© David Carlson
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Will Power
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Last year’s critically acclaimed Flow, by a New York performance artist named Will Power, brought into the mainstream an emerging genre called hip-hop theatre. For the uninitiated, the term encompasses everything from performance pieces featuring break dancing and rap to traditional narratives examining hip-hop culture.
The fever has spread, with producers of the popular New York–based Hip-Hop Theater Festival eyeing Chicago as the next market. On May 4th, the Museum of Contemporary Art hosts Chicago’s inaugural fest (for information, go to http://www.mcachicago.org/ or 312-280-2660), headlined by Power and his contemporary Marc Bamuthi Joseph, best known for Scourge, an autobiographical mix of hip-hop, jazz, dance, and traditional theatre. With a nod toward the abundance of local talent, fest organizers also tapped four Chicago acts, which represent a remarkable range of cultural influences.
Young Chicago Authors The West Town–based YCA showcases its blend of poetry and storytelling on May 4th, when it premières a series of spoken-word solos, developed in collaboration with Bamuthi Joseph. |
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Kuumba Lynx Best described as performance art, hip-hop style, this Uptown-based ensemble combines elements of break dancing and storytelling. On May 5th, Kuumba Lynx débuts a collaboration with headliner Power. |
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Photo: Emily Evans
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Congo Square Theatre The six-year-old Lake View group brings to the stage new works that focus on the experience of the African diaspora. On May 5th, they perform an excerpt from Deep Azure, a Chadwick Boseman play that borrows heavily from street slang. |