Hip-Hop Theater Festival

The Hip-Hop Theater Festival returns to Chicago with Jerry Quickley’s Live from the Front, directed by Reg E. Gaines. This one-man piece is based on war coverage Quickley gave from Baghdad for Pacifica’s KPFK in Los Angeles. The Chicago festival also presents a new works reading series featuring local theater companies and solo artists.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:

Thursday, May 3
Hosted by Brendan Ayanbadejo of the Chicago Bears
7.30 pm – Rha Goddess: Low
10 pm – Jerry Quickley: Live from the Front
Opening night party at Funky Buddha Lounge
21 and over; doors open at 10 pm
Complimentary admission with opening night ticket

Friday, May 4
Hosted by MC Capital D of All Natural
7.30 pm – Jerry Quickley: Live from the Front

Saturday, May 5
7.30 pm – Shorts: A Night of Excerpted Works
avery r. young and Young Chicago Authors
We Got Issues
Still Fabulous

10 pm – Chicago’s Finest: Hip-Hop Roots & Culture
Hosted by Rhymefest
Featuring BraveMonk and Phaze II / Crosstown Crew

Sunday, May 6
2 pm – Rha Goddess: Low
with ASL interpretation for the hearing impaired

ARTISTS UP CLOSE

Staged Reading Series
Tuesday-Wednesday, May 1-2, 7 pm; free
At the Studio Theater at Chicago Cultural Center (77 East Randolph Street)
Tuesday – Idris Goodwin: The Wolfman
Wednesday – Congo Square Theater Company: The Actor’s Rap

Local Appearances
Tuesday-Friday, May 1-4; free and open to the public
Rha Goddess: Tuesday, May 1, at Little Black Pearl (1060 East 47th Street), 6-7:30 pm
Wednesday, May 2, at Chicago Cultural Center’s Randolph Street Café, 12.30-1.30 pm*
We Got Issues: Thursday, May 3, at Valois (1518 East 53rd Street), 7-8 pm*
Friday, May 4, with Rha Goddess at Ron’s Barber Shop (6041 W. North Avenue, Oak Park), 5-6 pm*
Jerry Quickley: Wednesday, May 2, at Southwest Youth Collaborative (6400 South Kedzie Street), 6-8 pm*
*Copresented with Public Square at the Illinois Humanities Council

First Night Postshow Talk
Thursday, May 3
Following her festival-opening performance, Rha Goddess engages the audience in a conversation.

Roundtable
Saturday, May 5, 2 pm; free
Moderated by Amina Hawkins, President and Co-Founder of Chicago Hip-Hop Initiative, Jerry Quickley and MC
Capital D of local hip-hop duo All Natural tackle the topic of Islam and hip-hop while anchoring a structured discussion about tribalism, faith, and how strife is conquerable through live theater and music.