(Washington, DC) The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities is pleased to present the Hip-Hop Theater Festival, beginning July 9, 2007. The festival offers a dynamic mix of live performance, dance and poetry from local and national Hip-Hop generation artists. All events and performances throughout the weeklong festival are free and open to the public. Activities will take place at a variety of venues including Howard University, Studio Theater, Dance Place, Flashpoint Theater and the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage.

Participating local talent and presentations include Dancer and Choreographer Holly Bass; Bashi Rose's Forteez, Bluntz, Chickenhedz 'N' Uva Necessateez, a hiphoptic tragedy; Hueman Prophets' Read: White and Blue, exploring connections between the Black middle-class and working-class experience...or the lack thereof; Goldie Patrick's Love Forever, Hip-Hop, a new work chronicling the stories of six women and their evolving relationship with Hip-Hop and; The Other Side, featuring poets from Sol y Soul. 

National artists include Jerry Quickley, performing Live from the Front, a tale of one man's journey to Iraq at the time of impending war, The Suicide Kings with In Spite of Everything, an all too timely exploration of violence in American schools, and J. Kyle Manzay's hilarious ensemble piece, The Actor's Rap!, which offers a humorous but biting look at Hip-Hop, Hollywood and the actors who are trying to keep it real.

"We look forward to bringing the Hip-Hop Theater Festival to the District," said Tony Gittens, Executive Director of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. "Hip-Hop is a vibrant and multi-faceted urban art form contributing to the vitality of our city and we are ecstatic to be able to offer the festival to our city residents and visitors again."

Founded in 2000, the Hip-Hop Theater Festival continues to invigorate the fields of theater and Hip-Hop by: nurturing the creation of innovative work within the Hip-Hop aesthetic; presenting and touring American and international artists whose work addresses the issues relevant to the Hip-Hop generation; and serving young, urban communities through outreach and education that celebrates contemporary language and culture. Festival cities are New York City, Washington, DC, Chicago and the San Francisco Bay Area. 

In addition to offering the annual Hip-Hop Theater Festival, The Arts Commission is committed to reaching the District's arts community to assist in the growth and preservation of Hip-Hop by offering the Hip-Hop Community Arts Initiative, a pilot grant program offering funding for quality Hip-Hop arts activities throughout the city. Grant recipients are eligible to perform the funded work during the Hip-Hop Theater Festival.

View the Hip-Hop Theatre Festival schedule. For more information, call (202) 724-5613.

Media Contact:
Gabrielle Faulcon
(202) 479-2777