The Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint presents
theHegira’s world premiere production Paige in Full
Tape over the notches and press record!
theHegira’s Paige in Full is a visual mix-tape that blends poetry, dance and live music to tell the tale of a multicultural girl growing up in Baltimore, MD. The production explores how a young woman’s identity is shaped by her ethnicity and popular culture, telling a personal, yet universal, story through the lens of hip-hop.
To create Paige in Full, sibling-duo Paige Hernandez (writer and performer) and Nick tha 1da (musician) worked with Danielle A. Drakes (director) and Bryan Joseph Lee (dramaturg) to develop a story that speaks to a dynamic hip-hop-influenced generation. Paige in Full draws upon a range of creative disciplines including literary, musical and visual arts. The story unfolds on a backdrop of multimedia projections provided by Flashpoint Gallery veteran Tewodross Melchishua.
Paige in Full plays May 11-May 29, 2010 at the Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint. More information at flashpointdc.org.
ABOUT theHEGIRA
Founded by Producing Artistic Director Danielle A. Drakes in 2008, theHegira is currently presenting its second season in Washington, DC. theHegira showcases the artistry of women of color, as their aesthetic is underrepresented in the theatrical mainstream. The company’s mission is to produce a dialogue between artists and audiences through the exploration, development, and production of stories of struggle, survival, and triumph. This mission embraces work in all stages of evolution and theatre practitioners in all aspects of their artistic journeys. Most recently, theHegira produced the premiere of Jacqueline Lawton’sDeep Belly Beautiful, directed by Drakes, as part of the Mead Theatre Lab Program at Flashpoint, 2008-2009 season. For more information on this new theater company, visit thehegira.org.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS & DIRECTOR
Paige Hernandez is a graduate of the Baltimore School for the Arts and received a BA in theater and broadcast journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park. As a critically acclaimed b-girl, Hernandez’s choreography has been seen all over the Washington, DC metropolitan area and recently in DC/NY’s Hip Hop Theatre Festival with Imagination Stage’s Zomo the Rabbit. As a hip-hop education advocate, Hernandez shaped various educational workshops, including Props for Hip Hop at Arena Stage and the upcoming Hip Hop Tater Tots at Wolftrap. Both workshops help teachers to understand the fundamentals of hip-hop while incorporating the culture into their curriculum. As a performer and playwright, Hernandez performed her children’s show Havana Hop in elementary schools along the East Coast. More information at paigehernandez.com.
Nick tha 1da is returning hip-hop to its foundation with the soul of sampling. He was selected for his successful signature chopped samples & hard-hitting drums which earned his title of DMV (DC/MD/VA) Beat Champion in 2005 & 2006. Nick tha 1da created the musical soundtrack/scores for independent films including Loose Change, a 9/11 documentary directed by Dylan Avery which received publicity on Fox News/CNN. He produced the theme/segments for The Peter Rosenberg Show on Hot97(WQHT-FM) and has produced for artists such as W. Ellington Felton, Raheem Devaughn, Asheru (The Boondocks), NC's Justus League and many more. More information at nicktha1da.com.
Danielle A. Drakes received her BA from Goucher College and MFA from The Catholic University of America. As a performer, she has worked with Ford’s Theatre, The Kennedy Center, Arena Stage, CENTERSTAGE, CATF, Discovery Theatre, and Imagination Stage. Directing credits include Lions of Industry, Mothers of Invention, Suessical, the musical!, Deep Belly Beautiful, Stop Kiss, Southern Girls, Dutchman, Chain and Late Bus to Mecca. Recipient of TCG’s Nathan Cummings Young Leaders of Color grant, Drakes is a member of Round House Theatre's Artist Roundtable, Red Circle, Actors’ Equity Association and the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers.
ABOUT THE MEAD THEATRE LAB PROGRAM
Cultural Development Corporation’s Mead Theatre Lab program is an intensive mentorship program for performing artists and independent theatre companies. Inaugurated in January 2006 with ’Capers, the program provides theatre space, technical production support and production mentoring. A panel of noted DC theatre professionals selects the projects and provides guidance to the chosen producers. The result is an eclectic group of innovative, edgy productions and an environment in which emerging performing artists can grow. The Mead Theatre Lab Program at Flashpoint, a Cultural Development Corporation project, is generously sponsored by The Dallas Morse Coors Foundation for the Performing Arts, the Max & Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, the Mary & Daniel Loughran Foundation, Jaylee Mead, The Weissberg Foundation and Jon & NoraLee Sedmak. Additional support is provided by The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, The Kresge Foundation, the MARPAT Foundation, the Eugene & Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, Prince Charitable Trusts, and many other sponsors. Hotel Helix is Flashpoint’s 2009-2010 Hotel Partner. Barefoot Wine is Flashpoint’s 2009-2010 Wine Partner.
ABOUT FLASHPOINT
Flashpoint, a Cultural Development Corporation project, is a non-profit, multi-disciplinary arts space dedicated to nurturing emerging artists and cultural organizations in order to build their professional capacity. Flashpoint provides services and training for cultural organizations to help strengthen their management capacity and offers exhibit and performance spaces that enable arts groups to focus on their artistic goals and expand their visibility. Flashpoint includes a contemporary art gallery, the 75-seat Mead Theatre Lab, the Coors Dance Studio and shared office space for arts organizations.
Paige in Full
Produced by theHegira
Directed by Danielle A. Drakes
Written, Choreographed and Performed by Paige Hernandez
Live Music and Beats by Nick tha 1da
Sets by Jamie Yellen • Lights by Zoia M. Wiseman • Multimedia Projections by Tewodross Melchishua
Dramaturgy by Bryan Joseph Lee • Production Stage Management by Zoia M. Wiseman
Where: The Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint, 916 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
Dates: May 11 – May 29, 2010
Pay-What-You-Can Previews: May 11 and May12 at 8pm
Opening and Press Night: May 13 at 8pm (RSVP to rsvp@culturaldc.org)
Performances: Thursday - Saturday at 8pm and 10pm, Sundays at 3pm
Tickets: All tickets are $20 general admission and are available online at flashpointdc.org or at (866) 811-4111. The box office opens 1 hour before the performance.
More information is available at flashpointdc.org.
Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint • 916 G Street, NW • Washington, DC 20001
A CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION PROJECT
General: 202-315-1305 Media: 202-315-1312 Fax: 202-315-1303
E-mail: emma@culturaldc.org
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