Producers are the Shell
The Story of the Slave
I’m reading Ta-Nehisi Coates new novel, The Water Dancer. It begins with a quote from Frederick Douglass. “My part has been to tell the story of the slave. The story of the master never wanted for narrators “.
The reason for the existence of Rhymes Over Beats could not be better put. We are about telling the seldom told story.
Other kinds of stories have never wanted for tellers.
I’m often asked why, me being an older white guy, why am I doing this. But if I were to start a company devoted to the works of Shakespeare or Shaw, no one would say, ‘you’re not British, why would you have a company dedicated to a British playwright?’ No one would ever ask why another Shakespeare company.
Why a Hip Hop Theater Collective?
People ask this question because what we are doing is unusual. Our goal is to make these kind of stories, using the hip hop aesthetic, usual.
Stories are seldom told because they are not considered worth telling. In the case of the stories we want to tell, we don’t agree with this assessment. And we’ll keep doing it until no one asks why anymore.
Our idea is to assemble hip hop artists and theater artists who are inspired by hip hop, to collaborate and create work.
Rhymes Over Beats provides the shell so things can grow protected.
In order to tell a story theatrically, first you need the story, the actors, and the director. These elements are the beginning. To finish it you need a producer to provide the money and the organization. The producer members are the shell.
Are You On Board?
If you agree with what we are doing, join us. Donate at our website. Follow us on social media. Come see our productions.
