Support Black Theaters

Support Black Theaters

by | Feb 2, 2021 | Blog

Black Theaters in the United States

 

Our first social media post in 2021 to celebrate black theater history is one saluting the first black theater company in America.

The African Grove Theatre was founded in 1821 in New York City by William Brown. I always wanted to find a way to recognize the first black theater or theater company in each state, but that task requires more time and research than I can be spend while also producing, writing, and working with writers.

Fortunately for me, I discovered that Gary Anderson of Black Theatre Matters had already done the work and published his own list here on his website. So, in order to acknowledge a black theater or theater company in each state that has one, I’ve listed some of those theaters below.

If a state has multiple companies I’ve listed the one that was Equity. If a state has multiple Equity companies, I’ve listed the one that I know the most about.

 

Do You Support Black Theater Companies?

 

If you live in as state that has one of these companies, please support them.

If your state has none, please consider starting one.

Okay, here’s my list:

 

#SupportBlackTheaters

#RhymesOverBeatsTheaterCollective

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Celebrate Black History Month

Celebrate Black History Month

by | Jan 25, 2021 | Blog

What Stories Do You Tell?

 

History is the story we tell ourselves and the people who come after us about what has happened to us or to others. In this it is similar to theater.

It has been suggested that theater is “history with the boring parts left out.” As the musical HAMILTON famously says, it’s about, “Who lives, who dies, who tells your story.”

This means that at times only certain stories get told.

 

The Stories Told Define Us All

 

Some stories in the past have not been told, or told only rarely. One of the reasons that Rhymes Over Beats was started was to tell these seldom-told stories.

We also try to tell them using music that has been, up to now, not the kind of music that was used to tell theatrical stories. It is the kind of music that belongs to the culture in which many of the stories we want to tell happened.

This upcoming month is black history month. We have in the past few years on our social media tried to change this lack of notice, of celebration.

Every day in February we have been putting up posts on black theater history on Instagram. Who was first. Who was best. Who was best most often. Who were these things individually as well as institutionally. Who were these things on stage, back stage, and front of house.

We know our list is extensive. We also know it is not exhaustive. Please look at what we posted last year on our Instagram page last year. Let us know what we may have missed.

Here are last year’s blog posts:

We welcome any ideas on what event needs to be celebrated when we post, that we may have missed last year.

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TRU Speak

TRU Speak

by | Jan 20, 2021 | Blog

A TRU Resource

 

I am on the board of an organization called Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU), whose mission is to “help producers produce.” We do this by sponsoring free monthly panels on issues of interest to the theater community.

We have also created programs for the theater community. For playwrights there is the “Writer/Producer Speed Date” where twenty-two playwrights get to pitch their plays to eleven producers. Actors have an audition event. And producers have workshops on producing issues like “How to Raise Money for Productions”.

The reason I’m mentioning all this is that since we are a not for profit entity, each year we hold a benefit to raise money to support our programs. In normal times this benefit takes place in NYC in person. This year the benefit is in a different format. Instead of an award show with boring speakers and banquet food, we have created a program called TRU Speak … Hear Our Voices.

It is an online presentation of six short plays all touching on issues of social importance; issues that are the reason Rhymes Over Beats was created to address. And, unlike in previous years, you don’t have to get dressed up and trek into the city to attend.

Ticketing information is on the website TRUonline.org. Please buy a ticket and celebrate with us a year of survival.

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Learning Hip Hop

Learning Hip Hop

by | Jan 13, 2021 | Blog

Back to Basics

 

Rhymes Over Beats is a theater collective whose mission is to create and produce hip hop theater.

I’ve been a playwright and theater producer for over twenty years now. I’ve taken as many theater classes in college as I could – classes in every aspect of the art, from History of the Drama to Stagecraft. But now as the Artistic Director of a Hip Hop Theater Collective, that’s only half of what I need to know.

I’m not talking about resolutions – that was last week’s topic.

Because I started my career in theater, there’s so much about hip hop that I need to learn. I now need suggestions on things to research in order to achieve a proficiency in hip hop that I have in theater.

But I don’t know how to make the best use of my time. I need the help of people who read this blog and are immersed in the hip hop world to give me some ideas.

 

Hip Hop Books

 

What suggestions can you make to this list of books I’ve already read?

  • Rhymecology by Jeffrey Walker
  • Book of Rhymes: The Poetics of Hip Hop by Adam Bradley
  • Can’t Stop Won’t Stop by Jeff Chang
  • The Rap Year Book by Shea Serrano
  • Hip Hop America by Nelson George
  • God Save the Queens by Kathy Landoli
  • How To Make it in the New Music Business by Ari Herstand
  • This Day in Rap and Hip-Hop History by Chuck D
  • The Big Payback by Dan Charnes

I’ve read these books because they were recommended to me by friends, or from reading rave reviews. But I know this list just scratches the surface.

I need more books to read.

Any suggestions are appreciated!

 

 

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2021 Resolutions

2021 Resolutions

by | Jan 5, 2021 | Blog

New Resolutions?

 

For a lot of us in America and Western Europe it is the beginning of a new year. Time to reflect on what we did not do that we should have,  and what we did do but should not have done. Time to fix things by making resolutions. 

I’ve noticed that most resolutions are focused on the individual making the resolution, like:

  • I’ll try to go to the gym and get in shape.
  • I’ll eat healthier.
  • I’ll be more productive.

Things like this.

I’d like to recommend we look at resolutions in a different way.

Instead of thinking how we can make our own lives better, maybe we can make plan to make life better for someone else.

Our resolutions should focus on helping others.

 

Resolve to Help Others

 

The Rhymes Over Beats resolutions for the new year are of this type. We want make other peoples lives better by helping them achieve their artistic goals.

This is the reason for Rhymes Over Beats Hip Hop Theater Collective. We believe the world would be a better place if there were more hip hop theater in it. Our goal is to help make this happen.

Our specific resolutions for the new year are:

  • Finish a book on helping playwrights write plays that are more producible.
  • Produce a new hip hop musical by Masta Ace.
  • Produce a revival of the play The Exonerated, casting actors who are also hip hop artists.
  • Produce a hip hop musical about Irish famine in the 1850s.

 

What Are Your Resolutions?

 

In addition to the resolutions you have already made, I’d propose one more: please check during the year that we are keeping our resolutions. Check in and let us hear from you during the year – we love to hear your thoughts.

And may the best day of last year be the worst day of the new year!