Hype Man: a break beat play

★★★★★… Hype Man is theater at its urgent, vital best. See it and see it again.

DigBoston

Company One’s [Hype Man], presented by the A.R.T., is freshly urgent, considering the past year’s debates around policing and the appropriation of historically Black art forms.

The New York Times

Purchase a household ticket to stream Hype Man on demand anytime through May 6 at 11:59PM ET. ASL-interpertation and audio description are also available on demand.

Called “Sharply directed, incredibly well-acted, and absolutely of-the-moment” by WGBH’s Executive Arts Editor Jared Bowen, Company One’s Hype Man: a break beat play asks: who has the responsibility to speak up in the face of social injustice? This newly reimagined version of the Elliot Norton Award-winning play by poet and playwright Idris Goodwin (How We Got On) follows a rapper, a beat-maker, and a hype man on the verge of making it big when the police shooting of an unarmed black teenager shakes the interracial hip-hop trio to the core and forces them to navigate issues of friendship, race, and protest.

Hype Man: a break beat play was developed by Goodwin with Company One Theatre.

Virtual Premiere Celebration
Join us on April 8 at 7PM ET to celebrate the virtual premiere of Hype Man! Interact with fellow audience members and the creative team, and hear from A.R.T. and C1 staff about our longstanding partnership. Patrons with tickets to any performance are welcome to join. Invitation to RSVP issued following purchase.

Cast Meet-and-Greet
Kadahj Bennett, Rachel Cognata, and Michael Knowlton will join audiences on April 11 at 5:30PM ET for a post-show conversation following the matinee of Hype Man. Patrons with tickets to any performance are welcome to join. Invitation to RSVP issued following purchase.

Post-Show Conversation with Lisa Simmons and John Oluwole ADEkoje
On April 15 at 9PM ET, following the evening performance, Roxbury International Film Festival Director Lisa Simmons and Co-Film Director/Cinematographer John Oluwole ADEkoje chat about filmmaking, ADEkoje’s relationship to RoxFilm, and his work on Hype Man. Patrons with tickets to any performance are welcome to join. Invitation to RSVP issued following purchase.

Closing Night Watch Party
Tune in for a closing night watch party of Hype Man. Experience this “absolutely-of-the-moment show” with friends, family, and community. Starts at 7:30PM ET sharp!

Watch On Demand

Written by Idris Goodwin
Original Stage Production Directed by Shawn LaCount
Director of Photography John Oluwole ADEkoje
Cinematography by John Oluwole ADEkoje and The Loop Lab
Film Directed by John Oluwole ADEkoje and Shawn LaCount