July 8 - July 12, 2008
ALL EVENTS ARE FREE!!!
SCROLL DOWN FOR TICKETING INFORMATION!
Reservations encouraged
Join HHTF at the Millennium Stage for the very best in youth poetry. Hosted by the legendary Sonia Sanchez, this special evening will feature poets from the Brave New Voices College Tour, the DC Writers Corps Slam Team and Triflava.
"We must hear the voices and have the dreams of those who came before us, and we must keep them with us in a very real sense. This will keep us centered. This will help us to maintain our understanding of the job we must do." -- Sonia Sanchez
Wednesday, July 9 @ 7 PM
Hip-Hop Theater Shorts I
Dream City Theater Group, Morganics, Nicole Klaymoon and Baba Israel
Studio Theatre :: 1501 14th Street NW
Reservations encouraged
Southside
Performed by Dream City Theater Group,
Written by John Muller & Directed by Michael Baron
In Southside, a 17-year old student confronts the reality of spending the rest of his life in jail after he shoots and kills the neighborhood bully. Southside gives voice to DC's younger generation and poses the question, "Can we as a community stop violence?"
Crouching B-Boy, Hidden Dreadlocks
Performed by Morganics
An autobiographical tale from he beginning of Sydney's Hip-Hop scene to performing a the Rocksteady Crew Anniversary in New York. This one-man show draws from his experience working in jails, community centers and isolated Aboriginal communities all over Australia.
The 6th Vowel
Written and performed by Nicole Klaymoon
Directed by Kamilah Forbes & Choreographed by Rennie Harris
The 6th Vowel interweaves comedy, theater, spoken-word, video and dance. It is the story of a 5th grader with an intuitive connection to the spirit world while her teachers tell her she has a learning disability and mental disorder. "She played the part of a school kid, commented on the way schools don't work, mad you laugh your ass off, and think even harder." -- Miami New Times
Boom Bap Meditations
Written and performed by Baba Israel
Directed by Morganics with music by Yako 440 and Baba Israel
Boom Bap Meditations follows the journey of Baba Israel from his native New York to his mother's homeland of Australia. Watch this white boy discover Hip-Hop and earn his stripes as a Hip-Hop performer and educator as he morphs from character to character. Backed by Yako 440, Baba confronts a history of white appropriation of black music and culture while celebrating the tangible connections made by music across the color line.
Wednesday, July 9 @ 9:30 PM
Hip-Hop Theater Shorts II
Sol y Soul and Marc Bamuthi Joseph
Studio Theatre :: 1501 14th Street NW
Reservations encouraged
Elegies in The Key of Funk
Written & Performed by Sage Morgan Hubbard, Margaux Delotte-Bennett, Cherie Latson, Tri-Flava, Sahil Farooqi & others
Directed & Conceived by Regie Cabico & Sage Morgan Hubbard
Spinning William Carlos Williams' poetry of plums & Elizabeth Bishop's triolet of loss to a spoken word play of regret in the post 9-11 decade of gentrification. Sol & Soul ensemble looks at death with a collage of funk songs, neo-futurist 2 minute plays & poetic character monologues that climax with an apocalyptic theme: A mad scientist has created a pink atomic elephant that will destroy the world you have 24 hours to live, Go!
The SpokenWorld with Marc Bamuthi Joseph
Internationally renowned spoken word artist Joseph is one of an emerging class of hip-hop theater artists who combines a variety of art forms in his work. He has been a featured artist on Russell Simmons' "Def Poetry" on HBO, is a National Poetry Slam champion, Broadway veteran and an inaugural recipient of the United States Artists Rockefeller Fellowship. Bamuthi uses theater; West African, tap and modern dance; spoken word poetry and live music to stretch the bounds of traditional hip-hop and create a new forum for expressive performance art. This evening's performance will feature excerpts from his evening length works "Word Becomes Flesh" and "Scourge, as well as new material from the 2008 premiere "the break/s".
Thursday, July 10 @ 12 PM
Roundtable Discussion: Race & Class in Hip-Hop Theater
Flashpoint Gallery :: 916 G St NW
Reservations encouraged
Thursday, July 10 @ 7 PM
The Word Begins
by Sekou tha Misfit & Steve Connell
Studio Theatre :: 1501 14th Street NW
Reservations encouraged
An exciting journey of two young men struggling to come to terms with belief and morality in America today. Taking on race relations, religion, sexuality, love and the power of mass communication -- Sekou & Steve offer an extraordinarily refreshing and exhilarating performance of spoken word meets drama meets sketch comedy meets Hip-Hop.
Thursday, July 10 @ 9:30 PM
Hip-Hop Theater Shorts I
Dream City Theater Group, Morganics, Nicole Klaymoon and Baba Israel
Studio Theatre :: 1501 14th Street NW
Reservations encouraged
Friday, July 11 @ 3 - 10 PM
Words Beats & Life presents
The Freshest of All Times: B-Boy Jam
St. Stephens Church :: 1525 Newton Street NW
Freshest of all Times
Join us for the inaugural Words Beats & Life B-Boy Jam, Freshest of All TImes. This day-long event will feature b-boy crews from throughout the US competing for cash and prizes. This event includes a special screening of Planet B-Boy, a new documentary about the global phenomena of b-boying.
The pre registered crews are as follows: Dynamic Rockers, Evade and Meen 187, Flying Fists from the Floor, Rhythm fetish, Beat Whacks, The Wild Ones, Mystery Meat, Breakfamous,Killa Groove, Blackout Crew, Lionz of Zion, vaz and rawned,Problems Crew. . and many more. . . to pre register, send an e-mail to mazi@wblinc.org with the subject, "pre-register".
Friday, July 11 @ 8 PM
Jack Ya Body Dance Series
Friday, July 11 @ 10 PM
Jack Ya Body After Party
Chief Ike's Mambo Room ::
1725 Columbia Road NW
After the Jack Ya Body Dance Series, we guarantee you'll want to move something yourself! Join us at Chief Ike's Mambo Room and get down with us.
Saturday, July 12 @ 12 - 4 PM
Words Beats & Life Presents
Step Into a World: DC Urban Arts Academy Open House & BBQ
Benning Park Recreation Center :: 53rd & Fitch Street SE
Reservations encouraged
Saturday, July 12 @ 7 PM
Hip-Hop Theater Shorts II
Sol y Soul and Marc Bamuthi Joseph
Studio Theatre :: 1501 14th Street NW
Reservations encouraged
Saturday, July 12 @ 9:30 PM
Universes
Studio Theatre :: 1501 14th Street NW
Reservations encouraged
Universes is an ensemble company of multi-disciplined writers and performers who fuse poetry, theater, jazz, Hip-Hop, politics, down home blues and Spanish boleros to create moving, challenging and entertaining theatrical works. The group breaks the bounds of traditional theater to create their own brand, inviting old and new generations of theater crafters as well as the theater goers and new comers to reshape the face of American Theater.
Saturday, July 12 @ 10PM -2A
Waxploitation-Lost in Transit
Waxploitation: Lost in Transit
solSource, Groove Arts Collective, Pacific Cafe' Lounge in conjunction with the Hip-Hop Theater Festival presents Waxploitation. This event features work by 12 artists from around the country and Washington, D.C all created on vinyl records using acrylic, spray paint, paint markers and stencils. Amazing DJ and chill beats round out this closing celebration of Hip-Hop Festival’s seventh year in DC.
John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts
No tickets required for this event. Arrive early for best seating.
Studio Theatre
Reservations encouraged
(Available beginning Wednesday, June 25)
Limit 2 reservations per person
Reservations released 15 minutes prior to curtain
Walk-ups welcome, please arrive at least 1 hour prior to show time
Mead Theater at Flashpoint
Reservations encouraged
(Available beginning Wednesday, June 25)
Limit 2 reservations per person
Reservations released 15 minutes prior to event start
Walk-ups welcome, seating is highly limited
Dance Place
For free tickets, please visit: www.danceplace.org
St. Stephen's Church
No tickets required for this event. All ages welcome
Benning Park Recreation Center
No tickets required for this event. All ages welcome
Waxploitation Venue
Reservations encouraged
(Available beginning Wednesday, June 25)
Limit 2 reservations per person
Walk-ups welcome
HHTF will also be sponsoring events for
Brave New Voices
also in Washington DC
July 15 - 19, 2008
New York City 2008
Septemeber 23 - October, 11, 2008
Stay tuned
for more details, including artists and events.
Some say there were hundreds at the "Get Sprung on HHTF" benefit, others say there were thousands. Official HHTF estimates indicate there were HELLA. Our BIGGEST THANKS to all of you who came through to "Get Sprung on HHTF" at Hurley's. It was a fabulous evening thanks to all of YOU. To hear what our newest HHTF board member MALIK YOBA has to say about "Get Sprung" click here.
And look . . . if you slept on it, but would like to "Get Sprung on HHTF" just like everyone else, click here. Also, be sure to check our July eNewsletter for the pics!
Spring is here, the Festivals are about to take off
and we're taking you with us.
FOR GENERAL FESTIVAL INFORMATION
Hip-Hop Theater Festival
email: info@hhtf.org
phone: 718.497.4282
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