 Minutes," "The Village Voice," BET-J's "My Two Cents"), is wrongly imprisoned in New York City -- while studying law at Harvard. Weaving together the critical and comedic voices of his Caribbean immigrant family and a poet sentenced to Death Row at 17 years old, this dynamic solo performance takes no prisoners as Bain tackles America's unresolved contradictions with a virtuosic sense of humor and lyricism linking the storytelling traditions of the African diaspora and urban America.
Joe's Pub
425 Astor Place
Saturday, October 17 : Doors @ 11PM
Buy tickets now.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
THE HHTF READING SERIES
AT THE NYC FESTIVAL
SEED
Written by Radha Blank
In collaboration with The Classical Theatre of Harlem
Burnt-out social worker Anne Simpson wants to retire on a high note, when Chee-Chee, a gifted nine-year-old from the last “projects” in Anne’s gentrified Harlem neighborhood, collides into her life and forces her to confront the shadows of her past. Much to his mother Latonya’s chagrin, Chee-Chee and Anne develop an unconventional friendship, leading to an explosive encounter that threatens Chee-Chee’s future. This compelling new play asks us to confront the class and cultural divides in New York’s most prominent black community. seed was developed with support from The Classical Theatre of Harlem.
Ohio Theater
Monday, October 12 : 7PM
Buy tickets now.
WANTED
Excerpt of a Work-in-Progress
Written by Shontina Vernon
A solo show about forgery, fear, juvenile justice, and an unlikely self-discovery, Wanted is the coming of age story of Shontina Vernon, an out-of-work actor who moves from LA to NY, to flee the fallacy of the Big Hollywood Dream.
Presented with Alter Ego of An Arab-American Assimlationist
The Alter-Ego of An Arab-American Assimilationist
A Reading of an Excerpt of a Work-in-Progress
Written By Betty Shamieh
Dr. Bruce Banner’s exposure to radiation led to the creation of the Incredible Hulk. Betty Shamieh’s exposure to toxic levels of racism led to the creation of Baheeeya, an impulsive and emotional creature triggered by stressors including but not limited to: the impotence of truly progressive movements in America, impotence in general, the fact that few people seem aware that we’re a country at war, banal theatre and film with simplistic depictions of Middle Eastern people as inherently lacking even a semblance of a sense of humor, economic censorship of radical artists, and the fact that men in New York as a whole have not mastered the art and/or science of properly asking a person out on a date. Baheeeya had demanded her own show to explicate the importance of celebrating the monster within.
Ohio Theater
Tuesday, October 13 : 7PM
Buy tickets now.
Ohio Theater
is located at
66 Wooster Street, NYC
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
HIP-HOP HUMANITIES SERIES:
HHTF with support from New York Council for the Humanities and in collaboration with Urban Word NYC and NYU’s Center for Multicultural Education and Programs presents a unique series of public conversations exploring the role and impact of Hip-Hop culture on society.
PREEMPTIVE EDUCATION
LANGUAGE. IDENTITY. POWER
Presented by Urban Word, the Center for Multicultural Education, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education & Human Development, and Hip-Hop Theater Festival
PREEMPTIVE EDUCATION aims to examine the issues that affect today’s youth, while providing creative and practical resources to address them. Using the power of spoken word poetry and hip-hop as the lens to explore language and privilege, participants will learn best practices in student-centered pedagogy from professionals in the fields of education, youth development, and spoken word & hip-hop. Combining performance, panel discussion, and professional development workshops, PREEMPTIVE EDUCATION will provide comprehensive opportunities for educators of all levels.
WORD LIFE
A Performance & Conversation on Language, Identity & Power
Poets: Jamilla Lyiscott, Carvens Lissaint, Ceez, Thiahera Nurse
Respondents: David Kirkland, Ph.D., Regie Cabico
This dynamic performance and panel series will start at the word. Three poems with three panels will interact and converge in a conversation that uses spoken word poetry to reclaim identities and challenge inequities around language, privilege and power. Using each poem as a starting point, panelists will address and illuminate issues around language privilege, youth voice, and social justice. Young poets from Urban Word NYC will provide the platform from which respondents and panelists will vision a new dialogue around the transformative power of spoken word poetry and the pedagogies that champion the voices of the next generation.
Friday, October 2 :: 7 - 9 PM
703 Silver Center
FREE
WEEKEND TRAINING SERIES
For Mentors, Teachers, Educators & Community Activists
Saturday, October 3 - Sunday, October 4
Suggested Donation: $100
Register Now
RACE AND IDENTITY IN HIP-HOP CULTURE:
A Conversation with Bakari Kitwana, Steve Connell, Sekou Tha Misfit and Kate Rhee
Building off the themes of race and identity raised in "The Word Begins", join Bakari Kitwana, Steve Connell, Sekou Tha Misfit and Kate Rhee in an open conversation about their understanding of these concepts. Each panelist openly grapples with these critical issues and their intersection and impact on Hip-Hop culture.
Friday, October 9 :: 4:30 PM
Kimmel Center for Student Life,
Room 804 and 805 (800 Series)
60 Washington Square South.
RSVP to cmep@nyu.edu
FREE
FINE LINE: GRAFFITI ART AND PUBLIC SPACE:
A Conversation with Jacob Kimvall and Carlos “Mare 139” Rodriguez
As graffiti in New York City is increasingly criminalized, in other parts of the world its rawest and finest elements are finding their way into public spaces and major arts institutions recognizing the contributions of street art on popular culture and everyday cultural aesthetics. The conversation will explore the work of Carlos “Mare 139” Rodriguez and his evolving relationship to public space and the work of scholar Jacob Kimvall based in Stockholm, Sweden who has been working with various municipalities to preserve critical public spaces with historical significance for the Swedish Graffiti movement.
Friday, October 16 :: 5 PM
Powerhouse Books
37 Main Street, Brooklyn
FREE
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
THANK YOU
Hip-Hop Theater Festival is made possible through the generous support from The Nathan Cummings Foundation, the Ford Foundation, Curtis W. McGraw Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Lambent Foundation, Hull Family Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, New York Council for the Humanities and individual supporters like you. HHTF is a participant in the New Generations Program, funded by Doris Duke Charitable Trust/The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and administered by Theatre Communications Group, the national organization for American Theatre.
