Hip-Hop Culture Explored in the break/s at Humana Festival March 8-29

By Kenneth Jones
February 25, 2008

The Humana Festival of New American Plays, never afraid to experiment, despite its history of staging "well-made plays," stages writer-performer Marc Bamuthi Joseph's hip-hop-charged the break/s starting March 8.

The unique piece, officially opening March 11 and playing through March 29 in the arena-style Bingham Theatre at Actors Theatre of Louisville, "features two turntables, live feed and spoken word as he explores hip-hop culture through personal narrative," according to ATL.

Smithsonian magazine recently named Joseph one of America's leading young innovators in arts and sciences. In the break/s, directed by Michael John Garcés, "he performs his dramatic narrative exploring the living history of hip-hop along with his own history." He'll be accompanied on stage by DJ Excess and Tommy Shepherd (Soulati).

The piece "mixes a whirlwind of multimedia, including turntables, live feed and documentary footage with theatre, dance and spoken word and puts hip-hop culture into personal, historical and political perspective," according to ATL. "Joseph sees himself as an 'ambassador' for the hip-hop culture."

He stated, "Though I am absolutely of the hip-hop generation, I don't necessarily fit those types or meet those expectations."

The play "offers an alternate view through alternative media into a culture or world unknown or misunderstood by many."

Bamuthi is a Stanford University IDA resident artist, HBO Def Poet and an inaugural recipient of the United States Artists Rockefeller Fellowship.

The creative team includes scenic designer Michael B. Raiford, costume designer Jessica Ford, lighting designer Brian J. Lilienthal, Ajayi Jackson (original music), properties designer Doc Manning and video designer David Szalsa.

The 32nd Annual Humana Festival (Feb. 24-March 30) includes five additional full-length plays, a bill of four ten-minute plays and a dramatic anthology.

For more information, call (502) 584-1205 or visit www.ActorsTheatre.org.

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The five other full-length plays in the festival are Great Falls by Lee Blessing, Becky Shaw by Gina Gionfriddo, All Hail Hurricane Gordo by Carly Mensch This Beautiful City by Steve Cosson and The Civilians and Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom by Jennifer Haley. Works play in rep on three stages at Actors Theatre of Louisville in downtown Louisville, KY.