The Occidental College Department of Theater is proud to present "Words, Rhymes, and Drama: An Evening of Hip Hop Theatre," a solo performance by Will Power.
The performance, featuring DJ Reborn, will take place Friday, Feb. 6 at 8 p.m. at Thorne Hall on the Occidental campus.
Power, whose work "combines the complexity of serious drama with the visual and sonic arsenal of MTV," according to the New York Times, will present excerpts from his award-winning productions "The Seven" and "FLOW," as well as new work in progress. Considered a pioneer in the genre of hip hop theater, Power has created his own style of theatrical communication fusing original music, rhymed language, and dynamic choreography to produce compelling evenings. Newsday has called him "electrifying," and Variety dubbed him a "dynamic performer."
Power is an award-winning actor, rapper, playwright, and educator. His adaptation of the Greek tragedy "Seven Against Thebes," retitled "The Seven," enjoyed a successful Off-Broadway run at the New York Theater Workshop in 2006 and the La Jolla Playhouse in 2008. His solo show "FLOW" was featured in the Hip Hop Theater Festival before touring nationally and internationally to critical acclaim.
His numerous awards include a U.S.A. Prudential Fellowship, a Lucille Lortel Award for Best Musical, the TCG Peter Zeisler Memorial Award, a Jury Award for Best Theatre Performance at the HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival, and the Trailblazer Award from the National Black Theater Network.
Tickets are free for Occidental students (one per ID); $10 for Occidental staff, faculty, administrators, and senior citizens; and $12 for all others. Groups of 10 or more non-Occidental students pay $5 per ticket. For tickets and information, call (323) 259-2922 or email theater@oxy.edu.
Will Power’s appearance at Occidental is sponsored by the Intercultural Community Center and the Black Student Alliance and is made possible by the G. William Hume Fellowship in the Performing Arts, the result of a generous gift from the G. William Hume Trust. Having earned a master’s degree in composition from Occidental in 1952, Bill Hume ’50 was an Occidental faculty member who taught music, speech and history. He also served the College as dean of students and director of Thorne Hall.
Occidental is located at 1600 Campus Road in Eagle Rock. Directions to the college and a campus map can be found at www.oxy.edu/x119.xml.
