Wednesday, November 18, 2020

Arizona Theatre Company Presents Idris Goodwin's Break Beat Play, THE REALNESS, in Virtual Performance, November 18-22


Arizona Theatre Company’s (ATC) digital season continues with Idris Goodwin’s break beat play, The Realness, which follows T.O. from the suburbs to the big city to immerse himself in authentic hip hop culture and the journey for his heart and true identity.

 “Hip Hop is so much more than a musical genre.  It is a cultural expression of both pride and social consciousness,” said ATC Associate Artistic Director Chanel Bragg.  “Idris Goodwin’s thrilling new play is a love story that will reverberate deep within your heart.”

The Realness, directed by Megan Sandberg-Zakian, will be accessible on ATC’s website (www.arizonatheatre.org) as well as on Facebook, YouTube and Vimeo from 5 p.m., Nov. 18 to 5 p.m., Nov. 22.  There is no charge to view the play, but donations to Arizona Theatre Company are encouraged and will be greatly appreciated. 

For T.O. (Terrell Donnell Sledge), the “real” hip hop culture doesn’t get much real than Prima (Analisa Velez), an MCsupporting her family. The moment he meets her, T. O. falls madly in love. But when he becomes tangled in the lies he tells to get closer to her, he's forced to ask himself: is he after real love, or fulfilling a middle-class fantasy of rap? Idris Goodwin takes on tough questions of authenticity and class collision with humor, heart, and killer rhymes in a coming-of-age tale set to the beat of hip-hop history. 

The Realness also features Marcus John as Lord Style, Moya Angela as Professor Brown and others and Héctor Flores, Jr. as Roy and others. The creative team includes Sound Designer Mathew DeVore, Technology Director Ido Levran, Production Manager Becky Merold, Artistic Manager China Young and Stage Manager Alex Murphy.

For more information about these events and upcoming digital offerings at www.arizonatheatre.org.

 The Realness

Written by Idris Goodwin
Directed by Megan Sandberg-Zakian

Viewing Dates: 5 p.m., Nov. 18 to 5 p.m. Nov. 22
Viewing Options
ATC website (www.arizonatheatre.org), YouTube channel, Facebook and Vimeo.

CREATIVE TEAM
Technical Director: Ido Levran
Sound Design: Mathew DeVore
Artistic Manager:China Young
Production Manager: Becky Merold
SM Intern: Nick Carroll
Stage Manager: Alex Murphy

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