Smokin' Word Production
Sick Rhymes Review
Backstage East
Off-Off Broadway June 17, 2003
Shorts: An Evening of Hip-Hop Generation Playwrights
Reviewed By Michael Menachem
"Shorts: An Evening of Hip-Hop Generation Playwrights"
Theater:P.S. 122
Location:150 1st Avenue, NYC
Phone:718-782-2621
Starts:June 07, 2003
Ends:June 10, 2003
A supportive audience immersed in hip-hop culture packed P.S. 122 on
Tuesday for a group of five shows at the 4th NYC Hip Hop Theater
Festival. "Shorts: An Evening of Hip-Hop Generation Playwrights"
offered at least one piece for most folks in the vastly diverse
crowd. Powerfully dramatic skits were mixed with musical segments,
comedic street talk and a high-energy, politically-driven beatbox.
Actress/playwright Vanessa Hidary opened the two-hour show with
her
autobiographical piece "Culture Bandit." Her confident monologues
about growing up during the '80s and trying to find her identity as a
Jewish-American girl in a strong urban culture were addicting, with
references from Michael Jackson's "She's Out of My Life" to her
fascination with her white ass and Pumas.
Following that was Seth Zvi Rosenfeld's brief "My Starship,"
which
offered convincing actors playing confused teenagers in love, trying
to deal with going away to war. Though strong, the playlet was
underdeveloped and not as strong as it could have been.
The most intensely moving piece was Claudia Alick's "Sick
Rhymes," a
story about a young suicidal gangster Master G (Dennis 'Da Menace'
White), who robs and almost rapes a woman he later finds out was his
high school teacher (EJ Serrano). Well-directed by Jamie Patton, the
powerful chemistry between White and Serrano was most strongly
displayed in an intense and realistic crime scene with a clever
twist.
An urban-style 'Who's On First?' bit opens Ben Synder's
comedic "Tea," the story of two friends, one dumber than the other,
discussing their relationships. Directed by Jamie Patton, the
contrast of the two performers finely exaggerated the humor of dating
and jealous small talk.
The evening ended with a well-received excerpt from writer/director
Rachel Havrelock's "Soundtrack City." Performer Yuri Lane took
terrific charge of Havrelock's piece, deftly taking on the beatbox
musical and rocking the audience. What he called 'breath control'
mixed hip-hop sounds with computer and email sounds, weapons,
environments and video games. Moreover, the segment?s political
references and wishes for world peace in the Middle East lead up to a
somewhat disturbing and intense ending. This piece was a definite
highlight.