Hip Hop Beats & The Bard

You’re sure to have a whole new appreciation for the Bard when you hear The Sonnet Man rap Shakespeare’s beloved words. Devon Glover, The Sonnet Man, is teaching Hip-Hop Theatre: Finding Your Voice Through Verse at the International Thespian Festival 2021 (ITF).

There’s still time to register for the festival and attend the workshop! The entire festival is all-virtual and takes place June 22-25, 2021. We had a quick catch-up with The Sonnet Man about his career and his workshop at ITF.

The Sonnet Man’s Early Work

I got my start in theatre working with the company, Salty Shakespeare, in 2013. In addition to rewriting some hip-hop adaptations to several scenes, I was offered the dual role of Clarence and Tyrell in Salty Shakespeare’s version of Richard III at Santa Monica College.

WORKSHOP INSIGHTS

Any workshop, class, or intensive that incorporates a combination of improvisation, collaboration, writing and/or musical theatre has helped me. Due to my work with Shakespeare, I like to attend workshops that are based on the Bard. I want to hone my skills as a Shakespearean and a late-blooming Thespian.

I hope my ITF 2021 workshop opens my attendees’ minds and shows them another direction they could take with their passion for creative writing. That this fresh take on Shakespeare might open another pathway for them to give voice to their stories.

As a teacher, my ability to improvise and adjust my workshop to various writing-skill levels helps me give my students what they need. My passions for performance and collaboration transfer to my attendees.

Get to know The Sonnet Man

And, last but not least, help our readers get to know you a little bit better. Choose one for each:

Hamilton or Hadestown?
Hamilton

Ballet, Hip Hop or Tap?
Hip Hop!!!

Hero or villain?
Hero

The most dynamic performance you’ve ever seen?
Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s UniSon is the most dynamic performance I’ve seen. It’s a play based on August Wilson’s poetry, which fused poetry, theatre, and dance choreography.

You’ll find The Sonnet Man most active on Twitter. Plus, here’s a link to a Dramatics story about poetry slams you might find enjoy.

Patty Craft is Content Manager for Dramatics.org. She lives and writes on 10 acres in southwestern Ohio where she also hikes to her heart’s content. If you have a story idea, share it with us here.