Schaumburg Black History Month play celebrates 50th anniversary of hip-hop
Schaumburg's annual Black History Month play will honor the 50th anniversary of hip-hop music and culture, as well as being the 13th and final show directed by village native Maurice D. Proffit.
“And Then There Was Hip Hop” will be a show within a show when it's presented from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday at the Al Larson Prairie Center for the Arts, 201 Schaumburg Court in Schaumburg.
Not only will it pay tribute to a style of music Proffit describes as near and dear to his heart, but it also will be within the context of a drama titled “The Realness” by playwright Idris Goodwin.
The play tells the story of aspiring music journalist T.O. as he leaves the suburbs in 1996 to immerse himself in hip-hop culture. He meets and falls in love with Prima, an authentic MC who's supporting her family.
Tension ensues as T.O. finds himself caught in the lies he's told about himself, leaving him to question whether he's truly seeking love or fulfilling a middle-class fantasy about rap.
“It's a night-and-day relationship,” Proffit said. “You see the ups and downs of what they go through. It takes you back to your 20s when you were making sense of everything as they decide whether they should be a couple or go their separate ways.”
Proffit emphasizes that with a few tweaks of language in the script, this is a show and an experience for all ages.
“We're really excited about it,” he said “We're looking for a great time.”
Proffit isn't walking away from the Schaumburg tradition his late mother, Valerie Profit, began at the Prairie Center 24 years ago. But he is doing more and more producing through his own B-Side Studios, and he intends to produce future shows for others to direct.
He felt this was a particularly good show on which to end his run as director with a celebration of the golden anniversary of hip-hop. He has particular regard for the early contribution of DJ Kool Herc — aka Clive Campbell — whom he thinks isn't known well enough or honored by today's young hip-hop fans.
“It kind of astounds me,” Proffit said. “We have a living pioneer of this culture.”
Saturday's performance will be accompanied by vibrant visuals and a gathering of marketplace vendors.
Tickets cost $20 in advance and $25 at the door. For advance tickets, visit the events calendar at www.villageofschaumburg.com.