Beyond the Beat
Annual Hip-Hop Theater Festival Explores Genre's Place in Dance, Drama and Spoken Word

By Ellen McCarthy
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, July 4, 2008

The Hip-Hop Theater Festival takes hold of four cities every year, shining celebratory light on the stories, issues and rhythms of a generation.

But it's in Washington, says spokeswoman Elz Cuya, that the event feels most like a festival.

In New York, Chicago and San Francisco, audiences have to pay for hard-to-come-by tickets. In Washington, everything is free.

"The hip-hop generation is a significant portion of our city, not only in number but influence," says Tony Gittens, executive director of the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, which underwrites the festival. "We want young people to know that they are not operating in some marginal community -- that they're part of the culture of the entire city."

This year's festival, which runs Tuesday through July 12, features dancers, musicians, dramatists, spoken-word artists and poets.

"People ask, 'What is hip-hop theater?' " Cuya says. "And we think that artists are showing us, every year, what hip-hop theater can be. . . . It's all theater, but what that looks like can be very different depending on the artist."

The lineup this year is rich, so be prepared for crowds and some incredible artistry. Here are highlights:

Brave New Voices College Tour

Tuesday at 6 p.m. Kennedy Center,

2700 F St. NW; 202-467-4600.

Renowned poet Sonia Sanchez, left, introduces some of the best spoken-word artists from colleges across the nation, in addition to the D.C. WritersCorps Slam Team.

Hip-Hop Theater Shorts I

Wednesday at 7 p.m. and Thursday at 9:30 p.m. Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW; 202-332-3300.

Four short stage productions, including "Boom Bap Meditations" by Baba Israel, a New Yorker who recounts his immersion into hip-hop culture, and "Southside," a drama by the District's John Muller, about a community's struggle with violence.

Hip-Hop Theater Shorts II

Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. and Saturday at 7 p.m. Studio Theatre.

Local troupe Sol Y Soul takes the poetry of William Carlos Williams and Elizabeth Bishop and transforms it into a genre-bending meditation on the issues of contemporary urban life. Dancer, actor and poet Marc Bamuthi Joseph, a National Poetry Slam champion, also performs.

The Word Begins

Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m.

Studio Theatre.

Steve Connell and Sekou (tha Misfit) weave a dramatic journey through childhood, manhood and the modern world in this spoken-word play. A fall run at Signature Theatre prompted Washington Post critic Peter Marks to write that, at its best, the performance "stomps outrageously."

Jack Ya Body Dance Series

July 11 at 8 p.m. Dance Place,

3225 Eighth St. NE; 202-269-1600.

Hip-hop-inspired choreography by local dance troupes, including Boogie Bots, Maia Maiden Works and Urban Impact. Tickets are limited.

HIP-HOP THEATER FESTIVAL Tuesday through July 12 at various locations. 202-724-5613. For a full schedule of events, visithttp://www.hiphoptheaterfest.com. Free.