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HOW THE WORD BEGAN…
So I read the play and thought, “Let’s do it.” I committed to workshopping the piece – to see it, hear it, experience it, and also let our audiences respond. It’s not every day that we are exposed to the world of hip-hop and slam poetry in a theatrical setting. It’s not every day that we are exposed to prejudice, politics, love, and believing. Robert was developing a very special and very personal piece of theater that could touch all audiences. During the workshop last winter, two young writers and performers — Steve Connell and Sekou (tha misfit) — poured their hearts and souls into a unique theatrical experience that had people smiling, laughing, crying, insulted, and mad as hell at the world around them. As a theatrical producer, it’s always less risky to present works that are known, safe. But I have always believed in challenging artists and audiences. How can we grow as individuals and how can we promote change in our lives and the world if we are not introduced to new experiences? The ARK Theatre has provided Signature with an amazing playground. We’ve pushed the limits of storytelling. We’ve produced daring works that have asked big questions. We’ve traveled a bold road full of creative, daring works. The Word Begins is the third installment of this journey. How exciting to have something so new and fresh, so original and so meaningful in our theater. As an artist and as a producer, I am proud of this world premiere work. It speaks for itself. I only hope it can begin to change the world… and speak to you.
IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD, AND THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH
Click here to learn more about Steve Connell
Click here to learn more about Sekou (tha misfit) The Word Begins is presented through special arrangement with Prana Theatre Group. Developed at Ojai Playwrights Conference.
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Over a year ago, I received a call from Robert Egan, a friend and very talented director from Los Angeles. He was developing a new play that would be bold and daring, push limits, ask big questions but supply no answers. It would be perfect for Signature. He knew our audiences would “get” this play and not be afraid of it. I was intrigued. 
Steve Connell (Writer/Performer) SIGNATURE: The Word Begins workshop. REGIONAL: Ojai Playwrights Conference: The Word Begins; 12th Annual HBO US Comedy Arts Festival: No Easy Choices; Hudson Theatre: Jumping the Median; Lillian Theatre: 40 Days; Unspoken Theater: My Thing of Love; ARK Theatre Co.: Merchant of Venice (Shylock); Forum Theatre: The Glass Menagerie (Tom); The Black Box: Macbeth (Macbeth); UCLA: Much Ado About Nothing (Benedict), Danny and the Deep Blue Sea (Danny). WRITING: No Easy Choices, Jumping the Median, Unabridged, 40 Days, Back I Lay Laughing, Twice Times, Ending the Silence; commissioned works by ACLU, NCAA, Declare Yourself, People For the American Way, AIDS Care, American Cancer Society, Sierra Club. TOURS: Norman Lear’s Declare Yourself voter registration initiative, The Underground Poets Railroad. TV: HBO: Def Poetry Jam; ABC: DirtySexyMoney, World News Now, Good Morning America; Showtime: Crossover; MTV: World AIDS Festival; BET: Lyric Café; MSNBC: Hardball. FILM: The Beat, Blues, The List, Shanghai Kiss, Another Day in Paradise, Awaken Me, Belly (DVD). VIDEO: ACLU’s Monster Among Us. RECORDINGS: The Intimate Nature of Knife Fights, ACLU’s InSecurity, ACLU’s Unabridged, Declare Yourself’s Party Music. AWARDS: 2002 Hollywood Grand Slam Champion (Poetry), 2003 Los Angeles Grand Slam Champion (Poetry), 2003 National Poetry Slam Champion (Team Captain), 2004 New World Series National Poetry Champion, 2005 Best Solo Performance (40 Days), URB Magazine “100 Faces to Watch.” SPECIAL EVENTS: Performed at private functions for Oprah Winfrey, Quincy Jones, and P. Diddy. OTHER: Founder, Tangent Improv and Sketch Comedy; Co-founder, Unspoken Theater. EDUCATION: BA, Theatre, UCLA. 
Sekou (tha misft) (Writer/Performer) SIGNATURE: The Word Begins workshop. REGIONAL: Ojai Playwrights Conference: The Word Begins; 12th Annual HBO US Comedy Arts Festival: No Easy Choices; Pitzer: Grey, Raising Revolution, Redefining Revolution, Seven’s High, Without a Box (Improv Troupe). WRITING: No Easy Choices, Grey; commissioned works by NIKE, ACLU, Waggener Edstrom Worldwide/Microsoft, Planned Parenthood, NCAA, Declare Yourself, The Truth.com, People For the American Way, Wieden & Kennedy, NBA/KBK Entertainment, Artisan Films, Sound Images, Now & Zen Productions, Women in Film, R/GA Agency, Sierra Club. TOURS: Norman Lear’s Declare Yourself voter registration initiative, The Underground Poets Railroad. TV: HBO: Def Poetry Jam, NBC: Starting Over, ABC: World News Now, Good Morning America; FOX: Fox News, Showtime: Crossover; BET: Lyric Café; MSNBC: Hardball. FILM: I’m Through with White Girls, Battlegrounds, Crossover, Belly (DVD), Life After Death, Unyielding Conditioning. VIDEO:NIKE’s Witness: Lebron James, NIKE’s Commentator, ACLU’s Monster Among Us, Spit, Verbally Disturbed. RECORDINGS: Afrodeezyackz/The Mumblings of a Madman, Therapy, Seven: A Kwanzaa Soundtrack, I Love U/For the Rest of My Life, ACLU’s InSecurity, ACLU’s Unabridged, Declare Yourself’s Party Music, Shihan’s Music is the New Cotton (guest), Celeste Prince’s Celeste Prince EP (guest). VOICEOVER: Promos: MTV’s Adventures In HollyHood, Interscope Record’s Dr. Dre and Eminem releases, Arabesque Films; Commercials: Smart Money Funding, Nissan Maxima, Nike Battlegrounds; Video Games: African Safari; Films: Kid Bang, Crossover; Other: Delta Air/AirForce One Radio, NIKE’s Hooptown. AWARDS: 2002 National Poetry Slam Champion (Individual), 2003 National Poetry Slam Champion (Team), Word Up! National Poetry Slam Champion, Best Spoken Word Album, Best Hip-Hop Album, Best Holiday Album, Best Live Artist, Outstanding Music Video, Best Hip-Hop Artist (nomination). SPECIAL EVENTS: Performed at private functions for Oprah Winfrey, Quincy Jones, and P. Diddy. EDUCATION: Pomona College, Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Georgetown Day.
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