Dmae features Idris Goodwin’s HOW WE GOT ON, the season opener for Portland Playhouse. We’ll hear from director Jen Rowe, music director Mic Crenshaw and actress Ithica Tell from the production about to open September 30th-Oct. 25th.  We’ll also be joined by the playwright himself Idris Goodwin via phone!

(Aired 11am Tues 9/29  on KBOO 90.7FM or always on stagenstudio.com.)

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HOW WE GOT ON Synopsis:

CastCourt_Small
Cast: Joe Gibson – Hank Chip Sherman – Julian Ashley Nicole Williams – Luann Ithica Tell – Selector

Set in 1988, three teenagers, Hank, Julian, and Luann, who live in the suburbs of the Midwest dream of their beats and rhymes making them famous, in hip-hop’s golden age of the late 80’s.  The teens battle their Midwestern upbringing, their peer’s derision, and their own self-doubt in this musical coming-of-age story, while our modern day narrator and DJ, “The Selector”, gives us a hip-hop history lesson.

As they discover they love Ice T, Ed Lover and Doctor Dreenage, the three teenagers find a way to break into the urban scene and get signed to a major label, pushing through the negativity and learning to breathe in joy.
Performances are September 30th – October 25th
Wednesday – Saturday at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2:00pm
All shows are at Portland Playhouse located at 602 NE Prescott St. Portland, OR 97211 Directions

Ticket Prices: Weekday (Wednesday/Thursday): $32.00
Weekend (Fri/Sat/Sun Mat): $36.00
Preview: $20.00
Under 35: $25.00
More info at: http://www.portlandplayhouse.org/

Idris Goodwin
Idris Goodwin

More About the Author: Idris Goodwin is a playwright, rapper and essayist. His plays include How We Got On, Remix 38 (Actors Theater of Louisville); And in this corner: Cassius Clay (StageOne Family Theater), This is Modern Art (Steppenwolf), Blackademics (MPAACT, Crowded Fire). Goodwin is one of the six playwrights featured in Hands Up an anthology commissioned by The New Black Fest. Hands Up has been presented across the country. Upcoming productions include: Bars and Measures ( B Street Theatre ) The REALNESS (Merrimack Theatre) and THE RAID (Jackalope Theater) He is the recipient of Oregon Shakespeare’s American History Cycle Commission and InterAct Theater’s 20/20 Award. Goodwin has been a writer in residence at Berkeley Rep’s Ground Floor Program, The Lark Playwriting Center and New Harmony Project. An accomplished hip hop poet, his albums include BREAK BEAT POEMS and RHYMING WHILE BLACK. Goodwin was featured on HBO, Sesame Street and Discovery Channel. He is the author of the pushcart nominated essay collection THESE ARE THE BREAKS (Write Bloody, 2011). Idris teaches performance writing and Hip Hop aesthetics at Colorado College.

Hear some music by Idris Goodwin https://soundcloud.com/idris-goodwin/sets/blackademc-the-album_preview

Mic Crenshaw, Ithica Tell & Jen Rowe
Mic Crenshaw, Ithica Tell & Jen Rowe

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