A “Salon-Style” Performance Tribute In Loving Memory
FEBRUARY 14, 2012 @ 7PM
National Black Theater
203 5th ave. at 125th St.
On December 28, 2011 a dear friend, artist, and shining light of the Hip-Hop Theater Festival community tragically passed away in a car accident in San Francisco. In her honor, family, friends and community are gathering in the best way we know how, to celebrate her time with all of us.
Now, WE all know KIBIBI loved her some Harlem Parties!! Right? … Remember trucking your way uptown, sometimes in the rain? And as you’re getting off the elevator you can hear the laughter from around the corner? Stepping inside, feeling the love from all kinds of beautiful amazing people, that you either knew really well or absolutely not at all! Tasting Charles’s bangin’ cooking and smelling incense smoke everywhere. With pillows or boxes for seats, a corner of the room for a stage, and a gift from God as a host, Kibibi’s Salon parties made history, birthed a company, healed so many hearts, warmed so many spirits, and expressed so many talents. So Let’s Do it again, in the name of KIBIBI!!
Please come out and celebrate Kibibi’s life and achievements with comedy, dance, song, food, and stories. There will also be an open mic and screening of her last performance. More information at: http://on.fb.me/keybeebee
Here are a few links to tributes and reminisces. This is just a small taste of the love celebrating this amazing spirit:
The Word Begins is being presented in association with the Off Center Festival of Segerstrom Center for the Arts and South Coast Repertory’s Studio SCR series and will be performed in the Nicholas Studio.
“A compact, energetic 75 minutes on politics, race, religion, love, and hope”
- LA Weekly (Go!)
” one of the cleverest pieces of writing and performance you will have the
pleasure of seeing in a long time.”
- LA SPLASH
“Cleaning the cobwebs off language to get us to see reality with fresh eyes”
- LA Times
“Unforgettable performance peice” - LA Examiner
“Rapid-fire, dangerous, powerful, and unpredictable.” – LA Weekly
“a touch of genius” – Norman Lear
“the perfect combination of soul and science” – Quincy Jones
Following a critically acclaimed, extended run at Rogue Machine theater in Los Angeles, The Word Begins is gearing up for an international tour. Join the mailing list (sign up on the right-hand column) or check us out on Facebook for updates and tour dates.
If you are interested in bringing The Word Begins to your city, town, or campus email us at info(at)hhtf.org!
The Word Begins
Written and Performed by Steve Connell and Sekou Andrews
Developed and Directed by Robert Egan
Nominated for three Helen Hayes Awards, The Word Begins follows the hilarious and provocative journey of two men discovering the power of words to define love, faith, race and humanity in America. Mashing up theater, spoken word, comedy and Hip-Hop, Steve Connell and Sekou Andrews deliver a high-energy performance in this fresh new satire that examines the current cultural landscape.
PERSUE x THE WORD BEGINS L.A.
The Word Begins is co-produced by Hip-Hop Theater Festival through special arrangement with Prana Theatre Group and was originally produced at The Signature Theatre, Eric Schaeffer, Artistic Director, and was developed at the Ojai Playwrights Conference, Robert Egan, Artistic Director.
As part of The Hip-Hop Theater Festivals Humanities Series, Joe Schloss Ph.D. joined the legendary Ken Swift in a conversation about aesthetics of Breaking and Rock (two distinct forms of Hip-Hop Dance), cultural history, the need for documentation and the absence of institutional support in preserving the heritage of New York’s Hip-Hop cultural legacy. The respondent for the evening was Imani Johnson, Ph.D., who is a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Department of Performance Studies at NYU. Check out all 3 videos to view the full 2 Hour Discussion and make sure to join us in the future for many more important conversations contributing to the growing body of discourse around these important forms of urban American culture.
Continue the conversation below, leave a comment, and be sure to stay tuned for part 2!
