MEET THE DIRECTOR
ERIC ROSEN, KC Rep's new Artistic Director, is a nationally recognized playwright, director and dramaturg with a passion for new work. Rep patrons will know the caliber of his work from the Rep's critically acclaimed productions of Metamorphoses and The Trip to Bountiful. Rosen has fostered invigorating new projects of some of the country’s top theatre artists whose works have brought new life to the American stage, including Emily Mann, Mary Zimmerman, Moisés Kaufman, Doug Wright, Stephen Flaherty, Frank Galati and Gary Griffin. Rosen earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in performance studies from Northwestern University where he worked in close collaboration with the Tony Award-winning directors Zimmerman and Galati.
Clay
Special Events
Tickets for A Christmas Carol on sale now!
Don't miss this Kansas City holiday tradition, now in its twenty-eighth year! Get the best seats available when you order tickets today. Call 816-235-2700 or click here.
Copaken Stage
Sept. 6-28, 2008
A New Musical
Written and Performed by Matt Sax
Developed in Collaboration with and Directed by Eric Rosen
Clay is part of the Sprint 2008-09 Copaken Stage Series sponsored by
See it before it Goes to New York!
Kansas City audiences will have the amazing opportunity to experience this explosive new hip hop musical – one of new Artistic Director Eric Rosen’s biggest successes – just prior to its New York premiere. Created by a phenomenal young artist named Matt Sax in collaboration with Rosen, Clay is a coming-of-age story told with the great humor, intensity, and lyricism of contemporary hip hop music. The story follows Clifford, a boy from the suburbs who escapes the dissolution of his family and comes under the tutelage of Sir John, a Falstaff-like master of the spoken word. As Clifford ascends to stardom as the rap-star Clay, his world is turned upside down as his past comes back to haunt him. Matt’s solo tour-de-force performance won him Chicago’s prestigious Joseph Jefferson Award and critical acclaim for its recent Los Angeles run. This award-winning musical will have a limited three week run at Copaken Stage before moving to Lincoln Center Theater in New York. “Sax (is) so assured as both writer and performer that he redefines charisma for a hip new age.” Variety
Clay contains adult language and content and loud music.
Calendar of Pre- and Post-Show Events
| Friday, 9/5- | Matt Sax performs at KC Live in the Power and Light District at 10 PM |
| Sunday, 9/7- | Meet the Creative Team following 7 PM performance |
| Tuesday, 9/9- | Post-Show Party sponsored by Ink at Vinino |
| Wednesday, 9/10- | Pre-show Talk at 6 PM for 7 PM performance |
| Thursday, 9/11- | College Night-$2 beer with college ID |
| Friday, 9/12- | (Opening Night) Pre-show Dancers. Explore hip-hop culture as two B-boys (break dancers) perform in the Copaken lobby before the show. |
| Saturday, 9/13- | Post-show Film May this be Love. Afterwards there will be a Q&A with filmmaker Diallo. |
| Sunday, 9/14- | Pre-show Talk at 6 PM for 7 PM performance |
| Wednesday, 9/17- | Post-show Film The Way the Music Died. Description. |
| Friday, 9/19- | Post-show Jazz Poetry Jams: Special edition. Join us for this poetry slam hosted by Glenn North followed by an open mic period. A must-see event for anyone who loves jazz and believes in the power of the spoken word. |
| Saturday, 9/20- | Scholar’s Forum and signed performance for 2 PM matinee |
| Sunday, 9/21- | Actor’s Forum following 2 PM matinee |
| Tuesday, 9/23- | Actor’s Forum following 7 PM performance |
| Saturday, 9/27- | Special 10 PM Performance with $2 beer |
Guests for Scholar's Forum
On Saturday, Sept. 20, the Rep will host a Scholar Forum with guests Reach, Roscoe "Negro Scoe" Johnson, Mac Lethal of 96.5 The Buzz, and Jeremy McConnell of the Hip Hop Academy.
Reach is as compelling and as atypical an emcee as you'll find in the Rap genre. He utilizes what he calls blue-collar Rap, a more reality-based personable brand of hip-hop, to combat an industry saturated with propaganda. Among his accomplishments, He helped to form a local independent Rap label, Kingdome Records. Reach is the winner of the Scion Next Up contest (a national Rap talent search) sponsored by Toyota Scion and the 2008 Pitch Music Award in the Hip Hop category. Reach maintains a steady performance schedule and spent time on the Vans Warped Tour in both 2007 and 2008. He is currently promoting his new album, Corner Speech, and setting up regional and national touring dates.
Roscoe “Negro Scoe” Johnson has been an underground MC since 1995. "Been in love with Hip Hop since 1984, when I was break-dancing on cardboard. Origins: West Coast (Riverside, Ca). I'm one of the O.G members of the Hip Hop Addicts crew est. 1994. I have released several albums over the years on a independent level. My most current release is Feast on Symbol Recordings. I am also involved with the Symbol Heavy Collective in Kansas City. I'm also active in the community where I instruct area youth on the basics of emceeing at the Hip Hop Academy located at The Creative Minds Community Art Center in KCMO. I create music with the The Cosigners a live Hip Hop band that blends Funk, Rock, and Reggae for all music lovers check us out. I'm looking to expand my fan base and collaborate with like-minded individuals for the good of Hip-Hop."
Plan to stop by Bristol Seafood Grill for a pre- or post-show dinner!
Copaken Stage Restaurant Sponsor
